Kearney Public Schools (KPS) is proud to announce the development of a groundbreaking initiative, the Making Space for Innovative Thinking Resources (MSITR) project. Spearheaded by elementary school principals and teachers, this project aims to provide new opportunities for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) exploration to 2,739 students in grades K-5 within the Kearney school district.
KPS received grants from the Eaton Corporation, the Bayer Fund, Kearney KENO, and another donor for $43,000. This funding was utilized to purchase sets of mobile STEM carts, with 10 carts allocated to grades K-2 and the remaining 10 carts for grades 3-5. Each school will receive two STEM carts to facilitate math and science improvement, behavior management, and the exploration and development of STEM skills and interests among students.
The STEM carts are equipped with a wide range of STEM materials and equipment aligned with the seven Nebraska Career Clusters, including Skilled and Technical Trades and Entrepreneurship. Teachers will have the option to reserve a cart for classroom activities or allow -individual students to access the carts for personal projects of interest. “At the end of each semester, our schools will rotate the carts among each other,” stated Schall. Since the carts contain different activities, they will give our students access to a variety of STEM activities each semester.”
KPS Superintendent, Jason Mundorf invites community members, organizations, and businesses to contribute to the MSITR project and join in our mission to improve academic and behavioral outcomes for Kearney’s elementary students. He stated, “Together, we can inspire the next generation of innovators and problem solvers.”
