Supporting STEM: 5 Schools Millennium Point has Helped Through Grants & Funding
Here at Millennium Point we offer grant funding to help support companies and charities improve engagement within STEM related subjects.
Below are a few examples of Schools Millennium Point has helped through grants and funding.
Longwill School for the Deaf – Sensory STEM
Longwill is based in Northfield, Birmingham and is a specialist school for deaf children aged between 2 and 11. The school is underpinned by a sign-bilingual philosophy that encourages the fullest possible development through early communication.
What challenge did Longwill face?
The school came to us wanting help to create ways for pupils to develop an interest and understanding in science through using speech and sign language. The small grant is being used to purchase 10 visualises and compound microscopes which are high impact learning tools. These can be used in STEM lessons to magnify flowers, leaves, skeletons or fossils onto screens to help children develop a scientific understanding.
What impact has this made?
This has given 50 children between 3 and 11 the opportunity to engage in scientific activities in ways they previously hadn’t been able to.
The school received a small grant as they presented an outside-of-the-box approach to inspiring children with disabilities to engage with STEM subjects.
To read more about the Longwill School for Deaf, click here.
Aston Villa Foundation – ‘STEM Stars’
The Aston Villa Foundation is a registered charity in charge of the community and social responsibility work of Aston Villa Football Club. Their mission is ‘working together to enrich lives’. They work with a variety of backgrounds in Birmingham and support Aston Villa’s wider family as well.
What did the foundation need help with?
STEM Stars introduced a new STEM programme in six schools within a 3 mile radius of Villa Park, where funding will be used to buy a Sphero robot package to help teach young people coding through using football.
The programme aims to encourage young people to better engage with STEM education and raise aspirational levels, as the areas around Villa Park are both educationally and income deprived.
What impact has this made?
The STEM programme has allowed young people to engage with computer science in ways they wouldn’t previously be able to access.
The programme gained a small grant as they identified key problems in the area while providing imaginative solutions to STEM related issues.
To read more about the Aston Villa foundation, click here.
Ahead Partnership – STEMfestWM
Ahead Partnership is a leading social enterprise aiming to connect children with employers to promote education and employability while raising awareness of STEM careers.
The project
The project involves a week-long festival with employers and 250 students chosen from secondary schools and FE sixth forms/colleges across the West Midlands. The festival aims to enthuse young people in STEM and build a stronger talent pipeline.
What impact has this made?
The project impacted 250 pupils, 16 schools and 2 further education colleges. Students have also developed confidence through participating in events and have developed an understanding of how their learning links to different careers.
The partnership gained a small grant due to its extensive portfolio of successes in engaging young people in education and equipping them with the skills and links needed for the industry.
To learn more about the Ahead Partnership, click here.
Trinity School – STEM Room
Trinity High School is a co-educational academy school for 13-18 year olds located in central Redditch.
The challenge
Students at the school are highly interested in STEM, however the school was previously unable to provide them the resources they needed. The solution to this was to transform an old art room into a new STEM room, fitted with computers and CAD/CAM machinery to provide learning within ICT, Maths and Science.
What impact has this made?
The project has enhanced teaching of the STEM curriculum and has allowed the school to expand their after school STEM activities. The room is also being used as a STEM learning hub for other schools, helping to expand STEM skills across the area.
The school gained a small grant due to them demonstrating how the project would impact both the school and the wider community.
To learn more about Trinity high school’s STEM project, click here.
King Solomon International Business School: Breaking the barriers to STEM
King Solomon International Business School is Birmingham’s first Christian free school with 1,200 students aged 4-19.
The school aims to close the diversity gap through a fully realised STEM programme of extracurricular activities, helping encourage students to consider a STEM career path.
How did we help to fund this programme?
Millennium Point has helped fund multiple extracurricular activities, including:
- Code club – an after school club helping children get involved in coding; teaching HTML, Java, CCS and more.
- Eco-friendly wildlife sensory garden – helps students explore wildlife in a practical way. The code club will also create QR codes that students can scan next to plants to learn more about them.
- Equipment – provided for maths and science experiments.
- Excursions – helped provide funding for a range of STEM related trips. Trips have included ThinkTank, Jaguar Land Rover Wolverhampton and the Birmingham Botanical gardens.
What impact did this have?
The projects aim to engage everyone in the school in STEM related activities, having a positive impact on 1,200 students between 4 and 19 years old.
The school gained a small grant as King Solomon School demonstrated a clear passion for STEM and provided a clear objective for increasing diversity in STEM.
To learn more about the King Solomon project click here.
To learn more about how Millennium Point’s grants can help you impact STEM education, get in touch with us today.
