Fourth year of grant program provides almost 24K to seven Nevada schools

LAS VEGAS, NV – Navarro Research and Engineering, Inc., Environmental Program Services contractor to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) Nevada Program, announced seven Nevada schools have been awarded classroom funding through the company’s Community Commitment Grant Program. The grant program, in its fourth year, supports educational activities related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in communities near the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS).

In total, Navarro will award nearly $24,000 this year for the advancement of STEM learning throughout Nevada. This brings the total investment since the inception of this grant to more than $61,000. Of the grants selected in this most recent grant cycle, five of the seven will be fully funded for the requested amounts.

“As a young girl, I was very fortunate to have a strong role model in the sciences. My mother was a chemical engineer who nurtured my interest in a STEM education, paving the way for my future career,” said Dr. Susana Navarro, President, CEO, and founder of Navarro. “I am thrilled that these grants are helping to inspire a new generation of students to love STEM through hands-on learning, while opening doors to good paying, rewarding jobs in the future.”

EM Nevada Program Manager Robert Boehlecke noted Navarro’s support for educating the next generation of STEM experts.

“The EM Nevada Program is very appreciative of Navarro’s efforts in this area,” Boehlecke said. “Furthering STEM education is an important part of our community support.”

The recipients were selected from a pool of applications through a blind-scoring process that evaluated total benefit to student learning in the classroom. Wells Combined School from Elko County was one of the fully funded winners. They will use their grant money to purchase comprehensive robotics kits that will combine coding and media production for K-6 students. Kids will build, program, and control their own robots that will serve as “characters” in a series of media stories.

“We are grateful to Navarro for the funding,” said Wells teacher Laura DelRio. “Our school, located in a rural area, faces unique challenges in providing cutting-edge STEM education to our students. By combining robotics, coding, and media production, we can give our students practical skills that align with the demands of the 21st century—skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and technological proficiency.”

Tonopah Middle School in Nye County was also selected as a grant recipient. They plan to use the funding to teach coding skills with the Sphero BOLT Power Pack, an interactive robotics kit.

“We are very excited to put this grant to use,” said Tonopah teacher Jessica Blackburn. “My students love hands-on learning and coding, and this project will make those opportunities come to life in a way that engages everyone, regardless of experience level. By using the BOLT robots, students can actually see how their code works as they watch the robots move, respond, and interact.”

The other five grant winners are from the Las Vegas Valley and will use their funding for a variety of STEM initiatives. Similar to Tonopah Middle School, Carroll M. Johnston STEM Academy in North Las Vegas will use its funding to purchase Sphero BOLT Power Packs to teach programming to middle school students. The Coral Academy of Science’s Windmill Campus in Henderson will receive funding to help purchase 3D printing equipment. Students will combine mathematical concepts and creativity to design their own projects over the course of a semester.

“This grant will enable us to provide a cutting-edge, interdisciplinary learning experience that not only meets but exceeds educational goals,” said Coral Academy Windmill Campus teacher James Hambleton. “This project has the potential to spark a lifelong interest in STEM and design, encouraging students to explore these fields further in their academic and professional careers.”

The Coral Academy’s Campus at Nellis Air Force Base earned funding for enhancements to its STEM lab program. Las Vegas Academy of the Arts will use its grant money to expand its Media Arts and Communications program, which supports a daily broadcast to be aired in every classroom. Montessori Visions Academy, also in Las Vegas, will purchase Snap Circuits kits to teach the basics of electronics to 3^rd grade students.

The Navarro Community Commitment Grant is open to public, private, and charter schools in the counties of Clark, Elko, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine in Nevada. For more information on the DOE EM Nevada Program, please visit: Nevada National Security Sites (NNSS) | Department of Energy.

For more information on Navarro, please visit Navarro Research & Engineering, Inc. (navarro-inc.com).