Cortney Kemp, a third-grade teacher at Coggin Elementary, received a grant from the Brownwood Education Foundation for $700 to bring new STEM activities into her classroom. The 2022-2023 school year grant allowed her to purchase supplies for students to engage with their lessons creatively.

“The supplies I received are Wikki sticks, bingo dabbers, dice, play-dough, cards, rubber ducks, pom balls, pipe cleaners, and much more,” Kemp said. “These items supplement my lessons by creating an engaging environment for my students. Students still answer rigorous third-grade math questions but will earn STEM supplies to create something at the end of the week, or they will use the different supplies to create their own numbers in a math problem.” Students use the supplies to create the problems provided on paper, and then craft them in a three-dimensional manner so they can explore the physical application of problem-solving. Using these creative problem-solving techniques engages students’ interests, combining STEM, art, and enhanced learning strategies. “The BEF looks for opportunities to impact kids through the annual grants,” said Eric Evans, the Brownwood Education Foundation Board Vice President. “When we can help teachers engage their students in creative and sometimes alternative methods, everyone benefits.”

Kemp’s innovations have enhanced her students’ learning experience and Coggin third-grade students now have access to a variety of resources that will enable them to explore their interests and gain knowledge in an exciting way. “This will benefit all of the third-grade students at Coggin Elementary,” Kemp said. “I applied for this grant because it is important to keep students engaged and actively learning. Receiving this grant has done that for my students.”

[Story by Sara Musgrove]