Release
OKLAHOMA – Oklahoma Connections Academy, a tuition-free online public school serving K-12 students throughout the state, announced the receipt of a substantial grant from the HDR Foundation, an employee-funded foundation of global engineering and design firm HDR. The $212,374 donation will be for the creation of an innovative Mobile STEM Lab for students.
News presented by First United Bank.
The announcement took place at the Oklahoma Connections Academy holiday party on Dec. 8, where HDR representatives surprised teachers and staff.
The grant, a reflection of HDR’s commitment to education and STEM promotion, was awarded to support Oklahoma Connections Academy’s mission of providing accessible STEM education to students from all socio-economic backgrounds. The lab will play a pivotal role in enhancing educational opportunities and fostering a culture of inquiry-based STEM learning. The school plans to purchase a Glaval Universal Shuttle Bus and retrofit it to function as a Mobile STEM Lab. It will be equipped with labware and learning kits to provide resources to put science into the hands of students across the state and encourage them to participate in their local science fairs.
Oklahoma Connections Academy teachers Kristen Whitmer, Rae Schroeder, Kaleb Parman, Janie Schatz and Cassie Umbarger were instrumental in securing the grant and understand firsthand the unique challenge of getting STEM experiences into the hands of students in rural communities or economically disadvantaged areas. “We are incredibly grateful to the HDR Foundation for awarding the grant that has made Oklahoma Connections Academy’s Mobile STEM Lab possible,” said school leader Melissa Gregory. “This transformative initiative will significantly increase STEM access for our students, serving to motivate and engage them in tandem with their virtual learning environments. We are excited about the positive impact it will have on our students’ academic journeys.”
The Mobile STEM Lab will not only benefit Oklahoma Connections Academy students but also contribute to community engagement and support science fair participation. As an employee-funded and employee-driven foundation, preference is given to organizations located in communities where HDR employees live and work, and those with strong employee involvement. HDR representatives recognize the lab’s potential to expose children to diverse interests and careers, enriching the lives of students statewide.
“When the science team at Oklahoma Connections Academy approached me with the idea of helping provide statewide STEM exposure to a large number of children, I recognized an extremely worthy cause for the HDR Foundation to support,” said Mike Walters, HDR business class manager. “Numerous children in rural Oklahoma have very little exposure to STEM activities. The Mobile STEM Lab will help Oklahoma Connections Academy inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, innovators and more to solve local and global challenges of today and the future.”
Construction on the lab will begin in 2024. Families interested in learning more about Oklahoma Connections Academy are encouraged to visit www.OklahomaConnectionsAcademy.com.