Clifton Middle School is among 20 semifinalist schools selected in Northrop Grumman Foundation’s Fab School Labs science lab makeover contest. This national competition is going to give out five grants of $100,000 to public middle schools for a fabulous school lab makeover. In order to receive the grant, the public needs to vote for Clifton on Tuesday, Nov. 17th on Facebook.
During a designated voting week, videos from four schools will be posted for public voting each day. Each school will have a voting window of one day. To help Clifton win, mark your calendar to visit [www.facebook.com/fabschoollabs] on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015, to watch Clifton’s video and vote right here.
Clifton teachers Paul Flores and Ashley Barron wrote and submitted Clifton’s entry. Flores, who holds the positions of STEM and Robotics Coordinator, stated that “being awarded this grant would help us realize our cutting-edge vision for our STEM program.” Science teacher and Co-STEM Coordinator Barron continued that “this would be a great opportunity to be able to engage our students in a variety of STEM projects while using leading technologies.”
As part of the entry requirements, Flores and Barron produced a video chronicling why Clifton is an ideal candidate for the grant and how the school would use the money. “Current eighth grade students Jack Scott and Sonia Andrews do a tremendous job of telling the story of how we are forward-thinking in our implementation of our STEM program,” said Flores. Barron added that the video “really shows students having fun as they learn the basic principles of higher level science.”
As a semifinalist, Clifton is now spreading the word and getting the community behind them as they advocate the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The grant will help students succeed with a newly designed, state-of-the-art, fully-equipped science lab.
In its first year, Clifton has already made its way to the educational forefront in the implementation of a STEM program. Flores and Barron have created a class in which students learn the basics of structural engineering, Newton’s Laws of Motion, and flight through a series of student-centered activities. Students also have the opportunity to learn computer-aided design software. Once students create a design, they are able to print it out on the school’s new 3D printer.
Echoing Flores’ philosophy for the class, robotics team captain Aidan McKelvey stated that “STEM and robotics are really fun. We have a chance to learn about technology and how to do things that we can use in the future.” Flores praised Clifton’s principal for her support. “Mrs. Jackson has been very supportive of robotics and STEM. She has given me the autonomy to develop these programs according to my vision and has ensured the resources to do so.”
