Tesla puts $1.5M in tech education
Robotics classes in all high schools envisioned
Tesla will fund new employees in the Clark and Washoe county school districts and help bolster a half-dozen science-focused nonprofits in an effort to bring new technology skills to Nevada students.
Details of the first $1.5 million expenditure by the company — part of a $37.5 million investment in education planned over the next five years — were announced Thursday at the State Board of Education meeting.
Among other things, it is aimed at expanding robotics programs to every high school in Nevada, creating specialized training for teachers and providing summer camp opportunities for students, all in the name of science.
The summer camp expenditures hold personal meaning for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Steve Canavero. He said that when he was growing up, his family couldn’t afford to send him to science camp, but he was able to attend one summer on a scholarship. That changed his trajectory.
“Nearly every day of that experience, I remember that,” said Canavero, whose bachelor’s degree is in ecology and systematic biology from California Polytechnic State University. “For me, it hits close to home.”
Sevens nonprofits, in addition to the two school districts, are getting funding from Tesla for various projects. The projects will be monitored on a quarterly basis, and more money can be doled out as needed throughout the year.
The funded projects are:
$315,550 to FIRST Nevada and $127,100 to Robotics Education and Competition Foundation as part of a multiyear investment aimed at establishing the high school robotics programs.
$263,924 to the Desert Research Institute to develop teacher-training infrastructure focusing on robotics and STEM.
$262,700 to Envirolution for Project Recharge, a program that teaches students about energy and ends with students on a real-life quest to improve efficiency for a school or business.
$200,000 to Jobs for Nevada’s Graduates to develop an Education to Employment path across Nevada industries and expand access to the program by 20 percent.
$154,083 to Sierra Nevada Journeys to provide 250 scholarships for students in underserved communities to attend the Overnight Outdoor Learning program at Grizzly Creek Ranch; to increase access to STEM programs to 900 additional students; and to start a Girls in Engineering camp in partnership with Tesla team members.
$76,643 to Energetics Education to pilot the Solar Rollers program in Washoe County. High school teams design, build, test and race solar-powered, radio-controlled cars. This is the only program that does not currently exist in Nevada in some form.
$50,000 each to Clark and Washoe counties to establish new career technical education positions to train and implement programming from within. The roles will also support rural districts.
Contact Meghin Delaney at 702-383-0281 or mdelaney@ reviewjournal.com. Follow @ Meghindelaney on Twitter.