Horace Maynard Middle School (HMMS) received a grant of $2,500 from the Tennessee Valley Authority, in partnership with Bicentennial Volunteers Incorporated for a STEM (science, technology, education, and math) education project.

"Our school is very excited to accept this grant to create a STEM experience for our students," said Paula Deaver 7th-grade science and STEM teacher. "We'll be using the grant for a hydroponics and aquaponics project that uses engineering design features that will serve as an introduction to STEM. (The current STEM class consists of 15 students that meet 4 times per year.)

HMMS has partnered with Dick Geiger, Clinch River Chapter of Trout Unlimited to receive trout eggs twice in the school year which will allow them to change what is grown hydroponically and compare data. The STEM project will be the "here and now" lasting all year. Other classrooms will be invited in to observe the project as well.

Deaver indicated the 7th-grade state standards theme covers how matter and reactions are the basis for life science, particularly the molecules that makeup life and biogeochemical cycles, carbon and oxygen cycling through photosynthesis and aerobic cellular respiration.

Aquaponics combines conventional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. In normal aquaculture, excretions from the animals accumulates in the water, increasing toxicity. In an aquaponic system, water from an aquaculture system is fed to a hydroponic system where the by-products are broken down into nutrients for the plants. The water is then re-circulated back to the aquaculture system. When asked what sparked the project, Deaver replied that she is always seeking ways in which to stimulate the students that are project-based, involve inquiry, meet the 7th-grade standards, and are enjoyed by the students. Now that she has received the funds, the next step is to purchase and set up equipment. Trout Unlimited will check the setup and make sure everything is ready for the fish to be delivered in August.

March 6, 2020, was an exciting day as the formal check was presented and Deaver was able to tell her classes about this exciting new program. Next year's 7th-grade class will participate as Deaver assigns tables to feed the fish, collect water samples, and check the water temperature and PH balance, on a rotating basis. She hopes to extend the program in the future and to see all of the classes at the Middle School come to check out the STEM project and get inspired by the science behind the circle of life.

Deaver is a member of the Tennessee Rural STEM Collaborative (TRSC), which is designed for educators, by educators. TRSC is in its second year and is a year-long cohort of educators from across Tennessee that works toward ensuring that all students have access to high-quality learning opportunities in STEM by exposing them to 21st Century Skills and local STEM career pathways. The grant award is part of $600,000 in competitive STEM grants awarded to 142 schools across TVA's service territory. Schools that receive grant funding must receive their power from a TVA distributor.

"This is the second year we offered this program to the entire Valley and we saw a major increase in grant applications this year," said Community Engagement Senior Program Manager Rachel Crickmar. "There is a demand in the Valley for workforce development through STEM education and I am proud of the way TVA and our retirees are responding to that demand by supporting teachers in the classroom."

For additional information:
-TVA STEM grants and see a full list of recipients visit https://www.tva.gov/Newsroom/Press-Releases/TVA-Partnership-Awards-6000…
-TRSC: https://www.tsin.org/tennessee-rural-stem-collaborative