GP invests in STEM
Georgia-Pacific is helping the Taylor County School District expand students’ opportunities to enter some of the fastest-growing career fields through the district’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) Program.
A GP STEM donation and Duke Energy grants funded construction of a self-sustainable, outdoor classroom at Taylor County High School. The classroom was finished in 2018, complete with tilapia tanks, a vegetable garden, standing desks and solar panels.
Last year, a GP donation allowed the local program to host a STEM carnival and Drone Camp. During the carnival, TCHS students designed activities for second graders and community outreach programs. The Drone Camp was provided by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, who brought drones for the kids to learn to use.
Scott Mixon, Georgia- Pacific Foley Mill public affairs manager, appeared before the school board in April to present a $10,000 check to the school district for the program, under the direction of science teacher Jesika Curry.
According to the Education Commission of the U.S., between 2017 and 2027, the number of STEM jobs will grow 13 percent, compared to just nine percent for non-STEM jobs.
“We hope that with the help of STEM programs and initiatives, we will produce students with background knowledge and experiences that will encourage them to pursue STEM related degrees and/or careers,” Curry said.
The STEM program began in 2014 with a $1,000 donation from GP that allowed students to attend a NASA astronaut challenge (covering fees and hotel rooms).
Since then, GP has increased their donation, averaging $8,000 to $10,000 per year.
The annual donations have allowed the school’s STEM program to purchase 3-D printers for computer labs at TCHS, TCMS and TCES.
In 2015, a GP STEM donation and Duke Energy grants funded the construction of an outdoor classroom designed to teach students about sustainability, chemistry and the environment. Construction was finished in 2018, complete with tilapia tanks, a vegetable garden, standing desks and solar panels.
Every inch of the classroom is utilized to produce the most conductive learning space possible. Standing desks were brought in, as studies have shown how standing is much healthier than sitting, Curry explained.
Eight solar panels were the last addition to the classroom, making it completely self-sustainable.
Last year, the GP donation helped make the STEM carnival possible. TCHS students designed STEM activities for second graders and community outreach programs.
Last summer, the funding also allowed the STEM program to host a Drone Camp by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, who brought drones for the kids to learn to use and covered the cost of Jefferson and Madison County students to attend and eat lunch.
Because TCHS has benefited in previous years, the district decided to focus GP STEM funds on other schools within the district.
“We hope to continue to spread STEM education and initiatives throughout the district in the coming years,” Curry said.
This year, Perry Primary was able to add a STEM lab to their wheel classes.
STEM partnered with the Education Foundation to set aside $14,000 in donated funds, along with a grant match through the district’s education foundation to fund STEM supplies for the lab. A total of $28,000 funded robotics stations, rockets, design projects and VR headsets.
Students at the primary school will now have the ability to participate in virtual field trips using Google Expedition and high school science students can benefit from the augmented reality ability of the goggles to visualize DNA molecules or the human body systems.
“GP has been a constant source of support and always stands behind us with our STEM program. We started out with just a $1,000 donation for the astronaut challenge program, and it has grown into all of this,” Curry said.
“We love working with Jesika Curry. She has tremendous drive and initiative. We have enjoyed watching this program develop and grow over the years through her leadership. We appreciate the school board and the superintendent’s vision for STEM education,” Mixon said.
“This is an investment for us because some of these kids will undoubtedly go on to graduate and get an education and training and return to work for GP or some other local company, helping to make this community great and putting Perry and Taylor County on the map,” Mixon said.
