Since 1998, Martinson Family Foundation has funded and guided dedicated programs at 20 universities to enhance STEM instruction for K-12 students. The Foundation typically provides three year grants to Schools of Education or Engineering at universities, primarily in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The Foundation seeks innovation in curriculum, teaching methods, and professional development. A program objective strives for science, math, and technology teachers to engage and encourage students to pursue engineering careers.
Grants range from $250 thousand to $2.0 million. Representative projects include:
Planetarium renovation and Just-in-Time learning
EPICS equips high school teachers to inspire students in engineering courses; Women in Engineering; John Martinson Engineering Entrepreneurship Center
Science Bus visits hundreds of New Jersey schools to equip teachers with experiments and STEM projects to encourage students
Connected hundreds of K-12 teachers to share best practices in mathematics instruction, conducted gifted education seminars, developed Masters curriculum for STEM instruction
Advanced K-8 science curriculum and teaching practices
Developed software development curriculum and STEM instructional materials, provided computer science curriculum and teacher training