The Tennessee Valley Authority, in partnership with Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation and Bicentennial Volunteers Incorporated (a TVA retiree organization), recently awarded Ashland City Elementary STEM Academy (ACESA) $3,500 for a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education project.
The grant award is a part of $800,000 in competitive STEM grants awarded to nearly 200 schools across TVA’s seven-state service territory. More than 600 grant applications were received.
Across the valley, educators submitted projects large and small, to further their STEM education initiatives in the classroom.
The project ACESA submitted will fund a “Wildcat Weather Center” at the newly installed Outdoor Classroom at the school. The Weather Center will include a variety of weather instruments mounted on interactive boards for students to learn about and use, acrylic panels to maintain weather forecasts, a sun dial to chart the course of the sun, magnetic weather manipulatives to use on the large magnetic board, and many other activities.
The competitive grant program provided teachers an opportunity to apply for funding up to $5,000, and preference was given to grant applications that explored TVA’s primary areas of focus: environment, energy, economic and career development and community problem solving as well as pandemic related projects. Schools who receive grant funding must receive their power from a TVA distributor.
“Despite the new challenges Valley teacher’s faced in 2020, they are still focused on providing the best STEM education possible and have adjusted to new ways of teaching,” said Community Engagement Senior Program Manager Rachel Crickmar. “I am proud of the partnerships we have built with these amazing educators across the Tennessee Valley over the past few years and are pleased to be able to provide some support through this program. Through the grants awarded this year, over 72,000 students will be directly impacted across the Valley.”
A full list of the grant recipients can be found at www.tvastem.com.
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power companies serving nearly 10 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. In addition to operating and investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.
