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FirstHand Receives Grant From the PA Department of Education for STEM Partnership for Inclusion and Regional Equity (STEMPIRE)

From PA.gov

Projects funded by the PAsmart Advancing Grants include CS and STEM after-school programs in robotics and artificial intelligence; the establishment of innovative STEM partnerships between school districts and higher education partners to provide college credits and industry credentials in STEM and Computer Science; support for diversity and inclusion on esports teams in high-need areas; establishing innovation hubs through collaborations with community colleges, city parks, and libraries to help underserved learners build STEM and computer science skills; establishing mentorships to expose underrepresented learners to STEM careers; and opportunities for rural, urban, and suburban students to gain hands-on experience in coding and robotics.

Among the 26 recipients of the newly announced PAsmart Advancing Grants are:

  • Pittsburgh School District, for “PPS PAsmart: A Pre-K-12 Vertical Approach to Holistic Learning”
  • Spring Cove School District, for “PAsmart Rural Community Advancement Partnership”
  • The Allegheny County Library Association and Chester County Intermediate Unit 24, for “From Incubator to Launch: Co-Creating a CS Ecosystem”
  • The University City Science Center, for “FirstHand STEM Partnership for Inclusion and Regional Equity (STEMPIRE)”
  • Luzerne Intermediate Unit 18, for “Carbon-Schuylkill-Luzerne STEM Ecosystem”
  • Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8, for “Rural Access and Equity Partnership for CS/STEM”

Media Contact:

Kristen Fitch

Kristen Fitch

Senior Director, Marketing