STEM Funding

Fiat Grant Funds STEM Programs for Regional Schools

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 12/04/19

Michigan's Cranbrook Institute of Science is using a grant for producing a STEM program in state schools that includes real-world application and "resource efficiency." The donation came from the FCA Foundation, the charitable division of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The Foundation gave out $1.65 million in grants to numerous Detroit-area educational programs.

The Institute, which serves as Michigan's Museum of Natural History, is applying its funding to a STEM program it has delivered to K-12 students at Detroit Enterprise Academy. It will be delivering that same programming to learners in central and southeast Michigan, reaching an estimated 4,500 students in total. Cranbrook has developed a "Science on the Go" program, with a catalog that educators can choose programming from.

"Cranbrook Institute of Science is committed to transforming students, families and communities through STEM and environmental education programs of the highest quality and impact," said Michael Stafford, Cranbrook's director, in a statement.

Among 17 recipients, FCA funding also went to the Girls in Engineering Academy, FIRST robotics competitions and Math Corps, which provides academic and mentoring programs to students in grades 6-12 in Detroit public schools.