Exeter High School and Cooperative Middle School to receive robotics grant

Funds to help K-12 students learn more about educational and career opportunities while building skills

Exeter High School and the Cooperative Middle School (CMS) were awarded Robotics Education Development Program grants from the NH Department of Education (NH DOE) to assist in expanding student participation in robotics education. The funds total $18,201 for three SAU 16 schools, including one that was recently awarded to Newfields Elementary School. Grant funds will be used to help students learn more about educational and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM), while building critical life skills and work-related foundations for students in kindergarten through high school.

“Through this funding, students at these three schools will experience STEAM learning opportunities that translate towards developing real-world problem-solving skills,” said Dr. David Ryan, SAU 16 superintendent. “I am eager to see the programs developed or enhanced at Exeter High School, Cooperative Middle School and Newfields Elementary School, which will give students of all ages a wonderful hands-on learning experience.”

The Robotics Education Development Program grants for SAU 16 were divided among three schools and will cover the cost of the robotics kits, parts, tools, coaches, uniforms and fees for registering and traveling to competitive events for the 2021–22 school year. 

In November, Newfields Elementary School was awarded $10,726 to establish a robotics program for students in kindergarten through fifth grade through creating pathways in Coding Creations and Robot Quests with foundational concepts and a balanced variety of virtual and tangible tools.

“I am pleased that our students have the opportunity to explore, create and engage in such a cutting-edge robotics program,” said Suize Griffith, Newfields Elementary School principal. “Our students are so focused and engaged when working with the current design materials. I am thrilled that they will have additional opportunities to work with higher level manipulatives and platforms and increase an even greater passion for engineering and coding.”

Cooperative Middle School, in Stratham, received $2,255 to support programming for sixth through eighth grade students from Brentwood, Exeter, East Kingston, Kensington, Newfields and Stratham.

“STEAM is at the forefront of the CMS curriculum and this grant will help us to develop even more opportunities to promote critical thinking skills in all five areas,” said Eris Hersey, interim principal at CMS.

The third SAU 16 school to be receive funds was Exeter High School who awarded $5,220 to be used to support programming for students in grades nine through 12 from the towns of Exeter, Brentwood, East Kingston, Stratham, Kensington and Newfields.