FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 17, 2014
CONTACT: Valerie Martinez, Maritza Fairfield, (909) 445-1001

Award to Fund Engineering & Design Materials and Teacher Training

MONTEBELLO – Schurr High School’s Engineering & Design Pathway has been awarded a $50,000 grant that will provide the program with vital funding to purchase classroom materials and technology, as well as create professional development opportunities for teachers.

The grant given by Chevron Corporation aims to expand and continue the development of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs, particularly those with partnerships with Project Lead the Way (PLTW), which provides K-12 curriculum, high-quality teacher professional development and partnerships within STEM education.

“This grant will go so far in providing such important resources for our students and staff in Schurr’s Engineering & Design Pathway,” said MUSD Board of Education President David Vela. “There are many materials needed to sustain a program like this that offers students opportunities for hands-on projects and experiences they might find when they enter a career in this field.”

Engineering & Design is a project-based learning pathway where students enter as a cohort in grade nine and remain until graduation. Students receive a comprehensive approach to education that includes individualized support, work-based learning, and rigorous academics integrated with Career Technical Education starting with the introduction to engineering design, progressing to principles of engineering and then visual electronics. Next year, the school will launch its first 12th grade engineering class.

“To participate in Project Lead the Way, and ensure we have training for teachers, we need to pay a fee,” said Catalina Garcia, the lead teacher for the school’s Engineering and Design Pathway. “This grant will go far in helping us to provide intensive training for our educators, as well as important technology and software, such as a 3D printer, to provide a realistic engineering education experience for students.”

The Pathway is one of 10 pathways offered throughout Montebello Unified’s high schools. Each of them serves to give students a competitive edge in both college and career.

“I want to congratulate our staff at Schurr High School for their hard work in obtaining this grant award, which is no doubt helping to advance our goal of providing our students with opportunities and advantages that will benefit them as they progress in both college and careers,” said MUSD Superintendent of Education Susanna Contreras Smith. “I also want to thank the Chevron Corporation for their generosity in investing in our School District and in turn, the leaders of tomorrow.”