The $50,000 grant comes from Google and will assist the university in hosting STEM events and workshops for students in rural communities in Middle Tennessee.
Austin Peay State University has received a $50,000 grant from Google to support its Collaborative STEM Education Initiative for Middle TN K-12 Students. The initiative aims to introduce students in rural communities to STEM through workshops that will provide hands-on experiences in coding robotics, virtual reality, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence.
According to an article on Austin Peay State University’s website, Kris Phillips, who serves as the university’s vice president for Alumni, Engagement and Philanthropy, was quoted as saying of the Google grant, "Corporate partnerships like this one with Google are essential to APSU's mission of serving our region. This grant allows us to extend Austin Peay's resources beyond our campus and into communities that need them most. When corporate partners invest in initiatives like this, they're not just supporting a program—they're amplifying the Austin Peay experience by ensuring that students, regardless of their ZIP code, have opportunities to develop critical STEM skills."
The Collaborative STEM Education Initiative for Middle TN K-12 Students project is being led by Dr. Hanrui He, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Specialties. Joining Dr. He as co-principal investigators are Dr. Andrea Lee, Dr. Daniel Bailey, Dr. Joanna Zimmerle, and Dr. Tara Hill. The focus of the project is to eliminate the barriers to STEM education that rural communities may face, such as limited internet access, to introduce students to STEM concepts through workshops and events.
In the Middle Tennessee counties of Cheatham, Dickson, Sumner, Robertson, and Montgomery, students, teachers, and families will benefit from the grant and the university’s initiative, which will bring four workshops to the communities: Coding Robotics with Finch robots and Lego Education kits; EDUSphere VR Odyssey, exploring virtual reality in education; Layer by Layer: 3D Printing; and AI Unlocked: From Classroom to Real World. In addition to the workshops, the grant will also provide public libraries and schools in the participating areas with coding robotics, VR headsets, and 3D printers to ensure STEM education can continue past the university-led workshops.
Drake Mayo, who serves as the community & workforce development manager at Google, said, "Google is committed to investing in communities where we operate, and supporting STEM education is a critical part of that commitment. This continued partnership with Austin Peay State University will help ensure that students in rural Middle Tennessee have access to the technology tools and educational opportunities they need to succeed in our increasingly digital world. By bridging the digital divide, we're not just investing in students today—we're investing in the workforce and innovators of tomorrow."
The initiative will see Austin Peay State University education majors who have STEM-related field concentrations will serve as workshop facilitators alongside faculty members. Dr. He and his team will collect data on the initiative, which will be shared at conferences around the country.
For more information about Austin Peay State University, visit the school’s website.