PUTNAM COUNTY – The Tennessee Department of Education has announced over $800,000 in grant funding has been awarded to 38 districts for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, middle school career and technical education (CTE) and High School School-Based Enterprise (SBE) projects. Putnam County School System was one of 15 districts awarded the CTE Start-Up & Expansion Grant. Prescott South Middle School (PSMS) was the recipient of that grant totaling $8,300 to place towards their greenhouse program.
PSMS is a STEM-designated school and has a greenhouse that is utilized during the STEM course with a focus on science. That course aligns directly with Putnam County’s high schools’ STEM engineering and agriculture horticulture programs of study.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant funding to enhance our greenhouse program to the potential it has,” said Tera Brooks, principal at Prescott South Middle School. “We will be able to purchase equipment and essential supplies to provide a learning environment for students that connects STEM and agriculture. This is a step towards bridging CTE from high school into middle school and that is exciting.”
Prescott South Middle’s greenhouse is supported by local businesses and post-secondary partners.
“Growers Solution is a local business that supports greenhouse and agriculture classes in the PCSS. They are a critical partner in our greenhouse operation countywide and will bring a huge advantage to Prescott South Middle’s project,” said Dr. Leslie Eldridge, CTE Supervisor at PCSS. “We have wonderful partners with Tennessee Tech University’s Millard Oakley STEM Center as we both work to provide opportunities for career exploration and learning about the different opportunities that are available to them.”
Funding of this grant is provided through Gov. Lee’s Future Workforce Initiative, which is aimed at increasing access to CTE, STEM and Work-Based Learning (WBL) in the classroom.
