St. Michaels Middle High School (SMMHS) has received a grant in the amount of $4,000 from AFCEA Central Maryland Chapter to purchase two 3-D printers for the school’s Biomedical Science Program. Mrs. Lauren Greer, SMMHS Science Teacher and Talbot County Teacher of the Year, along with students from the school’s chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society, submitted a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Kickstarter grant proposal to the organization.

“During our meetings last year with different graduate and medical students, my students in the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) identified the importance of coding, software, and 3-D printer capabilities,” Mrs. Greer explained. “Our goal was to apply for a few grants to see if we could start to gain that experience.  JT Lizewski, President of BMES, was the primary writer of the grant.”

David Fries, Vice President of Scientific Education, presented the check at the school last month. The AFCEA Central Maryland supports the education of future leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) through direct scholarships, endowments, and grants. AFCEA also offers volunteer resources to speak at career days, judge STEM science fairs, and work with STEM clubs. In addition, the Chapter holds an annual awards night in celebration of the achievements of their Scientific Education outreach programs.

“After reviewing your school’s proposal, we have chosen to provide $4,000 as Kickstarter funding for your STEM programs. STEM Kickstarter submissions were received from 24 schools this year representing K-12 STEM initiatives in Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, and northern Prince George’s Counties,” T.J. Greenier, AFCEA STEM Kickstarter Lead said in the award letter. “The number of applicants made the selection process extremely challenging. The Chapter is excited to be able to provide your school with this grant.”