Two Wilmington schools will benefit from a new Chemours school partnership program focused on bringing STEM into middle schools.
Chemours is launching Chemours Future of Engineering, Science, Trades and Technology or ChemFES(T2) to invest in helping under-resourced middle schools teach STEM.
Wilmington’s EastSide Charter School and Serviam Girls Academy are the first two schools to tap into the program
Chemours will provide Serviam multi-year support for STEM learning activities, lab equipment, and other resources, as well as funding a $250,000 Chemours STEM Discovery Capstone Program for eighth grade students.
That program will start next school year, and Serviam President Peggy Prevoznik Heins says ChemFES(T2) is a game-changer for the school
"The fact that we have resources that we can build for four years what this program is going to look like, we can build the curriculum for it internally, we can invest in resources, and we know that it's going to be there next year because we're a hundred percent donor supported," Prevoznik Heins.
Chemours’ investment at Eastside Charter includes four-million dollars to support a new 24,000 square foot community STEM facility.
EastSide Charter CEO Aaron Bass says the facility will be a hub that has reach beyond his students.
"I think it's even bigger for our community because this building is in partnership with the Wilmington Library," said Bass. "So that means the students will be able to use it, parents can use it after school, summertime, weekends so that the entire public gets a chance to engage with STEM, but also the company is becoming engaged with our community as well."
Chemours officials say ChemFES(T2) seeks to expose students to STEM education before high school with a goal of building a stronger and more diverse STEM workforce for the future.
