CLARK, NJ — The Clark Public School District was the recipient of two STEM grants awarded by the Union County Board of County Commissioners. The Union County STEM Scholar Grant was awarded to Sue Mytrowitz’s kindergarten class at Frank K. Hehnly school and Bushra Javed’s Design Thinking class at Arthur L. Johnson High School.
Mytrowitz was awarded $556.99 to purchase a variety of materials that the students will use to plan, design, test and recreate various STEM projects. In Mytrowitz’s class, the students just completed a unit of study about animal habitats, migration and hibernation. The students created habitats for some of the animals discussed.
Javed was awarded $775 to purchase Squishy Circuit Kits for a project called “Sculpting Electrical Circuits using Series and Parallel Circuits.” This STEM project will require students to develop a deeper understanding of engineering concepts, as well as foster curiosity and collaboration. The Squishy Circuit project is a true example of project-based learning, in which students actively explore circuits through hands-on activities.
The STEM Scholars Grants are intended to assist in developing in-class and extracurricular programs that improve student learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This year’s grants focused on project-based learning and coronavirus response. Only applications submitted by educators from Union County schools at the prekindergarten through 12th-grade levels were considered.
Supervisor of Educational Initiatives Christine Broski thanked the Union County Board of County Commissioners for its generous grant and for supporting the district’s STEM programs.
“Their contribution will provide students with a hands-on opportunity to use 21st-century skills requiring creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving,” she said.
Photos Courtesy of Christine Broski