STEAM education fueled by $20,000 from Duke Energy Foundation
May 31, 2016
Chapman Cultural Center will continue its focus on bringing the arts and sciences to Spartanburg area students with help of $20,000 from the Duke Energy Foundation.
The grant will allow Chapman Cultural Center’s Advantage: Arts & Science program to provide mobile science and arts programs for students in Spartanburg and surrounding communities.
“Duke Energy is a longtime supporter of arts and science education in Spartanburg,” Chapman’s President and CEO Jennifer Evins said. “We are most grateful for the help in making sure every child is given the opportunity to enjoy and incorporate the arts into his or her education. Creativity is one of the keys to success, and Chapman is proud to partner with Duke Energy in this worthy pursuit.”
Chapman’s Senior Development Director Lisa Hemond, third grade teacher Rakeya Brian, theatre artist Jef Lambdin, Chapman’s President and CEO Jennifer Evins, Duke Energy’s Linda Hannon, and Cleveland Academy of Leadership Principal Fred Logan were on hand to help celebrate a grant from the Duke Energy Foundation that will provide mobile science and arts programs for students in Spartanburg and surrounding communities.
The goal of the program is to use the arts as an entry point to the world of more technology and science based learning. “We want to foster creativity with our students so they can better integrate in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), which will ultimately help them become a successful part of a future workforce for the region that is tech savvy and compatible with industry needs,” Evins said.
In the application, Chapman wrote: “Through a multi-faceted Arts and Sciences Education initiative, Chapman Cultural Center strives to ensure that STEM, or STEAM, remains a key element of the educational experience for Spartanburg County and Upstate South Carolina K3-K12 students. How STEM theories can be taught using arts and creativity can attract non-traditional students and underserved students to STEM learning. Our programs expose children to a broad range of scientific theory and hands-on science activities with professional teaching teachers and scientists working at the highest level of their profession.
The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to address the needs vital to the health of its communities. Annually, the Foundation funds more than $25 million in charitable grants, with a focus on education, environment, economic and workforce development, and community impact.
For more information about Chapman’s Arts in Education, please call Ava Hughes at 864.278.9693.
