Van Buren Schools receive $20K for STEM

VAN BUREN — Van Buren Local School District has received $20,000 for STEM activities from Pilot Travel Centers. The grant was announced on Tuesday at the grand opening of the new Pilot Travel Center facility, at 11471 Ohio 613. Van Buren Superintendent Jason Inkrott attended the ceremony to formally receive the funds. "We appreciate the generosity of Pilot Travel Centers to our district," Inkrott said. "The $20,000 they are providing for STEM-related initiatives will help our students gain a wide variety of experiences as they participate in future projects the grant will fund. We are grateful for the partnership we are developing with Pilot and appreciate all of the support our local businesses provide to our district." A district press release also noted appreciation for Cassie Schaffer, director of teaching and learning, for writing the grant proposal. The proposal included a student-led project to design the layout of the interior of the school's newly renovated greenhouse along with student-led improvements to the medieval garden between the high school and elementary buildings. "Our Horticulture and Greenhouse Management students have been working in groups to create proposals for how the renovated greenhouse will be arranged and what items will need to be purchased," wrote Brian Bratt, communications coordinator for the district, in an email to The Courier. He added that the groups presented proposals to the teachers, who will be choosing a proposal to move forward with. From there, the groups will begin working on specific projects.