FIRST®, an international robotics community, awarded twelve grants to address inequities in access to science and technology. Carver was one of three grantees to receive the largest financial award of $50,000.
Carver’s FIRST robotics program will operate in nine Norwalk elementary schools and the Carver Community Center over eight weeks during the 2020-2021 school year. There will be six to eight third and fourth graders per team. Certified teachers and volunteer mentors will assist each team. Carver after-school students have participated in FIRST Lego League competitions for many years.
The other FIRST STEM Equity Community Innovation Grant award winners include the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Generator Makerspace (this project supported by the University of Vermont College of Engineering and Mathematical Science will serve the nearly two thirds of the state that live and work in rural, low-technology communities).
A Carver robotics team at West Rocks Middle School competes in a regional FIRST Lego League competition
FIRST launched its STEM Equity Community Innovation Grants program in 2016 to provide diverse students and disadvantaged communities with hands-on learning opportunities and outlets to creative problem solving. Grants range from $5,000 to $50,000, with an average of $35,000, and evaluation criteria include community need, demographics, increases in diversity, execution strength, track record of reaching targeted students, and the value of the activities proposed. To date, FIRST has awarded 49 grants totaling $1.9M across the United States and Canada.
The grant is made possible as part of the FIRST® Equity, Diversity & Inclusion initiative, sponsored by The 3M Company, Apple, Booz Allen Hamilton, Bosch, Caterpillar, Inc., Cognizant Technology Solutions, Dow, Polaris Inc., Qualcomm Incorporated®, Raytheon Technologies, The Walt Disney Company, individuals, and anonymous donors.
With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $80 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit FIRST organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; and FIRST® LEGO® League Discover, Explore and Challenge for Grades K-8. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to: www.firstinspires.org.
“Thanks to the support of our generous sponsors, FIRST is proud to continue its commitment to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion in STEM education. For a fourth consecutive year, we can offer FIRST STEM Equity Community Innovation Grants to several communities across the country, making STEM enrichment opportunities available to thousands of students from underserved and underrepresented communities,” said Nancy Boyer, Director of Evaluation and Impact and Interim Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at FIRST. “Now more than ever, we need to empower students of all different backgrounds and social circumstances to help solve the world’s biggest problems. We hope these resources will help so many more students build the self-confidence to do remarkable things for the greater good.”