Invests in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Opportunities for Pennsylvania Students
Pennsylvania students interested in pursuing STEM education received support when the PennEast Pipeline Company today presented $20,000 in PennEast Powering STEM grants to Wilkes University and Lehigh Career & Technical Institute (LCTI) to advance the organizations’ STEM programs.
Wilkes University will utilize its PennEast Powering STEM grant to bolster its Women Empowered by Science (WEBS) program, giving women the opportunity to participate in a STEM-intensive project and seven-day STEM camp experience. LCTI will use its grant to help fund Camp LCTI – a summer program dedicated to helping fifth- through eighth-grade students explore career areas with inventive, STEM-based activities.
“PennEast is proud to support both Wilkes University and Lehigh Career & Technical Institute as they strive to offer more STEM opportunities for students in their communities,” said Pam Witmer of PennEast Pipeline Company. “Not only are they providing students with fun and educational summer programs, but they are also dispensing invaluable knowledge and empowering individuals with the confidence that they are able to pursue careers in STEM fields.”
Wilkes University’s WEBS program offers young women the chance to be mentored and challenged by professional scientists through grade-appropriate curriculum. The WEBS program aims to open opportunities for its female students to pursue STEM subjects.
“According to the National Science Foundation, the number of women receiving STEM degrees and employed in STEM fields has more than doubled since 1993, but women represented less than 30 percent of the STEM workforce in 2013,” said Amanda Modrovsky, director of Sponsored Programs at Wilkes University.
“We at Wilkes University believe that we have contributed and will continue to contribute to helping middle school students envision a future in STEM-based careers through hands-on, project-based learning in the Women Empowered by Science program,” continued Modrovsky. “We are incredibly grateful to PennEast for sharing this hopeful vision for young women in northeastern Pennsylvania by investing in this program and allowing even more students to participate who may not have otherwise been able.”
LCTI is the public career and technical high school serving Lehigh County’s nine school districts. At Camp LCTI, campers spend each day exploring career areas of their choice with STEM-based activities.
“On behalf of LCTI, I’d like to thank PennEast for investing in our students and Camp LCTI,” said Dr. Rita Tatusko, Supervisor of Career & Technical Education & Special Projects Coordinator for LCTI. “The PennEast Powering STEM Grant will help us spread the word about the value of career and technical education to students all across the Greater Lehigh Valley.”
PennEast representatives also met today with program directors and students from Wilkes University and LCTI to discuss future STEM opportunities within each program.
Since February, the PennEast Powering STEM Grant Program has invested nearly $130,000 to more than a dozen schools and nonprofit organizations across New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
For additional information on the PennEast Powering STEM Grant Program and eligibility requirements, please visit http://penneastpipeline.com/powering-stem/. Learn more about Wilkes University’s Women Empowered by Science program at http://www.wilkes.edu. Additional details on Lehigh Career & Technical Institute’s Camp LCTI are available at http://www.lcti.org/camplcti.
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