Grants fund new GJHS STEM program

Graham ISD received two matching donations in May totaling $59,000 that will be used for a STEM teaching program.

The funds came from the Bertha Foundation and the North Texas Community Foundation and will be used to implement of Project Lead the Way at Graham Junior High School.

PLTW is a national nonprofit organization that offers pathways in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education programs, or STEM, through real-world concepts in the classroom. The program has been offered at Graham High School since 2009 and in 2012, GHS received national certification for its PLTW program.

“PLTW specifically offers a science, technology, engineering and math format connecting learning in an elective course to core content,” GJHS Principal Ginger Robbins said. “We look forward to the cross-curricular connections provided by this opportunity.” 

According to 2014 article in The Graham Leader, the Bertha Foundation was formed by Bruce Street’s grandmother, Anna Bertha Graham Street, in 1966 “to facilitate the support of worthwhile projects; religious, benevolent, charitable, education and civil.” Since 1966, the foundation has donated to multiple organizations and young people in Graham through their annual Bertha Foundation scholarship, presented at GHS’s annual scholarship awards ceremony.

The courses that will be offered next year will be “Design and Modeling” and “Automation and Robotics,” which were chosen based on their connection to PLTW engineering at GHS.

Over the next few years, the school hopes to add the courses “Medical Detectives,” which will connect with the PLTW biomedical program at GHS, and “Science and Technology.”

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