Ingalls Awards Nearly $108,000 in School Grants

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced today that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has awarded nearly $108,000 in grants for 25 different projects from schools and educational organizations in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. The grants, which were requested by all of the organizations, will be used for projects associated with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

This is the sixth year for Ingalls' STEM program. The company has awarded more than $500,000 for STEM-related projects during that period.

"We build some of the most complex products in the world, and we need to prepare students to be successful in this type of environment," said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Irwin F. Edenzon. "Developing the workforce across the Gulf Coast is a priority for us, and that's why we're making these STEM investments. Another important attribute of these STEM projects is the team approach to problem-solving. Every team needs a leader. So the teachers and administrators here today are helping to not only create a skilled workforce and future engineers, but they are also helping create future leaders. The STEM projects we're supporting provide students with a solid foundation they can build on no matter what career they choose or where they choose to do it."

The 2014 STEM grants, with amounts awarded listed, include:

Mississippi

East Central High School
Students will build and race a pedal-driven buggy over a simulated lunar surface. Students will be involved in the whole process of designing, prototyping, redesigning, manufacturing, assembly and process management. The buggy will be entered in a competition. $4,401

East Central Middle School
School will purchase software and other STEM-related materials to allow students to compete in Boosting Engineering Science and Technology (BEST) robotics competitions. $1,500

Gulfport High School
School will purchase STEM-related materials to allow a team of students to design and build robots to compete in robotics competitions. $2,500

Hancock County Career and Technical Center
Engineering students will create robots using math, design, electronics, programming, mechanics and other aspects of engineering. $4,631

Hancock County Career and Technical Center
Students are trained on a CAD (computer-aided design) program working with NASA. This grant will enable them to purchase a 3D printer which will allow students to plan, design and create objects without the need to send their files to Houston for processing. $2,999

Hancock County Career Technical Center
Students will use kits to build models that demonstrate core objectives associated with STEM. Models include experiments and activities that investigate solar energy, wind and water energy, renewable energy and other projects demonstrating concepts in sustainability. $1,700

Long Beach School District Gifted Program
Gifted students in grades 2-6 will be trained to be STEM peer tutors and mentors. Students will use various materials to design bridges and submersibles, clean oil spills and other engineering design projects. $5,000

Moss Point Career and Technical Education Center
Teams of students will construct and program robots from kits to perform specified tasks. Students will enhance their skills in construction, programming, teamwork, collaboration, logical thinking and communication. $4,938

Moss Point Career and Technical Education Center
Equipment will be procured to supplement previously purchased robotics kits. Students will build robots so they may compete in a state competition at Mississippi State University. Students will learn engineering and math concepts in the construction of the robots. $3,160

North Gulfport 7th Grade
Students will explore and study underwater environments using an underwater drone that is remotely controlled from a computer. This project will provide a community forum where members from all over the world can help each other use innovation to solve problems. $3,931

Ocean Springs High School
Students will extract their DNA and determine their genotype of the tasting gene. Project is designed to transition between understanding inheritance patterns and the basic structure and function of DNA. $5,000

Ocean Springs High School
Students will set up a patient care simulation lab with electronic medical records, trauma and medical patient mannequins, and automated electronic defibrillators. They will conduct patient care assessments and administer procedures. $4,962

Ocean Springs High School
STEM teachers will equip three classrooms to be used for STEM-based robotics instruction. Students will program computers and robots, use sensors and alter programs based on external data, report how robotics have changed the workplace environment and examine various mathematical principles. $4,919

Ocean Springs Upper Elementary
Students will work in teams to design and build structures such as roller coasters, bridges, amusement parks and rockets. Students will demonstrate their projects during the school's annual Space Day. $4,998

Pecan Park Elementary (Ocean Springs)
School will purchase science lab equipment which will allow students to participate in hands-on activities and demonstrate their ability to think and act as scientists through active investigations. $4,469

Reeves Elementary School (Long Beach)
This project will provide materials to students for fun, engaging engineering challenges that allow students in grades 1-3 to apply science knowledge in real-life problem solving. Each unit will be introduced by a story book about a child somewhere in the world who solves a problem through engineering. $4,977

Resurrection Catholic Middle/High School (Pascagoula)
Students will do virtual dissections using computer software. Students will be able to dissect frogs, earthworms or other animals without ever touching a real animal. This project will involve students in biology, zoology and anatomy and physiology. $4,890

St. Patrick Catholic High School
Thirty students will travel to Natchez to compete in the regional competition. There will be 25 events ranging from engineering and technology, biologic fundamentals, chemistry and space science. $2,900

Vancleave High School
Students will graph and analyze real-time data. They will collect data from moving objects, immediately graph the motion and then use that data for analysis. The students will use Dynamics Tracks with photo gates, force sensors and motion detectors. $4,968

Vancleave High School
Funds will be used to purchase laptops and software to access online science and mathematics activities and to bring science into the classroom virtually. $3,116

Alabama

Alabama School for Math and Science
Funds will be used to purchase robot motors and software licenses to enable students to compete in First Tech Challenge robotics competition. $4,854

BEST (Boosting Engineering Science and Technology)
This is a volunteer-driven robotics program which impacts 35 schools in Mississippi and Alabama. Funds will be used to help sponsor a robotics competition for students that is held annually in Mobile. $5,000

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School
Grant funds will be used to purchase tools needed to construct a robot that will be entered in competition. $1,500

W. P. Davidson High School
Funds will be used to support students' participation in robotics competition. $1,500

Louisiana

Greater New Orleans STEM Initiative
Funds will used to support a five-day summer STEM academy for 30 teachers. The academy will focus on the integration of math activities with science content-based problems for which students seek to develop a solution using engineering design principles. $15,000

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