Students and parents explore the L&N station during the grand opening of the Knox County STEM Academy on Friday in Knoxville. STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, is an initiative to boost science and math education in elementary and middle schools. The station, built in 1905 and included in the National Register of Historic Places, saw its last passenger train in 1968.The Hamilton County Department of Education will explore grant funding for a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math school — better known as a STEM school — but officials must act fast if they want to compete in the state’s next round of funding.
The Tennessee STEM Innovation Network met with local school and business leaders Monday at the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Business Development Center to discuss its upcoming round of grant funding, which would provide nearly $2 million in funding for selected schools.
The network, a partnership of the Tennessee Department of Education and the Batelle Memorial Institute, the world’s largest independent research and development organization, is modeled after a similar program in Ohio and funded by Tennessee’s federal Race to the Top grant.
The network will consider funding one school and an affiliated “hub” to house all partnering organizations in both middle and east Tennessee — Nashville and Knoxville each already operate network STEM schools. Applications for funding will be open from September to December, and any approved schools would need to open by next fall.
Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Rick Smith speaks to the media in this file photo.“That’s a very aggressive timeline,” said Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Rick Smith. “It very much means we will have to get going soon.”