The Oakland Schools Education Foundation (OSEF) has received a grant of $60,000 from the Bosch Community Fund to support Oakland Schools’ STEM Education.

The funds specifically will be used for a STEMi Mobile Innovation Station — Oakland Schools’ expandable semi-trailer which will serve as a traveling mobile lab, outfitted with high-tech equipment to support STEM education.

“The STEMi will provide up to 40 students simultaneous access to 1,000 square feet of interactive, high-tech equipment,” said Phil Kimmel, Oakland Schools’ STEM consultant. “In addition, the funds will provide a STEM equipment check out system for schools called STEMcos.”

“Oakland Schools and Bosch share a strong commitment to the increasing importance of STEM education and the need for access to high-quality STEM experiences for all students,” said Kyle Kilpatrick, Oakland Schools’ STEM consultant. “The grant allocation will be used to purchase equipment that ignites interest in STEM and builds the capacity to nurture student interest in pursuing these rapidly evolving career opportunities.”

“We are very pleased to support our new partner, Oakland Schools, and their innovative approaches to project-based learning and STEM for all students in Oakland County,” said Kathleen Bushnell Owsley, president of Bosch Community Fund.

Recent developments have accelerated the transition to Industry 4.0 and placed a larger emphasis on related emerging technologies. With that in mind, Oakland Schools will use the grant funds to purchase equipment that authentically engages learners in Oakland County in augmented/mixed/virtual reality, cloud computing and smart manufacturing. In order to maximize the impact of the equipment, Oakland Schools will provide support, training and related curriculum development.