PCSD32
PERRYVILLE — Perry County School District 32 was recently awarded $6,500 in funding across two grants to support STEM education and family communication initiatives in the District.
District 32 Grant Coordinator Liz House advised the District was awarded a $5,000 STEM education grant from the Burns & McDonnell Foundation as well as a $1,500 grant from the Perry County Community Foundation for a “Bridging the Communication Gap” initiative.
“We are always looking for grant opportunities that strengthen our schools and support our students,” said House. “From sparking early interest in STEM to ensuring families can communicate clearly with our staff, these grants meet important needs in our district. We are grateful to both foundations for recognizing those needs and investing in District 32.”
The Burns & McDonnell grant will help fund STEM education initiatives at the Perryville Primary Center and Perryville Elementary School. Some of the funding was used during Camp Curiosity earlier this summer, including the Earth Dome planetary assembly and the STEAM Museum. The remaining funding will be used to purchase robotics, coding, engineering, and similar supplies for PPC and PES classrooms.
“We are very grateful to the Burns & McDonnell Foundation for supporting STEM education in our classrooms,” said PES Principal Dr. Amy Dill. “We are excited for the opportunities this funding will provide to help spark interest in STEM among our youngest learners.”
D32 Director of Special Services Stacey Seabaugh accepts the “Bridging the Communication Gap” grant from Perry County Community Foundation board member Amy Hager.
The “Bridging the Communication Gap” funding will help the District purchase translation devices for each school building to aid in communication with non-English speaking families.
“Communication is key to helping our students thrive both in and out of the classroom,” said District 32 Director of Special Services Stacey Seabaugh. “Thanks to the Perry County Community Foundation, these new translation devices will allow our staff to speak directly with our non-English speaking families. This support will help us ensure no family is left out of the conversation.”