After a year that imposed never-before-seen challenges on students and teachers, UScellular donated $38,700 towards Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) resources for North Carolina teachers and their students. Through a donation to DonorsChoose, an education non-profit organization that connects public school teachers with interested donors, UScellular provided funding for 251 projects submitted by North Carolina teachers. Nationwide, UScellular donated $100,000 to DonorsChoose and reached 50,000 students in 333 schools by matching donations on more than 600 classroom projects.
To take an active role in addressing equity and gaps in STEM education, UScellular’s funds went to schools where a majority of the students were from low-income households.
Craven County students at Havelock Elementary School, Havelock Middle School, H.J. MacDonald Middle School, James W. Smith Elementary School, Roger Bell New Tech Academy, Trent Park Elementary School and West Craven Middle School received more than $2,800 in supplies for a take apart human body model, an air purifier, specimen collection kits as well as other classroom supplies to add in STEM learning activities.
“We all have a role to play in creating a brighter future for tomorrow’s leaders,” said Jeremy Taylor, director of sales for UScellular in eastern North Carolina. “UScellular is proud to work with critical organizations like DonorsChoose to support teachers in eastern North Carolina and here in Craven County who transform students’ curiosity into real-life application through STEM learning.”
“My students have already shown a lot of interest in the take-apart human body model! Yesterday they learned about the brain, heart, lungs, liver, stomach and intestines and even what the functions of each organ does to help our body stay healthy. My students loved talking about the brain the most! They were fascinated that our body uses the nervous system to control every movement of our body. Thank you again for helping us get these materials, I know my students will enjoy the human body model for years to come,” said Ms. Keith, a teacher at Havelock Elementary School.
In May, UScellular surveyed parents[1] regarding their child(ren)’s learning during the pandemic. The results showed:
Half of parents thought remote learning negatively impacted their child’s learning
1 in 4 parents felt their child needed tutoring over the summer
Nearly 50% of parents were interested in extra assistance for their child
To address the need for extra summer assistance, 10% of UScellular’s overall donation went towards summer school STEM projects.
UScellular has a longstanding commitment to supporting its local communities through donations and volunteerism. Since 2009, the company has donated more than $20.8 million along with countless experiences and technology items to nonprofit organizations across the country. For more information about UScellular’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, please go to uscellular.com/get-to-know-us/community-outreach.
By Melissa McIntyre