HLOES receives $7,500 grant from State Farm

By DAVID B. SNOW dsnow@paducahsun.com

Hendron-Lone Oak Elementary School received a $7,500 check on Thursday from State Farm Insurance to help the school open a STEAM club.

STEAM is an acronym that relates to learning about science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics at every level of school.

State Farm agent Kent Bohanon said State Farm Insurance looks for opportunities where its agent’s office members are giving back to an organization.

“It was an idea from (HLOES Principal) Jon (Reid), and (McCracken County School District grant writer) Genevieve (Postlethwait) wrote the grant,” Bohanon said. Reidland Middle School won a $25,000 grant last September through State Farm to bolster 21st Century programs after that grant had run its course.

A STEAM club at Hendron-Lone Oak Elementary would also be a part of that school’s 21st Century programs.

“They’re trying to start up a STEAM club, but they’re trying to get more of the technology and give people more of an opportunity to develop the kids a little quicker,” Bohanon said.

HLOES Principal Jon Reid said the grant would go toward enhancing the after-school 21st Century programs and adding a STEAM club.

“Basically, what that means is more opportunities for kids to have some immersion into all things STEAM,” he said. “We’ll focus on science; we’ve looked at science experiment kits that we would do in the club. We’ve looked at some robotic kits.

“When we applied for the grant, we didn’t know exactly how much funding we would get. With $7,500, that will allow us to do quite a bit, including these kits as well as reverse-engineering kits. For example, we can see why a phone case looks the way it does.”

Reid said part of the grant allows the school to have an extension of resources available to teachers for science lessons or however they may want to use them.

He added that he would like to get the STEAM club open as soon as possible.

“I don’t see why we can’t start that now,” he said. “We already have the after-school activities. There are some formalities, including having a sponsor for the club, but it will definitely be in place for the 2022-23 school year.”