Vero Beach, FL, September 29, 2023– We are pleased to announce that Gifford Middle School has received a $4,968.00 STEM grant from the Toshiba America Foundation (TAF). These funds will support the Indian River Lagoon Project.
Last year Gifford Middle School organized a robotics club. There are two groups of students participating in the activities this year:
Group 1: MERS Students (Marine Environmental Robotics Studies) will be exploring the process of building a Sea Perch Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) during their Marine Biology class this spring.
Group 2: This afterschool club will be open to student’s 6th through 8th grade who are not serviced by the MERS program but have a desire to learn the engineering process behind building an ROV. This club will start in late October, and the students will be exploring the basics of Air Drone flight through simulations and drone kits. In the spring, the club will meet twice a week with the expansion into Sea Perch. Gifford Middle School will be holding an internal competition of both Drone racing and Sea Perch maneuvering in late April. In the third year of this program, our goal is to host a regional competition and send students to the qualifiers for the international competition.
This Toshiba grant will allow us to purchase replacement parts for the original Sea Perch kits from last year so we can service a wider range of students.
Superintendent of Schools, David K. Moore, Ed.D., stated, “Receiving the Toshiba America Foundation grant for Gifford Middle School's robotics club is a transformative moment for our students. This grant will empower our young innovators, providing them with the tools and resources they need to push the boundaries of what's possible. We're grateful to Toshiba America Foundation for believing in our students and investing in their potential. Together, we're nurturing the next generation of engineers, problem solvers, and leaders."
Toshiba America Foundation’s grants fund projects designed by individual classroom teachers. This “direct-to-teacher” approach brings immediate results. Teachers are able to change the way they teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects because the grant supports equipment for hands-on experiments and inquiry-based approaches to the curriculum. At TAF, we believe that STEM is a lot more fun than just reading a textbook. TAF grants provide teachers with the tools they need to be more effective educators. The grants make the classroom a more exciting place for both teachers and students.
About Toshiba America Foundation
Founded in 1990 with support from Toshiba Corporation and the Toshiba America Group Companies, Toshiba America Foundation (TAF) is a non-profit grant making organization dedicated to helping classroom teachers make STEM learning fun and successful for K to 12 students in U.S. schools. TAF grants support public and nonprofit private schools throughout the United States. For more information, please visit: www.toshiba.com/taf.