Pittsburgh receives $1 million STEM grant

Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) received $1 million from Howmet Aerospace Foundation to purchase robotics kits and provide STEM to support the participation of eight schools in robotic competitions. The grant, which will be given over five years, will allow students from Pittsburgh Allderdice, Pittsburgh Brashear, Pittsburgh Brookline, Pittsburgh Langley, Pittsburgh Lincoln, Pittsburgh Morrow, Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, and Pittsburgh Westinghouse to compete in FIRST® programs.

“We are grateful for the investment Howmet Aerospace Foundation has made in the lives of our students,” said Dr. Anthony Hamlet, superintendent. “As the STEM field expands and becomes a landing pad for many professionals, we are excited to know that through this grant students will receive exposure and education in science and robotics.”

The donation also covers professional development, travel, and teacher stipends for competitive play. PPS was chosen based on existing teams and interest in creating FIRST teams. In addition to funding the programming for teams, this donation also covers the cost of classroom kits to integrate robotics into instruction for grades K-8 in schools with those grade levels.

“FIRST is thrilled for the generous support from the Howmet Aerospace Foundation and the collaboration between the Foundation and the Pittsburgh Public School District,” said Daphne Frownfelter, regional director, Pennsylvania, FIRST. “We are looking forward to being a part of the 21st century STEM learning curriculum that benefits Pittsburgh students and the community.”

FIRST is a global robotics community that prepares young people for the future. The organization, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity, offers a suite of robotics programs for PreK-12 (ages 4-18).