Fairfax Futures Receives Grant from Boeing for STEM Education

Funding to Help Educators Integrate STEM Learning Into Early Childhood Programs in Fairfax County.

Fairfax Futures is pleased to announce that it has received a $50,000 grant from The Boeing Company to support the integration of developmentally-appropriate STEM experiences into in early childhood settings. STEM refers to education in science, technology, engineering and math.

Fairfax Futures will work in partnership with Fairfax County Office for Children to offer a 18-hour certificate course designed to strengthen the STEM skills and competencies of a cohort of early childhood educators. This initiative will help participants implement STEM experiences that nurture young children’s natural curiosity and their innate passion for discovery and exploration.

Educators’ in-class learning will be further bolstered by their participation in an online mentoring group that will enable ongoing feedback and support. In addition, the grant funds will facilitate a partnership with The Teaching Channel to create three new STEM-related videos for use in early childhood education programs.

Vera Steiner Blore, Fairfax Futures’ Executive Director, said, “We appreciate Boeing’s leadership in building the skills of the early childhood education workforce to creatively engage our youngest children in high quality early STEM experiences.”

“At Boeing we build what we dream, and we want students to be prepared and inspired to do the same,” said Tom Bartlett, senior manager for Global Corporate Citizenship. “By investing in high quality early education and teacher development, we support school readiness and provide opportunities for students to have hands-on STEM learning experiences that lay the foundation for learning the 21st century skills needed in tomorrow’s workforce.”

Fairfax Futures is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness and builds support for quality early childhood education and school readiness in Fairfax County. For more information, visit www.fairfax-futures.org.

Boeing (NYSE: BA) is the world's largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. For more information, visit www.boeing.com.