Adults pictured her from left to right: Lorrie Collier (Principal), Kyle Powers (Assistant Principal, Dr. Steve Highlander (District 9 County Commisioner), Sam Martin (STEM Teacher), Gery Kuehn (District 9 School Board Representative)
Harrison Elementary is one of 343 schools to be awarded a grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority, in partnership with Bicentennial Volunteers, Inc., a TVA retiree organization, to develop science, technology, engineering, and math education programs for students that will inspire interest in STEM-related fields.
Citing specific projects or programs they hoped to implement, educators from across TVA’s seven-state region applied for grants of up to $5,000.
“We are honored and excited by the continued support TVA invests in our students,” said Sam Martin, STEM teacher at Harrison. “We have fantastic students at Harrison and we believe they are the future. This grant will be used to inspire and prepare students for careers in STEM related fields.”
Schools who are awarded grants must receive their power from a local power company served by TVA. Harrison Elementary is served by the Electric Power Board (EPB).
Mr. Martin will use the grant to show students how TVA serves the community by creating electricity from renewable resources. Students will explore, create and design systems to create renewable power and move it by building circuits.”It is important for our students to realize wind, water, and the sun can all be harnessed for our energy needs,” he explained.
“TVA is committed to supporting schools and educators who are inspiring an interest in STEM education in students across the Valley as we know our young people will design and build the energy systems of the future,” said Jeannette Mills, TVA executive vice president and chief external relations officer. “Providing resources and access to STEM education is key to inspiring innovation and we’re proud to contribute to the next generation’s visionaries.”
Since 2018, TVA and BVI have awarded nearly $6 million in STEM grants to support local education.