Dive Brief:
- The BASF Corp. has pledged $100,000 in science grants that will be distributed among 20 New Jersey schools.
- Each recipient of the BASF Science Education Grant will get $5,000 to use towards furthering science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education within their schools.
- An internal science advisory committee, consisting of BASF scientists and business leaders, selected the award winners.
Dive Insight:
To be selected for the $5,000 prize, schools had to submit proposals detailing their science needs and how the grant would help the fulfill their goals. Some examples of how winning schools will use the dollars include: a meteorology club at Black River Middle School, new technology and equipment at Dover Middle School, GoPro cameras to study physics at Millington School, a visible spectroscopy course for chemistry and research students at Morristown High School, and aquaponics at Mountain Lakes High School.
As one can see, the list of science endeavors is diverse, giving schools freedom to dream up ways to invest students in STEM subjects. STEM has been heavily pushed in education in recent years, specifically because there are numerous jobs open in related fields but not enough adults with the expertise necessary to fill them. According to CNN, only 2.4% of college graduates earn a degree in a computer science-related field. Tools to engage students in these subjects are viewed as important necessities when trying to create the next generation of scientists.
