r The Society for Science and the Public distributed $100,000 in grants to 24 science research teachers across the nation to help teachers purchase needed equipment and amenities for their classrooms, including $3,000 to Kate Elliott, a sixth-grade teacher at Foothills Elementary School.
With the STEM grant money, Mrs. Elliott plans on purchasing DIY solar panel kits, global warming student kits and taking a trip to the Leonardo museum in Salt Lake City.
Mrs. Elliott has engaged students in many STEM projects including making “Scribble Bots”, waking up early to observe a super blue blood moon and making bridges out of newspaper. With a focus on female and underrepresented ethnicities, Mrs. Elliott hopes to provide all students with opportunities to engage in STEM research that will help impact the future.
Mrs. Elliott said, “I was really looking for materials that would help our students understand the greenhouse effect and climate change and adaptation and so when I saw this grant I thought it was a great opportunity.”
Although applying for grant money can be time-consuming and often challenging, Mrs. Elliott says it is worth every effort. She reported that the best way to find grants is to participate in organizations like the FDA or the National Science Teachers Association and to make school administrators aware of your goal of finding grants.
