Nearly 50 Innovative Projects Win O&R Grants to Support STEM Studies in Rockland, Orange, and Bergen Schools
Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. has awarded grants totaling approximately $45,000 to support nearly 50 creative, cutting-edge classroom projects that focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The selected projects are designed to challenge students to think, plan, act and achieve -- all while having fun learning. The grants enable the schools to purchase equipment, such as solar panels, software, or technology to put real tools in the hands of students interested in different STEM applications.
“Congratulations to our STEM grant winners for all the brainstorming and research involved in submitting plans to bring science, technology, engineering, and math into our classrooms in a meaningful and engaging way,” said O&R President Michele O’Connell. “We’re committed to supporting workforce development programs that equip students of all ages with the skills, competencies and experiential learning that will lead to sustainable, well-paying careers in clean energy and technology fields.”
O&R’s STEM Classroom Grants were awarded to schools in Orange, Rockland, and Bergen counties, all located within O&R’s service area. O&R operates in New Jersey under its affiliate name Rockland Electric Company.
NOTE: Please see below for photos and a complete list of this year’s winners.
Talented, hard-working, thoughtful teachers have crafted ambitious, interesting, ingenious, lesson plans that dazzle. These dynamic proposals are designed to challenge students to think, plan, act and achieve -- and have fun doing it.
Over the past ten years, O&R has awarded 412 STEM Classroom Grants totaling over $383,000. Those grants ranged from $185 to $1,000. The grants were awarded based on a review of teacher-submitted proposals by the O&R STEM Education Advisory Council, a panel of educators and engineers assembled by O&R expressly for this purpose.
Rockland County, N.Y. winners:
- Haverstraw Elementary School – Haverstraw-Stony Point Central School District
- Viola School – Suffern Central School District
- Pomona Middle School – East Ramapo Central School District
- Pearl River Middle School – Pearl River School District
- Sloatsburg Elementary School – Suffern Central School District (3 awards)
- Willow Grove Elementary School – Haverstraw-Stony Point Central School District (2 awards)
- Rockland BOCES Jesse J. Kaplan School
- South Orangetown Middle School – South Orangetown Central School District
- Evans Park Elementary School – Pearl River School District
- Good Shepherd Creative Play
- Link Elementary/West Nyack Elementary/Birchwood – Clarkstown Central School District
- Woodglen Elementary, Bardonia Elementary, Strawtown Elementary – Clarkstown Central School District
- North Rockland High School – Haverstraw-Stony Point Central School District
- Pearl River High School – Pearl River School District
- Stony Point Elementary School -- Haverstraw-Stony Point Central School District
- Bardonia & West Nyack Elementary Schools – Clarkstown Central School District
Caption: TOP ROW: Won Choe (O&R VP), Christie Trento (Link Elementary, West Nyack Elementary & Birchwood School), Jennifer Butler (Viola School) BOTTOM ROW: Bethany Savino (Bardonia & West Nyack Elementary Schools), Suzanne Pritts (Clarkstown High School South), Jennifer LaBier (Stony Point Elementary School), Robert Zink (Sloatsburg Elementary School), Heather Schucker (A. McArthur Barr Middle School), Linda Feger (O&R SP)
Orange County, N.Y. winners:
- Port Jervis City School District
- Pine Bush Central School District
- Smith Clove Elementary – Monroe-Woodbury Central School District (2 awards)
- SS Seward Institute -- Florida Union Free School District
- George Grant Mason Elementary School – Tuxedo Union Free School District
- Orange Ulster BOCES – Career & Technical Central
- Orange Environment Inc.
- Washingtonville High School – Washingtonville Central School District
- Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County 4H
- Anna S. Kuhl Elementary School – Port Jervis City School District
- Tuxedo/George F. Baker High School STEM Academy – Tuxedo Union Free School District
- MHA Preschool @ Temple Sinai
Caption: TOP ROW: Won Choe (O&R VP), Melissa Benjamin (Washingtonville High School), Katherine Leo (Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County 4H), Rosali Shannon (MHA Preschool at Temple Sinai, Toby Schack (Orange Environment, Inc.), Christopher Stack (Orange Ulster BOCES Career and Technical Center) & Evan Lally (SS Seward Institute) BOTTOM ROW: Arthur Eidelson (Port Jervis Central School District), Jadel Rojas (MHA Preschool at Temple Sinai), Dr. Anne Wibiralske (Orange Environment, Inc.), Nina Rubino (Smith Clove Elementary), Linda Feger (O&R SP)
Bergen County, N.J. winners:
- Northern Valley Regional Programs
- Memorial Elementary School – Montvale Public Schools
- Eric S. Smith Middle School – Ramsey Public School District
- Haworth Public Schools
- Valley Middle School – Oakland Public School District (2 awards)
- Northvale Public School
- Saddle River Day School
- Acton Academy of Bergen County – Flaming Falcons Robotic Team
Caption: O&R VP Won Choe, Matthew Fichter Valley (Middle School), Dale Poage (Eric S. Smith Middle School), Linda Feger (O&R SP) and Catherine Slutzky (Northern Valley Regional Programs).
About Orange & Rockland
Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. (O&R) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc., one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies. O&R is a regulated utility that provides electric service to approximately 300,000 customers in southeastern New York State (where its franchise name is Orange and Rockland Utilities) and northern New Jersey (where it’s Rockland Electric Company), and natural gas service to approximately 140,000 customers in New York.