iT2Pi received Greenville Water Grant
November 7, 2014
GREENVILLE, SC – iT2Pi has received a $7,500 grant from Greenville Water to complete two projects in the next 12 months: an RFID Bike Lock, and a Solar-Powered Trail Monitor.
The RFID bike lock is a mechanism that will allow Greenville Water employees to track their progress towards reaching goals of the company’s employee wellness initiative – a program put into place to increase opportunities for an active lifestyle within the Greenville Water community. The RFID bike lock will be able to capture data employee ID, date and time of use. This data would then be able to be downloaded into a database to chart trends and show progress towards the goals of the wellness initiative.
The Solar-Powered Trail Monitor will serve as a tool to ensure the security of the trail surrounding the watershed Caesar’s Head. While the trail is currently monitored through TRFX, iT2Pi proposes that an alternative be built which has a higher functionality, including a camera that can record to a database and be accessible from anywhere, as well as solar panels which will reduce energy consumption, at a lower cost. This technology will also have the potential to be duplicated across the numerous locations under Greenville Water’s supervision.
iT2Pi promotes STEM initiatives by educating children ages 7 to 17 in the community, especially those from underserved backgrounds, in information technologies. iT2Pi holds regular workshops where a variety of topics, including programming fundamentals, computer security basics, and 3D printing are taught to kids. Learn more at www.raspi-greenville.org.
The program is split into three tiers:
- Students who come to our workshops.
- High school participants who are actually part of our organization and, as such, are given a variety of opportunities, including serving as instructors to the workshops, being part of the High School Committee which provides valuable entrepreneurial skills, and working on big projects, such as the Greenville Water technologies iT2Pi is developing. The organization strives to engage the high school participants in early business opportunities as a way of applying 21st century skills and increasing preparation for a high-paying job.
- The final tier is composed of the adult mentors who guide the lower two tiers by providing technical knowledge as well as professional advice and guidance.
“We are looking forward to fulfilling the Greenville Water project requirements while also engaging high school students in from-scratch tech innovation,” said Melinda McAleer Pennington. “The program is set to receive another grant for the completion of two more projects next year which will add to the experience of the program participants as well as promote modern technology assets in today’s engineering industries.”
About Greenville Water:
Greenville Water provides service to nearly 500,000 residents of the Upstate region of South Carolina. Recognizing that water service is critical to the health and well-being of its customers and for the growth and economic vitality of the community, Greenville Water ensures the reliable delivery of high-quality water through careful stewardship of its resources. Greenville Water is committed to providing exceptional service and utilizing safe and effective methods for providing water, while adhering to and surpassing health and safety standards. Governed by an elected Commission of Public Works, Greenville Water is the state’s largest water utility.
