$10,000 Grant Backs North Scott STEM Programs

The American Water Charitable Foundation and Iowa American Water have awarded a $10,000 Workforce Readiness grant to the North Scott Community School District’s Regional Innovation Center. The funding will support hands-on STEM, robotics, engineering and career-readiness opportunities for North Scott students. It will provide LEGO League materials and registration fees for three elementary school programs, while advancing robotics programs for students in grades 7 to 12. The grant supports a center where students design, manufacture and assemble custom parts, use computer-aided design programs and 3D printers, and build and test robots.

Support For Robotics Teams

The district plans to use the funds for tournament fees, new materials, technology upgrades, 3D-printing resources and equipment, including a planned CNC machine. North Scott High School’s Robotics and LEGO League teams have received grant funding during the past two years.

Andrew Lehn, principal of North Scott High School, said:

“North Scott High School and its Robotics and LEGO League teams are incredibly thankful for the American Water Charitable Foundation's generosity. The grant funding from the past two years has had a significant impact on the teams' ability to purchase necessary materials, technology and curriculum to compete at the highest level.”

Learning Through Design

At the Regional Innovation Center, students develop technical, problem-solving, leadership and collaboration skills through real-world learning. The program also gives students opportunities to share their knowledge with younger students and the broader community.

Josh Le, a North Scott robotics student, said:

“The continuous support we've received from the American Water Charitable Foundation has allowed us to push past our limits and focus on developing and growing our program. The new parts, electronics and machinery will give us an even richer engineering experience, including in-house machining and manufacturing. It has opened new doors for our team and will help us bring middle school students into the program so they can learn alongside us.”

Building Career Readiness

The Workforce Readiness grant is part of the foundation’s Keep Communities Flowing Grant Program, which focuses on career readiness, financial and business literacy, positive youth development and life skills training. Through its partnership with the district, Iowa American Water is connecting local students with workforce-development experiences in science, technology, engineering, manufacturing and other skilled fields.

Brad Nielsen, president of Iowa American Water, said:

“At Iowa American Water, our commitment to the communities we serve goes beyond providing safe, clean and reliable water. By supporting hands-on learning opportunities at the North Scott Regional Innovation Center, we are investing in the next generation and helping students build the skills, confidence and experience they need to become part of Iowa's workforce of tomorrow.”