Sharon STEM Program Expands to Youngest Learners

SHARON, Pa. — A $33,000 grant partnership with the Lego Foundation will expand the FIRST Lego League Discover program to kindergarten and first-grade students in the Sharon City School District for the next three years.

The program is part of the FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology )Robotics Program, according to a press release. The grant partnership is with the Lego Foundation and a number of local foundations, including the Community Foundation of Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio.

The goal of the program is to develop interest and foster STEM skills – science, technology, engineering, mathematics – in primary age students “by using hands-on materials that engage and motivate them,” according to the release. Students will use teamwork, guided by the FIRST Core Values, “to think creatively and critically to problem solve.”

The grant will cover materials for the project, including yearly classpack sets, at-home Lego Duplo kits for more than 300 students and professional development for teacher training at the onset of the grant, according to the release. Grant implementation is set for March 2022, with professional development training in February 2022.

The program is being funded by some $24,500 from the Lego Foundation, as well as $8,690 from local nonprofits, including the Community Foundation, Kachulis Family Foundation, Winner Foundation, Gurgovitz Family Foundation, Anderson Charitable Foundation and the SVF Betterment of the Valley Fund.

Image: FIRST Lego League

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.