South Huntington Teacher Awarded STEM Research Grant

HUNTINGTON STATION, NY — Frederick Feraco, a teacher at Walt Whitman High School, was recognized as one of 95 exceptional educators across the U.S., the Society for Science announced.

Feraco, representing the South Huntington School District, is one of the recipients of $135,000 in STEM Research Grants to advance science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning in middle and high school classrooms in the United States and overseas.

The awards are a tribute to the perseverance shown by teachers in supporting their students, who have the potential to be the next generation of climate scientists, astronomers, geneticists, data analysts, and engineers.

Award recipients this year represent schools from 29 states, Washington D.C., the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, and Puerto Rico as well as Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. Teachers at schools that support students from low-income communities and demographics underrepresented in STEM fields are given priority to receive the grants.

The STEM Research Grants will be given in two forms: (1) research kits assembled and distributed to teachers by the Society for Science and (2) funds paid directly to teachers intended for STEM-related equipment, such as technology, lab supplies, or software, all to be used in hands-on research.

The amount that each teacher will receive in the second category will differ based on what the teacher requested for their classroom. Of the 95 selected teachers, 85 will receive STEM research kits valued at $1,000 per kit; 11 teachers will receive funds of up to $5,000 for their own purchases and one grantee will receive a research kit in addition to $2,000 in funding.

The STEM research kits and funding will help educators to fuel scientific inquiry, whether remotely, in-person or through a hybrid model. The society’s STEM Research Grants program is sponsored by Regeneron and National Geographic.

"We are delighted to award these teachers with STEM kits and resources to further their student’s pursuit of inquiry-based learning," said Michele Glidden, chief program officer at the Society for Science. "Studies have consistently shown that hands-on original research and active learning are essential for students to genuinely embrace STEM pathways – this is especially true for women and students from underrepresented backgrounds. We are proud to award grants to these outstanding teachers who are motivating their students to conduct research, use their critical thinking skills and empowering them to answer questions to solve problems in the world around them."

Each STEM research kit includes:

• Arduino Starter Kits – Each recipient will get four of these. Students can get started on learning about electronics. Available in a variety of languages and easy to use, teachers can lead students through projects about voltage, current, coding, and the fundamentals of programming. Students will build innovative prototypes with Arduino boards for research projects with this kit.
• PocketLab Voyagers – Each grantee will get two PocketLab Voyagers. Students can conduct research from anywhere with pocket-sized devices. The devices can be used for physics, weather, climate studies, and engineering topics via sensors that measure acceleration, angular velocity, magnetic fields, altitude, infrared rangefinder, and more. Users stream real-time data with the Pocket Lab app to their own devices.
• Trail Cameras – Recipients will get four trail cameras, along with SD cards and batteries. This camera delivers high-quality images and video. These motion-activated cameras will allow students to conduct many types of research remotely — from surveying local flora and animals and animal behavior to monitoring conservation challenges, changes in biodiversity and even observing how humans are impacting local wildlife. Students can easily attach the camera to a tree or pole, leave it up and collect data over time or use it to monitor species during the night or day.
• LaMotte Water Monitoring Kits – Each grantee will get four Water Monitoring Kits. Whether it be a nearby stream or ocean, well, or drinking water, these portable kits support students who want to investigate water quality and contamination. This kit can be used to look into eight testing parameters and includes non-hazardous reagents to evaluate up to 10 water samples.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, the Society for Science has given at least 9,098 kits to more than 600 educators in all 50 states, Washington D.C., American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Peru, Mexico, and Uruguay.