Source: Connect Crew
The Society for Science & the Public recently announced that Connect Crew at Memphis Public Libraries is being awarded a $5,000 STEM Action Grant due to their work in facilitating STEM learning in youth around Memphis.
The STEM Action Grant was established in 2016 with the aim to bolster and support community-driven nonprofit organizations that are centered around boosting the public understanding of science and to increase participation of underrepresented populations in STEM fields.
Since 2016, the Society for Science & the Public has awarded nearly $245,000 to 29 different organizations. More than half of this year’s STEM Action grantees previously received support from the Society.
This year, $75,000 in grants have been awarded to 18 grassroots organizations committed to STEM education. Due to COVID-19 restrictions limiting in-person programming, the Society for Science & the Public focused on nonprofits that have launched virtual programs, determined to continue to meet the needs of students, families, and communities.
Source: Connect Crew
“The STEM education community must address the racial, gender and socioeconomic disparities and divides that are stunting the potential of the next generation of STEM leaders,” says Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of the Society for Science & the Public “That’s a key reason why we created the STEM Action Grant program, and why we’re investing in these 18 innovative organizations that are nurturing potential in underrepresented communities.”
Connect Crew will be using the grant to purchase a virtual reality, coding, and robotics equipment for their Start Here van, a fully-staffed learning lab on wheels that delivers unique programming to traditionally underserved communities, and help fund neighborhood library branches that have limited resources.
The group’s overarching goal is to provide programming that addresses socioeconomic disparities and provide equitable access to technology and STEM resources, particularly for low-income and minority youth. Connect Crew was awarded a $5,000 STEM Action Grant in 2019 as well.
More information on Connect Crew can be found here.