District goes for $3M STEM grant

OXFORD — District officials are optimistic that SAD 17 could receive a $3 million, four-year i3 grant from the federal Department of Education to boost science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

District Health Coordinator Pat Carson presented the district's grant application to the SAD 17 Board of Directors at its meeting Monday.

According to Carson, the district is one of 117 nationwide and the only one in New England DOE invited to apply.

The district's application includes three interrelated spheres, Carson explained.

One sphere concentrates on professional development for teachers.

The University of Maine system has agreed to bring staff to Oxford Hills schools and work with teachers for extended periods of time, training them as STEM coaches  and integrating that training into the classroom.

"The University really has an interest in this proposal," Carson told the board.

"If this works and the hypothesis is proven, then they can duplicate it in other parts of Maine."

By partnering with the university, teachers will also have access to its diverse research partners across the state working on STEM-related projects.

Most of the training would take place over the summer and during school breaks, Carson said.

Another sphere of the grant would provide for a STEM school, housed at the middle school, Carson told the board.

It would be a very similar model to Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, Carson said –  students might have extended school hours some days and the opportunity to do summer programs as well, concentrating on science, technology and mathematics.

According to OHMS Principal Troy Eastman, the results from the school's pilot STEM project, building a race car with Crazy Horse Racing in Paris, have been positive.

The students involved in the race car project showed significant improvement in attendance and subject matter proficiency, Eastman said. A full STEM school could expand those results.

The third sphere would be to create an entire STEM curriculum for the school district, Carson reported.

Working with the University of Maine, the district hopes to develop a STEM curriculum that integrates math, engineering, science and technology with literacy in a comprehensive learning model.

Even though the grant is only for four years, its emphasis on professional and curriculum development would have impacts long after it expired.

By the time the grant runs out, Carson estimated, the district could have up to 50 STEM coaches and a fully integrated STEM curriculum in place.

Both Carson and Superintendent Rick Colpitts were optimistic about the district's chances of receiving the grant –  the district's initial application received strong ratings and its comprehensive high school program might give it a leg up over other schools.

Even if the district wasn't awarded the grant, it would have a better shot next time, Colpitts told the board.

"We're hopeful," Colpitts told the board. "Even if we're not successful ... it puts us in a great position to apply the next round."

According to Carson, the district will find out if it won the grant in December.