For Immediate Release
Contact: Chris Caldwell, UCOR
Christopher.Caldwell@orcc.doe.gov
Teachers encouraged to apply for UCOR STEM education mini-grants
Oak Ridge, Tenn., February 19, 2024 – Attention East Tennessee teachers: United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR) is accepting applications for our science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) Education Mini-Grants through Thursday, March 14. UCOR grant awards are open to K-12 educators in nine East Tennessee counties to support a STEM project or related arts project with a STEM aspect. You can apply for up to $1,500 for a STEM or STEM-related project in your classroom, team, or school.
Teachers and schools in Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Roane, Scott, and Union counties (including city systems in those counties) are eligible to apply. This year marks the 13th consecutive year that UCOR has awarded mini-grants. In 2023, 36 mini-grants were awarded to teachers in 29 schools.
Big Ridge Elementary School students explore circuits as part of their “Engineering with Robots” project.
One of the funded grants was “Engineering with Robots” at Big Ridge Elementary School in Union County. Teacher Jennifer Smith has started a coding club to let students explore robotics by studying engineering and coding basics.
“This grant has helped me to purchase things to keep my kids engaged in our lessons and for the lessons to be hands on.” Smith said. “I’m so thankful to UCOR for this wonderful opportunity!”
The full list of 2023 awards is available on the UCOR website.
Grants are available in three levels:
- Single classroom single classroom: $750
- Multiple classrooms: $1,000
- Entire school: $1,500
Schools can submit multiple applications. Applications should focus on STEM relevance. In addition to traditional STEM projects, a related arts teacher might apply for a grant for students to explore the lives of scientists, mathematicians, etc., or for materials to develop problem-solving or other critical thinking skills. The online application, along with information about proposal and evaluation criteria, is available at ucor.com/minigrants.
UCOR will accept applications online until 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 14, 2024. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Winners will be notified no later than April 30, 2024.
For more information about the UCOR Education Mini-Grants Program, contact Shannon Potter, UCOR Communications, at (865) 576-7476 or ucorminigrants@orcc.doe.gov.
UCOR is the DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management’s lead environmental cleanup contractor. The company is a partnership between Amentum, Jacobs, and Honeywell. The company’s 2,200+ workers are dedicated to safely reducing environmental risk on the Oak Ridge Reservation while helping DOE’s Office of Science and the National Nuclear Security Administration continue their important missions. Learn more about the company at UCOR.com.
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UCOR NR 2024-01
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PHOTO CAPTION: Big Ridge Elementary School students explore circuits as part of their “Engineering with Robots” project.
