Cargill gives Watkins Glen school $39K

WATKINS GLEN--The Watkins Glen Central School District received a $39,308 grant from Cargill to support "Bringing Unity to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Instruction." Representatives from Cargill Salt in Watkins Glen presented a check to district officials Tuesday, June 9 in the Watkins Glen high school STEM room, which was completed as part of a district consolidation project completed last August.
The funds will be used to purchase equipment to support the district's STEM curriculum. The equipment will be used for the acquisition and analysis of data and includes tablets, Lego robotics kits and various probes for data collection. Funds also will be used to train teachers to incorporate critical thinking and data analysis skills into all areas of the curriculum.
According to Keith Klug, Watkins Glen plant manager, a portion of the funds come from the local Watkins Glen Cargill Cares Council. Cargill's Global Partnership Fund matches the local donation. The Global Partnership Fund supports non-profit organizations, giving priority to projects in nutrition, education and environmental stewardship. As part of the program, local Cargill management and employees are asked to take an active role in the project.