West Seattle schools: K-5 STEM partners with Arbor Heights, Schmitz Park in $50,000 contest – and your votes are needed!

Voting is open today in the latest online contest for school grants – and there’s a West Seattle entry in this one. K-5 STEM at Borenaka West Seattle STEM Elementary – is in the running for a $50,000 prize in the “Power a Bright Future” contest. WS STEM is partnering with Arbor Heights Elementary and Schmitz Park Elementary in hopes of getting the money for projects such as a tablet-computer lending library. Voting will continue till December 19th, and you can vote by text and online once (each way) per day – as explained on the STEM PTA website. You can vote online (but note, you will have to register) by going here; easiest way to vote is via text message – just text 2646pbf to 95248.

10 Replies to "West Seattle schools: K-5 STEM partners with Arbor Heights, Schmitz Park in $50,000 contest - and your votes are needed!"

  • fiverson November 12, 2012 (4:09 pm)

    When voting online, “register” means you only need to provide an email address and phone # to verify that you are only voting once per day online and once per day by text. The default setting opts you out of any marketing or information sharing. When you vote, the only response you will get is a single message with your vote confirmation. These schools could really use the funds to connect their teachers and students and develop something that can be shared with other Seattle schools. In order to win, they need thousands of daily votes so please share this with your friends and family.

  • AH and SP? November 12, 2012 (6:05 pm)

    Could someone clarify this partnership with Arbor Heights and Schmitz Park? I don’t know if I missed something, but didn’t see this information. Is the mentioned tablet library something that will be shared access between these 3 schools students?

  • WSMama3 November 12, 2012 (6:09 pm)

    Thank you WSB! Please VOTE! :)

  • ChrisSouth November 12, 2012 (6:21 pm)

    AH and SP? – –

    If you go through to the Clorox page, you’ll see the following: “K-5 STEM and 2 other local schools will create virtual teams allowing students to go beyond being consumers of technology to tech creators and community collaborators. This grant will fund 50-60 tablet computers with cover and keyboard for each of the 3 schools; children will be able to communicate with one another via the internal Seattle Schools wi-fi network.”

    AH and SP are the two other schools referenced.

  • AH and SP November 12, 2012 (6:35 pm)

    Thanks ChrisSouth, when I tried to get to the website I got an error message that it was unavailable due to volume. Will try to have another look later!

  • fiverson November 12, 2012 (6:51 pm)

    Parents from these three schools have been connecting at community meetings this year and seeking ways they could support each other and the entire West Seattle school community rather than become pitted against each other in the BEX IV Levy process. When the grant was submitted, K5STEM was still awaiting confirmation that Schmitz Park and Arbor Heights were officially on board so their names do not appear in the grant description. All three of these school will be relocating in the near future and this grant funds an innovative program with resources that can move with them to their new buildings. I understand that the hope is to build a local learning network that other schools will also participate in as the program grows.

    If you are having trouble getting through on the website. Please text your vote now, and then vote online later tonight when the east coast is asleep. This program needs your support to win. Come on you can do it West Seattle!

  • happy November 12, 2012 (7:09 pm)

    Wow, yet another way for the parents and public to scramble for funds/supplies/basic needs, while the district does *what* exactly with the funds from taxes and the government?

  • BelvidereMom November 12, 2012 (7:36 pm)

    Awesome! Thanks WSB!

    happy-Yep, it’s terrible that parents and public need to pick up so much of the slack for school funding…

    I don’t think the district is squandering the funds. There simply aren’t enough. That’s why there was a lawsuit and the state was found to be in violation of the state constitution regarding school funding.

    That’s why I voted NO on Charter Schools….

  • sjarrett November 12, 2012 (9:20 pm)

    We were up against the clock when writing this grant. The absolute intent is to create a program that can be shared throughout the West Seattle commmunity of elementary students. The vision is to create a lending library of tablet computers and a program that enables students/teachers to complete projects on virtual teams. Our hope was to anchor the program with STEM, AH, and SP but grow it to cover the all of West Seattle. How cool would it be to have a student from Westside, Roxhill, and STEM on a team working together on a common project…21st century living! We had less than 24 hrs to complete the grant so were unable to solicit partners and their ideas so we put it on blind faith that if we won 50K that folks might be interested in reeping the benefits. Thanks to everyone who is willing to take a leap of faith and get behind this effort. Note: The site has been shotty so best option at this point is to vote via text: Text 2646pbf to 95248. We estimate we will need over 125,000 votes to be in the running. We need your vote, your neighbors vote, and your great grandmas vote. My 94 year old grandfather is voting daily with his ipad….thanks gpa!

  • Ann November 14, 2012 (1:46 pm)

    What type of information will be shared among the three schools? I read the grant the proposal, but still do not feel like I know much about it.

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