The Tennessee Valley Authority, in partnership with Brownsville Utility Department and Bicentennial Volunteers Incorporated (a TVA retiree organization), recently awarded East Side Elementary School $1000 for a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education project.

The grant award is a part of $800,000 in competitive STEM grants awarded to nearly 200 schools across TVA’s seven-state service territory.

“Students learn better when they are working and observing scientific phenomenon in person,” said, Ashton Rakes, a fourth-grade teacher. “So, I’m very excited to be able to provide those opportunities around the life science topics for our students for years to come.”

Across the valley, educators submitted projects large and small, to further their STEM education initiatives in the classroom.

The project East Side submitted will begin the outdoor classroom construction with raised garden beds and miniature greenhouses. Students will be involved in planting things that they will get to see from seed to harvest throughout the school year.

The competitive grant program provided teachers an opportunity to apply for funding up to $5,000 and preference was given to grant applications that explored TVA’s primary areas of focus: environment, energy, economic and career development and community problem solving as well as pandemic related projects. Schools who receive grant funding must receive their power from a TVA distributor.

“Despite the new challenges Valley teachers faced in 2020, they are still focused on providing the best STEM education possible and have adjusted to new ways of teaching,” said Community Engagement Senior Program Manager Rachel Crickmar. “I am proud of the partnerships we have built with these amazing educators across the Tennessee Valley over the past few years and are pleased to be able to provide some support through this program. Through the grants awarded this year, over 72,000 students will be directly impacted across the Valley.”

A full list of the grant recipients can be found at www.tvastem.com.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power companies serving nearly 10 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. In addition to operating and investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.