Bosch donates $95,000 to Mount Prospect area groups

The Bosch Community Fund recently awarded grants totaling $95,000 to Mount Prospect-area organizations to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and environmental sustainability.

The Mount Prospect Library received a $10,600 grant for a zSpace virtual reality system in its Discovery Zone, a STEM-focused area for first- through fifth-graders. The library also got a $5,000 grant for its Tutor.com service, a live, one-on-one online tutoring service for elementary, middle school, high school and early college-level students.

River Trails School District 26 got a $10,547 grant for a pilot program to implement STEMscopes curriculum at Indian Grove and Euclid elementary schools for all kindergarten through fifth-grade students. STEMscopes is a research-based curriculum with hands-on and digital learning opportunities. The district also got a $34,482 grant for a greenhouse classroom at River Trails Middle School to provide staff the opportunity to deliver an environmental literacy curriculum to students in an authentic learning space. The greenhouse also will serve as an extension of Mount Prospect successful community garden program by cultivating expertise in gardening and planting seeds for each season.

Northwest Suburban High School District 214 received a $34,371 grant to expand its Next Generation Engineers (NGE), a hands-on, after-school program for middle school students. NGE is a STEM curriculum that challenges and inspires students, and offers schools variety and flexibility in instruction. This funding allows the district to expand the program to a second high school, Buffalo Grove High School, to serve more students with after-school programming.

"Bosch is committed to helping encourage students to explore their interest in STEM education and environmental topics," said Heiko Fischer, president, Robert Bosch Tool Corp.