Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Awards FSW Collegiate High School-Lee $30,000 Grant to Advance STEM Education
Jun 21, 2018
JUNE 21, 2018 – FORT MYERS, FLA. – The Florida SouthWestern State College Collegiate High School-Lee, (FSWC-Lee) was recently awarded a $30,000 grant from the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation (RMSFF). The grant funds will be used to advance project-based learning opportunities in STEM education for ninth- and 10th-grade FSWC-Lee students.
“The purpose of FSWC-Lee’s engineering lab is to provide students with an opportunity to synthesize the learning they do in the classroom using a hands-on, project-based, collaborative curriculum,” said Dr. Brian Botts, FSWC-Lee principal. “While we have the facility and faculty to provide this course to our students, the cost of equipment, supplies, and materials can put a damper on the ambitious nature of our faculty and students.”
This is the second year the RMSFF has awarded FSWC-Lee with the grant. Last year, a $27,500 grant allowed for 223 students to participate in grant-funded activities every single school day in their engineering class.
“Thanks to the RMSFF, we were able to acquire the tools and supplies needed to allow all of our students to construct their own video game controllers from scratch, build and code sophisticated robots, and integrate and solder electronic circuit boards,” Dr. Botts said. “We look forward to now expanding more activities into our ninth grade class. Student exposure to these types of experiences improves their chances of being accepted by competitive STEM baccalaureate and graduate programs.”
About the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation: The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation began its work in 2004 with the charge from its founder to support transformational change for the benefit of mankind. The Foundation has consistently directed its primary efforts and resources toward matters of importance in human & social services, education, and health & medicine. It continues to do so today with a focus on investments that produce specific and measurable outcomes with a geographic emphasis on the Twin Cities (Minnesota) seven-county metropolitan area and Lee and Collier counties in Florida. In all of its activities, the foundation embraces its founder’s beliefs in the value of innovation and in improving the lives of middle- and working-class families.
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FSWC-Lee provides a dynamic STEM focused learning environment that is dedicated to creating and sustaining the independent learning process with a focus on helping students construct knowledge through projects, hands on activities, and academic debate/discussion. An integral part of the school’s mission is to connect qualified and motivated students to maximizing their college dual enrollment options. For more information about Florida SouthWestern Collegiate High School Lee County, visit http://www.fsw.edu/wp/lchs/. Students enjoy small class sizes and individualized attention as FSWC since the school has a maximum of 436 students in grades 9 through 12.
Last Updated: June 21, 2018
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