The Hamilton County STEM High School, a platform school of the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN), has received a contribution of $16,500 from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for the purposes of expanding STEM learning.

Five other STEM platform schools within the TSIN also benefitted from TVA’s statewide contribution, which totaled $100,000 and was announced today at an event in Knoxville. TVA’s support for public education emphasizes learning activities associated with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), along with other skill areas that are vital to TVA’s workforce.

“TVA understands that excellence in education is the key to our future,” said TVA vice president Justin Maierhofer. “We support initiatives like the STEM schools that develop a talent pipeline for TVA and its customers. Our employees also support our partner schools by volunteering their time.”

The Hamilton County STEM High School opened this past August with an inaugural student body of 75 freshman students. A new class of freshman will be added each year until the school reaches its full enrollment of 300 students. Led by Principal Dr. Tony Donen, the STEM High School is focused on implementing innovative, hands-on learning models which advance the students’ problem-solving, collaboration and communication skills.

“Our STEM model focuses not only on the core STEM subject areas of science, technology, engineering and math, but also on the learning process itself,” said Dr. Donen. “The technology devices and flexible scheduling we use has allowed the teachers to customize instruction to meet student needs and has given students the opportunity to really take ownership of their own educational experiences.”

TVA’s partnership in the STEM High School will help develop strong teaching practices and expand STEM learning in schools throughout Southeast Tennessee. Over the years, the organization has continuously supported robotics, environmental science, college scholarships and other STEM programs in an effort to enhance workforce capabilities.TVA Contributes $16,500 for Hamilton County STEM