A vote in December could spell a major victory for science-minded students at Mountain View Preparatory.
Following a competitive grant proposal process, in November the school was named one of the 25 school semifinalists in the second annual Northrop Grumman Foundation Fab School Labs contest. Aimed at promoting STEM education by awarding five grants of up to $100,000 each, the contest requires schools to argue their case with an online video — a video that is then evaluated by the public and voted on.
“The public middle school lab makeover contest provides administrators and teachers with an opportunity to make their dreams of a state-of-the-art STEM lab a reality for their students,” MVP
eighth-grade teacher Kelli Rhoda stated. “MVP needs the community’s help to secure one of the available grants by casting a vote in the online crowd-sourcing contest taking place during the week of Dec. 5 through 9.”
MVP’s voting day is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 7. The voting process itself is simple, Rhodi added: A participant need only visit facebook.com/fabschoollabs and vote by clicking the “Like” button associated with MVP’s video submission. Votes received will be considered along with other criteria to determine winners.
According to Rhodi, inadequate funds make teaching STEM subjects difficult. The school’s science lab is a standard classroom retrofitted to allow for STEM education. Instead of lab tables, students must work at used computer tables. There is no plumbing installed in the classroom. The only sink is in a portable cart.
“In this lab, there is also limited storage, no gas for Bunsen burners and very little safety equipment,” Rhodi said. “Due to safety concerns, awesome chemical reactions have to be done via the internet. While this is cool, it’s so much more exciting when the students can experience this in person …. Winning a grant of $100,000 will help MVP transform its STEM lab into a place of imagination and opportunity for students.”
Additionally, Rhodi said that a new lab will provide important training for an increasingly technology-driven world.
“I couldn’t be more pleased to make it to the semifinals for the Fab Schools Lab grant,” MVP Principal Stephanie Jones stated. “I’m sure the Verde Valley community will support our endeavor to win the most votes for MVP.”
Additional information about Fab School Labs can be found at fabschoollabs.com.
