June 17 is the deadline for public middle schools to enter for a chance to win one of five grants up to $100,000 each to fund a first-class technology lab or science classroom
FALLS CHURCH, Va., June 13, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Northrop Grumman Foundation reminds all public middle schools that June 17 is the last day to enter for its Fab School Labs online contest. Now in its second year, the school lab makeover contest is designed to encourage today's children to become tomorrow's innovators and provide public middle schools with an opportunity to create science classrooms and technology labs that truly inspire with grants up to $100,000 each available to five winning schools.
In 2015, the program's inaugural year, nearly 200 public middle schools nationwide participated in the contest, with the five winning schools currently in the process of finalizing their design plans before renovations get underway later this summer.
For the contest, the Northrop Grumman Foundation invites teachers, principals and school administrators to enter their eligible school by visiting www.FabSchoolLabs.com, where they can submit their application, along with photos and video to help tell their story. Semifinalist schools will be chosen and their videos will receive online votes of support to assist with the final selection process. Online voting will take place in November 2016 and the winning schools will team up with Fab School Labs contest partner Flinn Scientific Inc. to design a state-of-the-art lab complete with all of the tools, resources and furnishings needed.
In addition to the website, teachers are also encouraged to follow the competition at www.Facebook.com/FabSchoolLabs.
Inadequate funds to purchase equipment and an overall lack of facilities are frequently cited problems by teachers and educators as it relates to science and mathematics education at the elementary and middle school level, according to the National Science Board and other education sources. To help meet the education demands of today's fast-paced, technology-driven world, the Northrop Grumman Foundation – through its Fab School Labs program – is helping today's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) labs and classrooms become places of inspiration, imagination and opportunity for students.
Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation are committed to expanding and enhancing the pipeline of diverse, talented STEM students globally. They provide funding to sustainable STEM programs that span from preschool to high school and through collegiate levels, with a major emphasis on middle school students and teachers. In 2015, Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation continued outreach efforts by contributing more than $17 million to diverse STEM-related groups such as the Air Force Association (CyberPatriot), Conservation International (ECO Classroom), the REC Foundation (VEX Robotics), National Science Teachers Association, and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering. For more information, please visit www.northropgrumman.com/foundation.