Winners Selected to Receive $2.4 Million to Improve Early Childhood STEM Ed

100Kin10, a national network that aims to train and retain 100,000 K–12 STEM teachers by 2021, Wednesday announced 10 recipients to receive more than $2.4 million in total funding for their “moonshot” ideas to improve early childhood STEM education.

100Kin10 launched the Early Childhood STEM Learning Challenge last summer. The network asked its participating partners (comprising more than 200 academic institutions, nonprofits, companies and government agencies) to help solve the following challenge: “How might we support teachers to create active STEM learning environments in grades pre-K to 3 across the country?”

According to 100Kin10, “active learning” engages students in thinking, questioning and problem-solving real-world issues. The grants help support innovative solutions from current 100Kin10 partners that prepare and support teachers to creative active STEM learning. The goal is to “encourage experimentation” and design “great solutions to the root causes of their overarching challenge,” according to the original program announcement.

The 10 winning projects include:

Further information is available on the 100Kin10 site.

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • AI-powered individual working calmly on one side and a burnt-out person slumped over a laptop on the other

    AI's Productivity Gains Come at a Cost

    A recent academic study found that as companies adopt AI tools, they're not just streamlining workflows — they're piling on new demands. Researchers determined that "AI technostress" is driving burnout and disrupting personal lives, even as organizations hail productivity gains.

  • laptop displaying a glowing digital brain and data charts sits on a metal shelf in a well-lit server room with organized network cables and active servers

    Cisco Unveils AI-First Approach to IT Operations

    At its recent Cisco Live 2025 event, Cisco introduced AgenticOps, a transformative approach to IT operations that integrates advanced AI capabilities to enhance efficiency and collaboration across network, security, and application domains.

  • sunlit classroom with laptops on every desk, each displaying a glowing AI speech bubble icon above the screen

    Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot to Become Available for Teen Students

    This summer, Microsoft is expanding availability of its Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot products for students aged 13 and older. Administrators will be able to grant access for students based on their institution's plans and preferences, the company announced in a blog post.

  • colorful geometric illustration features gaming devices, computer accessories, and stacks of books

    Gaming in K–12 Classrooms Is Powering the Future Tech Workforce

    Today's most forward-thinking schools are using gaming as a platform to train students for real-world roles in fields like aviation, robotics, remote operations, and data center management.