STEM

Trump Donates Second Quarter Salary to Fund Science Camp

• By Sri Ravipati
• 07/28/17

President Donald Trump plans to donate $100,000, or his second quarter salary, to help build a science camp at the Department of Education that aims to boost student interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made the announcement at the White House on Wednesday, according to a news release, where she said, “[The President] and I have had many conversations about how best to put students’ needs first and to ensure we are setting them up for a lifetime of success. There is much work to be done, but we are certainly on the right track thanks to the president’s leadership.”

At the White House event, DeVos continued to explain how Ivanka Trump and her recently hosted a summer reading event at the Spark!Lab at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. The focus of the event was gettings girls ages 6-10 interested in STEM topics and DeVos and Trump watched as participating girls conducted science experiments, according to the Washington Post and other news organizations.

“We want to encourage as many children as possible to explore STEM fields in the hope that many develop a passion for these fields,” DeVos said.

The president of the United States earns $400,000 annually. Trump previously donated his first quarter salary of $78,333.32 to the National Parks Service.