Howmet Aerospace Foundation Helping Pittsburgh Students Compete in Robotics
Howmet Aerospace Foundation is helping Pittsburgh Public School students to compete in a national robotics competition through a $1 million grant to purchase robotics kits and provide STEM support to eight schools. The grant, which will be given over five-years, will allow students from Pittsburgh Allderdice, Pittsburgh Brashear, Pittsburgh Brookline, Pittsburgh Langley, Pittsburgh Lincoln, Pittsburgh Morrow, Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, and Pittsburgh Westinghouse to compete in FIRST® programs.
“As a Pittsburgh company, we are committed to investing in Pittsburgh schools so they can provide the children of our community the best possible education,” said Neil Marchuk, President, Howmet Aerospace President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Howmet Aerospace. “With this grant, local students will gain additional opportunities to explore careers in STEM fields, which are in high demand for the future economy.”
The donation also covers professional development, travel, and teacher stipends for competitive play. PPS schools were chosen based on existing teams and interest in creating FIRST teams. In addition to funding the programming for teams, this donation also covers the cost of classroom kits to integrate robotics into instruction for grades K-8 in schools with those grade levels.
“FIRST is thrilled for the generous support from the Howmet Aerospace Foundation and the collaboration between the Foundation and the Pittsburgh Public School District,” said Daphne Frownfelter, Regional Director, Pennsylvania, FIRST. “We are looking forward to being a part of the 21st century STEM learning curriculum that benefits Pittsburgh students and the community.”
FIRST is a global robotics community that prepares young people for the future. The organization, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity, offers a suite of robotics programs for PreK-12 (ages 4-18). FIRST’s thrilling robotics competitions leave students with a sense of accomplishment and the understanding that they can do anything with their collective skills, leadership, and confidence, and that their experience will positively impact their future and take them further than any other sport can. FIRST creates the people who will change the world – today and tomorrow.
“We are grateful for the investment Howmet Aerospace Foundation has made in the lives of our students,” said Dr. Anthony Hamlet, Superintendent. “As the STEM field expands and becomes a landing pad for many professionals, we are excited to know that through this grant students will receive exposure and education in science and robotics.”