Danbury science teacher wins grant for student projects
DANBURY — Teacher Jonathan Neuhausel has mentored more than 50 students as they conduct research for their science projects.
Now his students will be able to take their projects to the next level, thanks to a
$3,500 grant the Westside Middle School Academy science teacher has received.
The grant comes from the Society for Science & the Public, a nonprofit that focuses on engaging the public with science and helping youth in independent science research.
The organization announced this week that Neuhausel was among 28 science research teachers across the country to receive grants totaling
$100,000 for equipment and amenities for their classrooms.
Neuhausel was the only teacher from Connecticut to earn a grant. He plans to use the money to purchase equipment.
“Winning the STEM Research Grant from the Society for Science & the Public will allow our students to continue to complete authentic, high-level science fair projects,” he said in a statement.
Students at Westside must conduct science research through a STEM Exploration class, which focuses on the science, technology, engineering and math fields. Their research has previously been limited due to a lack of equipment, the nonprofit said.
Forty-one percent of Neuhausel’s students are low-income, while 53 percent are of an “underrepresented ethnicity,” said the nonprofit, which prioritizes giving money to teachers in schools that serve lowincome areas or underrepresented students.
Over the years, the nonprofit has given $440,000 to more than 100 science teachers across the country in an effort to better expose students to the science, technology, engineering and math fields.
“It’s vitally important for STEM teachers to have the equipment they need to support their students,” said Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of the Society
for Science & the Public and publisher of Science News. “I’m thrilled that through this program the Society is able to help teachers in underserved areas, inspiring more students to pursue science and engineering careers.”