Howard County schools recently received a $160,000 grant to prepare students for future careers by bolstering math- and science-related programs.
“Our intention is that we engage our students earlier and get them excited about possible careers in STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] -related fields,” Howard School System spokeswoman Patti Caplan said.
“That?s where the jobs are going to be in the future.”
The state Department of Education has divided $2 million among local school systems to support STEM programs.
“STEM programs have never been more important to our students and our state as a whole, with Base Realignment and Closure initiatives placing a new focus on industries of the 21st century,” state Superintendent of Schools Nancy Grasmick said in a news release.
A growing emphasis has been placed on STEM programs because of the federal BRAC initiative, which will bring three security organizations to Fort Meade, including the Defense Information Systems Agency, the Armed Forces Media agencies and Adjudication agencies.
“The bottom line is that these organization under the BRAC initiative are going to need highly trained employees,” said Kent Mesner, director of the Howard County BRAC office.
“Math and science courses will help prepare the work forces for these jobs.”
Howard County schools are considering several ways to use the funding, including support for STEM curriculum, teacher awareness of STEM careers, career development programs for students and furthering involvement in the business community, Caplan said.
The grant provides $10,000 for planning, which will allow the school system to find programs that meet local needs by examining STEM initiatives across the state and outside of Maryland. The remaining $150,000 provides initial funds to implement the programs.
“We are very pleased to receive funding to support initiatives in this critical area,” Howard Superintendent Sydney Cousin said in a news release.
“This will assist us in our efforts to ensure that our graduates are truly prepared for the world ? today and in the future.”
Breakdown of state grants for STEM initiatives:
» Howard: $150,000 implementation; $10,000 planning
» Anne Arundel: $230,000 implementation
» Baltimore City: $149,000 implementation
» Baltimore County: $35,000 implementation
» Carroll: $150,000 implementation
Source: Maryland Department of Education
