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In-club Practice Stations for Practical, New and Build Events

School:: Spruce Creek High School
Subject:: Science
Teacher:: Nicholas Stoute
: Joy Harper, Kelli Bundza
Students Impacted:: 46
Grade:: 9-12
Date:: September 14, 2024

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

DUKE Energy - $1,000.00

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 46

Thanks to the generous support from Duke Energy and the FUTURES Foundation, our Science Olympiad program at Spruce Creek High School significantly enhanced its in-club preparation for hands-on build events. The funding allowed us to provide high-quality materials and supplies for events such as Wind Power, Electric Vehicle, and Towers, which are among the most engaging and technically demanding components of the competition. With consistent access to these materials, students were able to build, test, and improve their designs through repeated practice—something that had not been feasible in past years due to limited resources.

The availability of these materials had a noticeable impact on both student participation and confidence. More students were able to engage in build events without worrying about the cost of supplies, opening doors to STEM experiences that might otherwise have been out of reach. The practice environment also fostered strong peer collaboration and encouraged students to experiment, troubleshoot, and refine their approaches. As a result, students developed a deeper understanding of engineering principles and a stronger sense of ownership over their work.

This year, our teams showed marked improvement in several build events, especially in Electric Vehicle, where students demonstrated increased consistency and performance compared to prior seasons. One highlight of the year was our performance in the Helicopters event at Regionals, where our team earned a first-place medal. Additionally, our overall team placed second at the Regional competition—an achievement that reflects the dedication and growth of our students across all events. While we’re proud of these results, what stood out even more was the increased student engagement and the pride they took in achieving success through their own hard work and preparation.

Overall, the impact of this grant has been both academic and motivational. Students walked away from the season with stronger technical skills, a better appreciation for the engineering process, and a renewed enthusiasm for STEM learning. We are sincerely grateful to Duke Energy and the FUTURES Foundation for making these opportunities possible and for investing in our students' growth, curiosity, and future success.

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Working on Towers

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Showing Electric Vehicle

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Electric Vehicle Technical Photo 1

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Electric Vehicle Technical Photo 2

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Team Photo

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Photo with Trophy

Original Grant Overview

Goal

Spruce Creek High School’s Science Olympiad Program is dedicated to providing opportunities and experiences for students who cannot partake in such activities in registered classes, and those who wish to take STEM a step further. One of our goals is to make the Science Olympiad as accessible as possible, as a student’s passion for STEM-based subjects should not be influenced by their financial situation. To enhance the quality and degree of preparedness for our competitions, we seek funding to allow the practice for students wishing to participate in events they are interested in.

What will be done with my students

With the grant money, we would provide build kits for three teams spread across three plus events. There are ten build events, all of which require a level of funding. All bought kits cost around $150. These kinds of events, along with other inquiry events, are very popular among our students, and we believe this passion will become prevalent in the results. In previous years, our laboratory events have been wanting, as we have not had the finances or ability to practice and provide adequate training for them. With the addition of “Materials Science” in the standard rotation, we hope to provide extra practice and instruction for those practical events.

The following B.E.S.T. Standards will be addressed:

SC.912.CS-CC.1.1
Evaluate modes of communication and collaboration.

SC.912.N.1.1
Define a problem based on a specific body of knowledge, for example: biology, chemistry, physics, and earth/space science, and do...

SC.912.N.1.7
Recognize the role of creativity in constructing scientific questions, methods and explanations.

SC.912.CS-CC.1.1
Evaluate modes of communication and collaboration.

Benefits to my students

By supporting Spruce Creek High School’s Science Olympiad, you will directly be fostering the passions of future scientists and innovators. We would like to provide students with the materials and practice needed to excel in tournaments with this grant. This will ensure that students, regardless of their financial situation, have the opportunity to engage deeply with STEM subjects and develop their skills. The funding will allow us to enhance the preparedness and performance of our students in various Science Olympiad events, ultimately leading to better outcomes and a more enriching experience for all participants.

Budget Narrative

To enhance the preparedness and participation of our students in the Science Olympiad, we request funding to cover essential materials and practice opportunities. We plan to allocate approximately $1000 for build kits for three teams across 3+ events. These include 2 Wind Power Kits, 2 Electric Vehicle Kits, 2 Tower Kits, and In Process Supplies of the previously mentioned builds and the other seven builds. This funding will ensure that all students can engage deeply with STEM subjects and excel in competitions.