CVHS recieves grant for STEM programs

 

The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) AP classes were given a grant of about $18,000 a result of their increased diversity of girls and minorities in STEM AP classes.

The grant was given by the College Board, hoping to broaden AP diversity. Google is looking to attract more engineering majors, so most of the money was given by them, and Donors Choose. Donors Choose is an online program where teachers post projects on the web and allow the public to donate to whichever project they desire in order to raise money to buy and donate the supplies needed for the classes.

The criteria in order to receive this grant was that there had to be five or more girls, African-Americans, Hispanics, or Native Americans taking the AP exam in 2014 compared to the prior year. If the class met this requirement, $100 was given for each student, not just the girls or minorities, who passed the AP exam with a three or higher.

Including a new AP course was another requirement in order to be legible. After much discussion, the science department chose to create an AP Computer Science class this school past year in 2014, promising a more diverse panel of students. Sean Fottrell, Honors Physics and AP Computer Science teacher, held a summer introduction course to familiarize interested students over what the class is about. The summer class, which was held on campus twice a week for three weeks, turned out to be beneficial to the many students that attended. When AP exams came along their promise had been delivered, and AP Computer Science had exactly five girls and minorities that took the exam. This made them eligible for the grant.

Many students scored a three or better, not only in AP Computer Science, but also in AP Calculus BC, AP Biology, and AP Environmental Science. This influenced the AP STEM Access to give around $18,000 to AP STEM classes.

When asked what the AP classes were going to do with the money, Fottrell said, “It would be nice to have the AP Computer Science prep books.”

This will prepare students taking this class for the AP exam in 2015, hopefully diversifying the STEM AP classes even more than in 2014.  Other teachers will choose what approach they want to take with the given money.

“There has been a push throughout the school to say: how can we try to open up our advanced courses to a broader audience?” stated Fottrell.

A great effort is being placed on creating a more diverse range of students in these math and science classes.