Mattoon Middle School Receives STEM Grant from Toshiba America Foundation for $5,000

MMS STEAM Teacher Chris Young (left) accepting the grant from Adam Green, Vice President and General Manager of Toshiba Business Solutions (right). Photo submitted by MCUSD #2

For Immediate Release – March 11, 2024

Mattoon, IL (3/11/2024) – Mattoon Middle School is pleased to announce it has received a $5,000 STEM grant from the Toshiba America Foundation (TAF). These funds will support the 6th Grade Sphero Rescue Unit, where students will learn coding language, a foundation of the Engineering Design Process, and applying technology through real-world applications to appreciate the impact and importance of technology in the world as a way to help others.

Students in the MMS 6th grade STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) course will learn about the Category 5 Hurricane Dorian that devastated the Bahamas. Students will be expected to learn block coding, and then utilize Sphero Robots in collaboration with a chassis they must build to attach to the robot in order to carry “supplies” through an obstacle course created to represent the devastation that Dorian left behind. The goal is for students to understand the impact that humans can have in a positive way to help those in need, while accomplishing knowledge around the Engineering Design Process.

“Our STEAM courses give students the opportunity to engage in real world situations through the access of multiple disciplines. This grant will help extend those opportunities while building a love and engagement for lifelong learning.”, noted Chad Arnold, Principal of Mattoon Middle School.

Toshiba America Foundation’s grants fund projects designed by individual classroom teachers. This “direct-to-teacher” approach brings immediate results. Teachers are able to change the way they teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects because the grant supports equipment for hands-on experiments and inquiry-based approaches to the curriculum. TAF believes that STEM is a lot more fun than just reading a textbook. TAF grants provide teachers with the tools they need to be more effective educators. The grants make the classroom a more exciting place for both teachers and students.

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