Media Acknowledgement: Mini Grants recipients may be photographed, filmed, videotaped, or otherwise recorded during the awards reception.

SRNS may use any such images or recordings to promote educational programs and other site initiatives. Any such images or recordings may also
be included in promotional materials such as brochures, booklets, videotapes, reports, press releases, websites, and exhibits. If you do not wish to
be photographed or otherwise recorded, please contact Gladys Moore prior to the awards ceremony.

=** DO NOT STAPLE ____________________

Proposal Number

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC

Innovative Teaching Mini Grants Program Application
PLEASE ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING RULES:
1. Type or print neatly, single-sided; do not write on back.
2. 2. Submit original application
3. Include the full names of each teacher. Do not write your name or team members’ names within the body of the grant supporting
sheets printed from your home/school internet account. Applications will be disqualified if the originator of the application
can be identified on pages 2-4).

CHECK ONE CATEGORY A ($500) B ($750) X C ($1000)

Project Title: (up to 90 characters) Engaging Middle School Minds

Lead Teacher’s Full Name Karmen Lowery Email Address karmen.lowery@smcsaug.org

Team Member 2 N/A Team Member 4 N/A

Team Member 3 N/A

Teacher’s Subject /Grade Level Technology/ Kindergarten- 8th Grade

School Name St. Mary on the Hill Catholic School School Phone: 706-733-6193

School Address (Street or P.O. Box) 1220 Monte Sano Avenue

City, State, Zip Augusta, Ga 30904

Would you like to be a displayer at the Mini Grants ceremony? Yes No X

APPLICATION CHECKLIST
No more than four members per team Do Not staple application
Appropriate Category Checked (A, B or C) Pages 2-4 must not include any identifying information of school
Budget/cost is parallel to category $ amount Principal’s signature and email address included
Budget amount is within Category $ amount Categories B&C Project Plan Implementation scheduled included
unless indicated how additional funds will be obtained Applications and additional pages are single-sided

Signature of Teacher Date Signature of Principal Date

Todd Shafer todd.shafer@smcsaug.org

Principal’s Name (Printed) Principal’s Email Address

Mail completed application to:

Innovative Teaching Mini Grants
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC
Building 730-1B, Rm. 2143
Aiken, SC 29808
No fax copies accepted. Applications cannot be hand delivered by non-SRS employees.

Page 1 of 4
** DO NOT STAPLE ___________________
Reserved for EP number
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC
Innovative Teaching Mini Grants Program Application

Please type or print neatly (single-sided; do not write on back)

(For the sake of objectivity and eligibility, do not include school/teacher names on the following pages.)

Project Title Engaging Middle School Minds

Grade Level and Subject Area 6th-8th grades/ STEAM Number of Students Affected 160

Project Summary
(Briefly describe your project and expected results.)

Engaging Middle School Minds’ goal is to spark student interest in computer science and increase engagement in
STEAM. Research shows that between elementary school and high school, interest in STEAM subjects declines
significantly, especially for girls and underrepresented groups. In this project, students will interact with creative
robotics, specifically the Hummingbird Robotics kit. They will collaborate to bring a robot to life by designing a
sculpture/structure, engineering the mechanical movement, and engaging in computer programming. Students will
be empowered to take ownership of their technical and creative skill sets no matter their prior experience.

Goals and Objectives

(List learning objectives and curriculum concepts to be enhanced by this project.)

- Empowered Learner: Students understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate
the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to
explore emerging technologies.
- Innovative Designer: Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories,
creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.
- Computational Thinker: Students understand how automation works and use algorithmic thinking to develop a
sequence of steps to create and test automated solutions.
- Creative Communicator: Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a
variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.
- Global Collaborator: Students contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and
responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal.

Student Involvement
(Describe how students will be involved.)

Students will collaborate in groups of two to three creating products that may be referred to as robots, kinetic
sculptures, and/or animatronics. The Hummingbird Robotics kit is comprised of a circuit board, a bit controller (robot
brain), LEDs, motors, and sensors. Students will use ordinary craft and recycled materials to build a robot and bring it to
life using the items in the Hummingbird Robotics kit. They will automate their robot by designing a program for their
robot using a coding language provided by MakeCode. Finally, middle school students will present their finished robots
to elementary students in 1st-3rd grade classes.

Page 2 of 4
No fax copies accepted. Applications cannot be hand delivered by non-SRS employees.

** DO NOT STAPLE ___________________

Reserved for EP number

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC

Innovative Teaching Mini Grants Program Application

Please type or print neatly (single-sided; do not write on back)

(Do not include school/teacher names on this page)
Project Budget
(Provide an itemized list of materials and their estimated cost. Make sure your budget is appropriate, specific and reflects the dollar
amount of the category you are applying for. For example: if you are applying for the $500 Category your total cost should be as
close to the dollar amount as possible.
Item Supplier Estimated Cost

Hummingbird Bit Classroom Flock Birdbrain Technologies $875

Hot glue guns (x2) Wal-Mart $40

Glue sticks refill packs (x2) Wal-Mart $15

Tempera paints (11 colors) Colorations $50

Paint brushes (10 pcs.) Wal-Mart $10

Total Cost $990

Evaluation
(Describe how you will measure the effectiveness of this grant. Explain how the activities directly related to your objective.)

Students will complete a pre and post survey about their interest level, experience, and knowledge of the design
thinking process. They will complete a reflection journal throughout their project documenting their ideas, iterations,
and successes and failures.

Page 3 of 4
No fax copies accepted. Applications cannot be hand delivered by non-SRS employees.

** DO NOT STAPLE ___________________

Reserved for EP number
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC
Innovative Teaching Mini Grants Program Application

Please type or print neatly (single-sided; do not write on back)

(Do not include school/teacher names on this page)

COMPLETE FOR CATEGORIES B & C ONLY

DO NOT INCLUDE THIS PAGE IF SUBMITTING CATEGORY A ($500) GRANT

Project Plan
(Give details of your project plan, short and long term.)

Engaging Middle School Minds is designed to reach all students at least once during their middle school experience. The
Hummingbird Robotic Kits can be reused year after year. The short-term plan is for students to be immerged in a STEAM
project that reinforces 21st century skills of critical thinking and creativity while learning and working through the design
thinking process, collaborating with a partner, and communicating and presenting to a larger audience. The long-term
plan is to be able to add more Hummingbird Robotic Kits to our program, as well as other similar items, in order to
create an environment for students that continues to reinforce 21st century skills in multiple ways to help prepare them
for the future.

Implementation Schedule
(Detail time line for implementation, short and long term.)

Duration of project: 3-4 weeks total, one 50-minute class period per day Monday-Friday
4 classes will rotate using the Hummingbird Robotic Kits throughout the year in order to provide more students with
opportunities. The Hummingbird Robotic Kits can be used year after year.

Week 1: Introduce/ review design thinking process. Students will understand project goals and objectives, constraints
and limitations, and begin brainstorming. They will learn about and explore how the items provided in the kits work.
Week 2: Students will finalize their designs and gather their craft and recycled materials. They will begin to construct
their robots.
Week 3: Students will program their robots using the coding website, MakeCode, making sure they have incorporated at
least one sensor, one LED, and one motor.
Week 4: Students will produce a recording of their robots, telling a little about them. They will also present their robots
to 1st-3rd grade classes in the technology lab.

Cost Sharing
(If your project requires more than the amount granted, describe how you will secure additional funding.)

No additional funding will be needed as a part of this grant.

Page 4 of 4