Beaver Technology Receives Grant From Toshiba America Foundation
Article Date: January 22, 2008
Beaver Technology Center for Math and Science received a Science and Math Improvement Grant from the Toshiba America Foundation last month. The New York City-based group awarded $950 to the school for a project titled, “Growing Food for a Space Station and Other Limited Soil Locations.”
The Garland ISD elementary school was one of only 84 schools nationwide to receive the honor.
Grant funding will introduce students in Connie Bond’s second grade class to hydroponics – a process by which plants are grown in water instead of soil. The study began last week and will continue through April.
Bond applied for the grant after researching hydroponics, and its classroom relevance, for several weeks.
“During my research I was intrigued with a statement by the World Health Organization,” she said. “They consider hydroponics to be the most important subject to be studied in the new millennium. The grant also required that the study be an extension of current curriculum, so it was a good fit.”
After completing a background study of hydroponics, Bond’s students will create and test other hypotheses about food growth in limited-soil environments, such as outer space. They will then share findings with peers through photo story presentations.
The Toshiba America Foundation is a non-profit grant-making organization that has supported improvements in math and science education since 1990. It invests in projects designed by K-12 classroom teachers to improve instruction.