STEM programming is getting a boost at the nonprofit Green River Regional Educational Cooperative via a new grant that’ll bolster GRREC’s flagship STEM-a-THON event.

The annual STEM-a-THON, in its third year, provides hands-on learning opportunities in robotics, coding and other disciplines within STEM, “prioritizing inclusivity for neurodiverse learners, multilingual students, and other historically underrepresented groups,” according to a GRREC release.

The cooperative announced last week that it was awarded one of GM’s eight employee-driven Community Impact Grants. The GM program, which funds nonprofits that address critical local issues, has a focus on STEM education, climate, vehicle and road safety, community development, and inclusion, GRREC stated.

“Thanks to the GM Community Impact Grant, we can continue our work to create meaningful, accessible STEM opportunities for all students,” Savannah Denning, a GRREC consultant and STEM-a-THON co-leader, said in a statement. “This partnership enables us to enhance our programming, expand our reach, and inspire the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers.”

The grant will help enable the STEM-a-THON to include year-round opportunities for learners and provide training to help repeat volunteers develop expertise in robotics and coding stations, according to GRREC.

The cooperative also plans to use grant funds to strengthen partnerships and establish additional collaborations with organizations, it stated. GRREC added that it aims to develop a 2025 community engagement plan to spread awareness about its mission and build new partnerships.

This year’s event, to take place in late March, will have hands-on coding and robotics activities as well as stations that feature “master teachers” and industry professionals, according to GRREC. It’ll also feature a “playground” for creativity and exploration, and educators are invited to “experience inclusive teaching strategies” and foster curiosity in the next generation of STEM leaders, GRREC stated.

The STEM-a-THON engaged almost 750 students across 25 schools in 2023, according to GRREC. It had featured stations that aimed to teach coding, robotics, physics and science, the Daily News reported last year.

“STEM-a-THON is about more than robotics and coding,” Kaylee Crowder, a STEM-a-THON co-leader and GRREC consultant, said in a statement. “It’s about sparking curiosity and empowering students – especially those with disabilities and other challenges – to see themselves as capable and creative problem-solvers.”

— STEM-a-THON registration will open Jan. 10 and take place at the GRREC event center. The two-day event is set for March 26 for students kindergarten through fifth grade. It’ll be March 28 for those sixth through 12th grade. For more information or to get involved, people can contact Denning at savannah.denning@grrec.org.