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Colleton schools win grant to expand FIRST robotics and classroom STEM
Summary
At the May 20 Colleton County School District board meeting, a FIRST official announced a grant award that will deliver class kits and curriculum to expand robotics programs districtwide, a package she described as worth “over a hundred thousand dollars.”
Faith Bergerno, a volunteer leader with FIRST program delivery in South Carolina, told the Colleton County School District board on May 20 that the district received a grant to expand classroom robotics and STEM instruction.
The grant will provide “30 discover class packs with the LEGO Education” materials plus additional FIRST LEGO League Explorer and challenge class packs and robots, Bergerno said, calling the award “over a hundred thousand dollars in a grant award.” The materials are intended to support classroom implementation, professional development for teachers and ongoing program support, Bergerno said.
Bergerno said the district has run FIRST programs for more than a decade and currently supports 12 active FIRST LEGO League (FLL) teams, two FIRST LEGO League Explorer teams and two FIRST Tech Challenge teams. She told the board colleagues from industry and the Department of Defense regularly mentor students and that scaling to more school-based teams could create local workforce pipelines through internships and scholarships.
Superintendent Williams and district staff have worked with Ed Williams, the district robotics coach, and Bergerno to pursue the funding, the presentation said. Bergerno asked the board to consider continued support for integrating the kits into the school day, where the grant will fund curriculum-aligned “class packs” and no-cost professional development besides teacher travel costs.
District and program leaders said the award aims to make robotics accessible during school hours rather than solely as after-school activities, and they described partnerships with local companies and military-affiliated research centers as part of student mentoring.
Board members thanked Bergerno and Ed Williams for the work. Bergerno said she will follow district procedures to coordinate delivery and teacher training so the materials can be used in 2025–26.
