A middle school in Georgia recently won state funding to establish a project for kids to learn more about drones through science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM) education.
Gov. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., announced 39 award winners for the competitive Innovation Fund Tiny Grant Program, which provides funding to traditional public schools, charter schools and school districts to implement small-scale programs that directly engage students, according to a press release from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement.
One of the award winners is Long Cane Middle School of the Troup County School System for a project dubbed “Drone Attack!”
With a focus on STEAM education, the project, funded more than $8,000, will allow students to “use drones to learn about basic aeronautic principles, the ethics of drone use, careers in unmanned aeronautical systems, and pathways to university programs of study.”
“The Innovation Fund Tiny Grant provides funding for educators to develop and share best classroom methods with their peers,” says Deal. “As we encourage Georgia’s students to reach new heights, we must also expand opportunities for more effective academic growth and success in the classroom. Congratulations to the award winners, and we look forward to seeing the impact each Tiny Grant will have on the futures of students in Georgia.”
Programs funded by Tiny Grants must align with one of the three following priority areas: applied learning with a focus on STEAM education, development and replication of blended learning school models, or birth-to-age-eight language and literacy development.
Grantees will evaluate the impact of the programs on student engagement and achievement and submit their findings to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement at the end of the grant period.
