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Harrisonburg named lead hub for Virginia STEM network; district reports multiple grants for local programs
Summary
At the May 5 meeting the board heard that Harrisonburg will lead a regional and statewide STEM hub network; the STEM director also listed recent grants (biotech, EV Grand Prix, middle-school space grant) and plans for summer programming and leadership summits.
Amy Sabari, speaking for the district's STEM program, told the school board Harrisonburg was selected to lead a multi-region STEM hub and will convene Regions 5, 6 and 7 and act as the state hub convener. Sabari described multiple recent grants and partnerships that support local STEM activities.
Sabari said the district received a biotech grant of $5,000 (for nanopore sequencing), a $10,000 grant for EV Grand Prix modeling software, and a $2,000 HEF grant to expand a middle-school space-related STEM opportunity. She also said Qualcomm has provided sustaining support and in-kind donations that will supply equipment for summer programs.
On the statewide network, Sabari said Harrisonburg's application was initially for $100,000 but that the state asked the district to expand the scope and provided additional funds. She described plans for infrastructure, summit events, data dashboards and a range of workforce-development and access goals. Sabari noted she previously secured approximately $1,000,000 in congressionally directed funding during her tenure as STEM board chair, and said the current hub effort is intended to create sustainable infrastructure for regional STEM collaboration.
Why it matters: being chosen as a hub is intended to increase resources and visibility for local STEM programming and to create formal pathways for career-focused learning across partnered regions. Sabari emphasized workforce development, program sustainability, and professional learning for teachers.
Next steps: Sabari said she will hire two part-time interns to help stand up the hub infrastructure, meet with hub leaders this week, and continue data-collection and dashboard work to measure outcomes.
