Sunridge Middle School – GO-STEM Grant

Next school year, Sunridge Middle School students will have increased opportunities to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning thanks to a $13,300 grant from GO-STEM. SMS Principal Piper Kelm said the grant allowed the school to purchase Virtual Reality (VR) headsets that students will use for computer coding and creating virtual spaces.

During the 2023-24 school year, sixth-grade classrooms will be able to use the equipment, which Kelm said she hopes builds interest in those students getting involved in the school’s Robotics Club for seventh and eighth graders. “We hope and anticipate this STEM grant will serve as a pipeline for our students to become interested in computer science here at the middle school and beyond in high school robotics and computers,” Kelm said.

Three other PSD schools also received GO-STEM grants: Pendleton Early Learning Center ($1,800), Washington Elementary ($8,800), and Pendleton High School ($19,000).

According to their website, GO‐STEM is a regional partnership cultivating a community that values STEM learning, prepares youth for successful STEM careers, and builds pathways and pipelines to meet workforce needs. Learn more at https://go-stem.org/.