Martinson Grant to Cultivate Trenton’s Future Engineers
United States colleges and universities are graduating fewer individuals with science, technology, and engineering degrees, and within those ranks, very few of the graduates come from the inner cities. Now, with the help of a generous new grant from the Martinson Family Foundation, TCNJ will help to cultivate the future engineers of New Jersey.
United States colleges and universities are graduating fewer individuals with science, technology, and engineering degrees, and within those ranks, very few of the graduates come from the inner cities. Now, with the help of a generous new grant from the Martinson Family Foundation, TCNJ will help to cultivate the future engineers of New Jersey.
Building on the success and interest generated by the Children Designing & Engineering™ program, funded by the Martinson Family Foundation in 2004, Trenton’s Future Engineers (TFE) is the next installment of after-school and summer-camp programs designed for Trenton’s middle school students. This new grant provides nearly $300,000 over the next three years to continue the development and cultivation of science and engineering knowledge among Trenton youth.
In this partnership between TCNJ and the Boys & Girls Club of Trenton/Mercer County, TFE will provide an exploration of science, math, and technology concepts as they relate to engineering and related careers such as solar design, urban planning, theme park design, and wastewater management.
Alison Goeke, TCNJ project director, said that science, math, and engineering often appear both difficult and uninteresting to many students, especially to urban youth. “To interest students in engineering, we must engage them in problem-solving activities early on, and nurture their curiosity and creativity throughout their schooling,” said Goeke.
TFE will also place a major emphasis on professional development for Trenton School District teachers.
The Martinson Family Foundation works quietly behind the scenes promoting the scientific and technological literacy of New Jersey children—and laying the groundwork for the state’s continuing prosperity. John Martinson, TCNJ, and the Boys & Girls Club of Trenton/Mercer County are particularly interested in seeing that economically disadvantaged students have a stake in that future.
Posted on June 2, 2008