Bosch Awards $25,000 in Grants to Farmington Public Schools

Teachers from 10 Farmington Public Schools will receive a total of $15,000 to fund projects that get their students interested in energy, science and technology, thanks to Farmington Hills-based Robert Bosch LLC.

The Bosch Energy, Science and Technology (BEST) program funded 15 classroom projects, after 28 teachers responded to requests for proposals earlier this year, said company government and community affairs manager Kim Lindsey-Feagin. In addition, Bosch donated $10,000 to the district's Digital Calculator Program. 

Bosch chief financial officer Maximiliane Straub said science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education matters a lot to the company.

"By helping cultivate students' interest in science and technology today, we can set them on a path toward success in these valued fields of study that lead to meaningful careers," she said. 

Hillside Elementary second grade teacher Andrea Edwards said she'll use her award to replace an aging smart document camera used with the Smart Board in her classroom. She said in addition to projecting documents and photos that students can edit and manipulate on the Smart Board, the new camera acts as a microscope. 

"It's incredible," Edwards said. "I can't imagine being able to provide something like this for my students."

She said she worked on the grant application with her students, who enjoy working with the technology. "The kids love that they have a part in it," she said.

Awards also went to:

• Michelle Aimar, Highmeadow Common Campus - purchase a laptop that will be used to create video commercials encouraging students to be more environmentally responsible
• Amy Anderson, Gill Elementary - purchase a fuel cell car kit that 4th graders will use to build a working fuel cell car
• Steve Dail, Harrison High - purchase Lego-brand Mindstorms NXT kits, with which students will design, build and program autonomous robots
• Amy Donato, North Farmington High - purchase supplies and instructional materials to embed sustainability concepts into the medical skills curriculum
• Kelli Hughes, East Middle School - purchase Sony flash memory camcorders and USB microphones for projects involving English as a Second Language students
• Ronelle Johnson, Gill Elementary - purchase and install items that help teach students about energy efficiency
• Kevin Lashbrook, Harrison High - purchase supplies for an urban garden project and sell produce at a local farmers market, with the goal of the garden funding itself
• Sean McGuckin, North Farmington High - purchase two flat panel LED monitors for the TV-10 studio, where students learn television production skills
• Roxanne Mecham, Farmington High - purchase supplies for an urban garden project and grow an organic garden to promote awareness and understanding of agriculture, working in cooperation with Cass Community Social Services and the Detroit Rescue Mission
• Kathleen Murphy, North Farmington High - purchase 10 hand-held GPS units for use by students in the school's outdoor education course
• Nanette Simmons, Dunckel Middle School - purchase an iPad and keyboard targeted for environmental science learning
• Rachelle Torres, Wood Creek Elementary - re-establish an environmental learning program at Shiawassee Park for second graders
• Linda Valice, Farmington High - purchase 10 Finch robots, developed by Carnegie Mellon's CREATE lab, that will be used to enhance science education 
• Deborah Wilson, Power Upper Elementary - purchase netbook laptop computers to complete missions in Atlantis Remixed, a learning program that encourages students to solve environmental problems