MACON, Ga. — STEAM -- science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics -- is getting a big boost at one central Georgia school, thanks to a pair of grants.
Susie Dasher Elementary recently got the grants totaling $13,987.40 to help teach STEAM in the classroom. School leaders say the money will help make sure students, teachers, and kids have the resources to receive a world-class education.
"Good Morning, today we are going to be learning about a new artist of the month," teacher Alexis Brantley said.
On Monday, students in Brantley's class learned about a French artist. Students used pipe cleaners, spoons, and paper to make a scientific-art connection.
"I thought about them making shadows, so we are going to experiment with shadows, and how the sun reflects off of different objects, how the shadows can get smaller and bigger," Brantley said.
One thing getting bigger at Susie Dasher Elementary is their investment into STEAM.
"We had our STEAM in a rotation class, and so we wanted to pull it out of that rotation class and make it invasive throughout the whole school," STEAM Director for Dublin City Schools Marshell Kinnel said.
Kinnel says the nearly $14,000 in grant money from the Governor's Office of Student Achievement and the Innovation Fund is making their mission possible.
Dublin City Schools says the Innovation Summit Pilot grants were awarded to the school in partnership with Georgia Southern University.
"The focus of one grant is to build teacher capacity," Kinnel said.
To do that, instructors from Georgia Southern University will come to train teachers like Brantley twice a month.
"And I'll be focusing on training our students in science," Kinnel said.
She says Georgia Southern will also stay after school to help parents and students learn STEAM. By immersing these students into STEAM, Brantley says they'll be ready to ace any lesson.
"You have to start young with the kids, that is when they learn most," she said. "Elementary school is the foundation."
Kinnel says the grant will also help fill jobs that will be open once these kids get older. She says they hope to have Susie Dasher STEAM-certified within the next five years.
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