Ohio University peer leaders will take STEM workshops throughout Athens County in cooperation with the Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery, thanks to a gift from AEP Ohio.
The $6,500 gift supports Ohio University’s Peer-Led Community Engagement with Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Program. The funding will help provide stipends for college student peer leaders along with transportation and venue rental fees for 10 to 15 workshops a year.
“Athens County and the surrounding region is one of the neediest regions in the state, and this program, run in cooperation with the Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery, allows our students to take mobile, discovery-based learning activities to libraries, school-based events, and community festivals,” said Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis. “The AEP funding will provide out-of-school learning experiences that help inspire our youth and foster their continuing interest in STEM fields.”
The program leverages a university-community partnership with the museum, which recently acquired the supplies needed for mobile activities ranging from robotics to molecular analysis to multi-media projects.
“The peer leaders enhance the impact of the learning experience for the youth, and the experience also provides a professional development opportunity for the college students,” said Dr. Jennifer Hines, Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry at OHIO and the program liaison.
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