Webster Elementary students showcase STEM learning, note TVA support

Students from Webster Elementary spoke at a public meeting to describe classroom STEM projects and what they have learned about the Tennessee Valley Authority, and their teacher said the program has received outside grant support including a $5,000 award from TVA.

Jason Simmons, principal of Webster Elementary, opened the school's presentation and praised the STEM instruction, saying it grew from a “brainchild” started about five or six years ago and that Kelly Morrow “does a fantastic job with our STEM program.”

Kelly Morrow, Webster Elementary’s STEM teacher, said the program emphasizes hands-on projects and history tied to local industry. “We have gotten 3 grants,” Morrow said, and she told meeting attendees the school recently received a $5,000 grant from TVA “for the second time” to support classroom activities. Morrow said she also teaches at Highland Park and that the grants have been applied to hands-on learning and model-building.

A student who identified herself as Taylor described what students have learned about TVA. “TVA provides us with electricity and keeps our river and area around it clean,” Taylor said. She explained that students learned electricity can come from water, wind and the sun and that “the dam located in Muscle Shoals is Wilson Dam is a hundred years old.” Taylor also said TVA operates a solar farm in Colbert County with about 670,000 solar panels and noted TVA has not yet built a wind farm in the area.

Simmons and Morrow linked the STEM lessons to local history, telling students about innovators and the role of the Tennessee River in the region’s industry and daily life. Morrow thanked parents and singled out eight students she selected to present because they “always pay attention and they're always eager to try something new.”

The presentation was brief and informational; no formal actions or votes were taken during this item.