Tuesday, the Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) – Akron Hub announced The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company awarded a $20,000 grant to support the Akron Hub’s spring 2014 Professional Development Series. Read the full press release here.To learn more about what this grant means for STEM education in Akron and the greater community, we called up hub director Alison White.
First off, congratulations on this news!
Thank you! We’re excited to share this news with you and our networks! Our Hub is committed to driving the organization and creation of educational opportunities and community collaborations to amplify, accelerate and spread STEM education to a larger audience. Goodyear’s generous support allows us to reach even more teachers and students with STEM. We love that teachers from throughout the region, state and beyond can benefit from this exciting news!
How will the grant from Goodyear be used?
Goodyear will be the title sponsor for our spring 2014 professional development workshops for educators, administrators and individuals with an interest in STEM. The schedule this year includes STEM-focused sessions on digital literacy, problem-based learning, innovative leadership and more. A full schedule is available on our website and interested individuals can sign up online as well. (Update 9/11/14: Here’s a new link to register for trainings at the OSLN Akron Hub)
Why is Goodyear interested in supporting these trainings?
Goodyear representatives explained to us that STEM plays an enormous role in their business. They realize that teachers play a crucial role in igniting a student’s curiosity and showing how science, technology, engineering and math can be fun, and are critical to our nation’s future success. It is their hope that this passion translates into students who are creative problem solvers, futuristic thinkers and entrepreneurs. Additionally, Goodyear’s products are produced by some of the brightest minds in STEM fields. This partnership is one way that Goodyear can provide resources necessary to build capabilities within their future talent pool.
How do businesses like Goodyear play a role in STEM?
Businesses have been on the forefront of STEM education in Ohio from the early stages Business partners play a vital role in helping ensure STEM learning experiences develop the highly skilled workers that local and regional employers need to compete globally. As a Hub, we are always looking for opportunities to engage with representatives from the business community and greatly value the support of innovative leaders such as Goodyear to further our efforts.
What do you think was most interesting to Goodyear about the work of the OSLN-Akron Hub?
Our record of reaching teachers was certainly important. We’ve also been able to show them how the Akron Hub links STEM education across Ohio, through the Ohio STEM Learning Network.
Goodyear was also focused on making sustained and strategic impacts directly in the classroom, another capability our training series offers.