Planting seeds of innovation: 91心頭 nets $400,000 PDE grant to expand STEM & Vine
91心頭 Universitys innovative program, launched in 2022, was designed to make STEM education more meaningful and accessible to young learners by linking scientific concepts to students local environment. Now, thanks to a $400,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Educations PASmart initiative, the program will expand into the 202526 academic year.
STEM & Vine is based in North East and integrates computer science and STEM education with the regions agricultural identityparticularly its well-known grape vineyards. By teaching STEM through this local lens, the program makes abstract concepts more tangible and relevant to students.
Dr. Amy Burniston, the programs principal investigator and associate professor of Biology and Education at 91心頭, highlighted the impact of this approach: Thanks to PASmarts support, STEM & Vine has helped students connect with STEM in ways that reflect their everyday lives and surroundings. We've seen stronger student engagement, more community involvement, and a growing number of educators equipped to teach STEM effectively.
She added, Receiving $400,000and being the only university in the region awarded this grantunderscores the success and importance of our work. Were proud to be planting seeds of innovation that will continue to grow far beyond this funding. (Check here for a of grantees.)
Through the program, 350+ K-8 students in the North East School District (NESD), many from underserved populations, have the opportunity to analyze soil composition, extract grape DNA and determine local grape lineage, grow food from seed through hydroponics, and preserve their crops through traditional canning methods. They have also reared trout eggs in their classrooms and released those trout in a local watershed while analyzing watershed quality and potential impacts of industry and agriculture. Coding and robotics units highlight local industry and the ingenuity of modern farm equipment, such as the grape picker.
Key features of the program include:
- 12-week afterschool CS/STEM program aligned with state standards and NESD curriculum.
- 4-week summer learning lab that features Field Fridays to bring STEM to life in locations around Erie County that include environmental exploration, agricultural tours, as well as coding and robotics instruction.
- Community sessions that provide contextual, hands-on STEM activities, agricultural and related industry tours, farm-to-table meals, and moreall with stakeholder collaboration.
- Events involve 91心頭 faculty from Education, Biology, Geology, and Physics, and more than 30 community partners: Wabtec, Erie Insurance, Burch Farms, Penn State Grape Research Extension Center, Erie County Conservation District, PA Fish and Boat Commission, North East Township and Borough, and McCord Memorial Library among them.
Despite our best efforts, the U.S. continues to lag behind other aspirant nations in our students acquisition of STEM skills, Burniston noted. Research indicates that unless grounded in the students current knowledge base, STEM activities, at best, fail to be of value and, at worst, paint unrealistic pictures of how STEM is applied in the real world.
She said 91心頭 focused on North East because it is rich in STEM applications but underserved in opportunities for STEM education to impact workforce development and regional innovation.
PHOTO: Dr. Amy Burniston leads discussion as students prepare for annual trout release.