The Ripken Foundation teamed up with the Kahlert Foundation to bring new STEM Centers to elementary and middle school students in Carroll County. Nine Centers at Elmer Wolfe Middle, Mount Airy Middle, North Carroll Middle, Northwest Middle, Oklahoma Road Middle, Robert Moton Elementary, Sykesville Middle, Taneytown Elementary, and West Middle will be installed in March of 2023. Additional schools will receive their STEM Centers within the next two years, thanks to the generous gift from the Kahlert Foundation.
Carroll County Public Schools Superintendent Cynthia McCabe spoke about how exiting she is for this initiative in a recent news release. "These resources will allow teachers to provide students with enhanced and unique hands-on learning opportunities, as well as support STEM clubs and extracurricular activities. CCPS is very fortunate to be able to partner with these two great foundations to bring these supplemental instructional resources to our students," said McCabe.
Each turnkey STEM Center will comes equipped with technology and furniture packages; educational, age-appropriate STEM products with activities; elementary/middle school curricula; educator training to implement STEM programs; ongoing program and technical support; and an opportunity to participate in the Ripken Foundation National STEM Challenge.
"It's going to be so beneficial for the hands-on opportunities students will have," said the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Carroll County Public Schools, Steve Wernick. He continued, "It really links that real-world connection and understanding for students to bring concepts into the forefront and have that real-world experience while using them."
When asked about the partnership with the Kahlert Foundation, Ripken Foundation President and CEO Steve Salem said, "It's such a wonderful thing what the Kahlert Foundation is doing for us and for the kids and for the community. The impact, honestly, is immeasurable. Kids will have opportunities in their future that they couldn't imagine prior to getting into STEM." Kahlert Foundation Executive Director Ellen Finnerty Myers echoed this statement, saying, "We felt that the marriage and partnership between the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation and the Kahlert Foundation to bring STEM to as many kids in elementary and middle schools as we possibly could was a great way of investing in our community."
To date, the Ripken Foundation has installed 277 STEM Centers in 19 states, impacting over 93,500 youth with the help of 1,374 youth mentors and teachers.
Read more about this partnership via the Carroll County Times. To learn more about our STEM initiative, click here.