The Ripken Foundation and Permian Strategic Partnership teamed up to build 22 new STEM Centers across the Permian Basin, impacting over 60,000 students. A grand opening was held at Pecos Elementary School in Roswell, New Mexico. Pecos ES students, as well as staff and faculty, joined us for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a tour of their new STEM Center.
Each Ripken STEM Center includes education products, technology and storage, and the Ripken Foundation STEM Curriculum Guidebook, as well as training by the Ripken Foundation STEM team and an opportunity to participate in the Ripken STEM Challenge.
Leahnae and Keila, fifth grade students at Pecos, had a chance to play with their new STEM Pathways Lab set, creating objects that look like an amusement park. They learned how to make moveable items, like a windmill, and added it to their build.
Daniel and Jose, also in fifth grade at Pecos, were using the Squishy Circuits to create objects from the colorful modeling dough, LED lights, and buzzers. Another group of girls checked out the Ozobot Color Code Magnets, creating paths for magnets created to light up as they roll over the path.
65% of students in the Permian basin are in families that live below the poverty line. This project was created to change the future of youth education in these communities by installing 134 STEM Centers in two states by the end of 2024. "We are deeply committed to making a positive impact in the education of our young people," said President and CEO of Permian Strategic Partnership and Ripken Foundation Board member Tracee Bentley. "We know access to STEM tools can get kids excited about learning."
Read more about this project in Roswell Daily Record's article here. To learn more about our STEM Center initiative, click here.