CenturyLink, Inc has announced the winners of the CenturyLink Clarke M. Williams Foundation’s Teachers and Technology grant program. The program, which began in 2008, awards grants of up to $5,000 to schools in CenturyLink’s local service areas on behalf of teachers who have developed specific plans to innovatively implement technology in their classrooms.
“The winning teachers’ grant applications outlined a clear plan for how they would use the requested technology to help grow their students and enrich their classroom experience,” said Rondi Furgason, CenturyLink vice president of operations for North Carolina. “We are pleased to be able to help these passionate educators expose their students to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts in their daily school lives.”
Neuse Charter School in Smithfield was awarded $5,000 to purchase 10 robotic kits that students will use to design and code robots. Teacher Angela Jenkins submitted the project.
“Our robotics program just started this year, so this grant comes at an important time for our school,” said Jenkins. The elementary technology teacher explained that the program was so popular at the Johnston County K-12 charter school this year that two more teams were added to meet the need of various grade-level interests in the program. “Our students are so engaged with this program and the STEM concepts it helps build. This grant will go a long way in shaping these young minds for many years.”
Across the United States, more than 2,300 grant applications were submitted and 309 were awarded. Grants were awarded based on the impact they will have on students in the classroom and the overall innovation of the project.
