In March 2024, MINNDEPENDENT awarded ten STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Grants to member schools to support hands-on STEM projects to be implemented during the 2024/2025 school year. Since the program began in 2004, MINNDEPENDENT has awarded over $1.6 million in STEM program support to advance STEM teaching and learning at private and independent schools throughout Minnesota.
This year we were awarded a $5,000 to purchase tools and hardware to develop an aviation technology vocational track in our aviation program at UCA.
Funds from previous MINNDEPENDENT grants awarded to Bethany Academy and UCA have been used to purchase LEGO robots that we use to teach students the basics of coding, the 3D printer that has been used in our math classrooms for 7 years, the flight simulators and drones used in our aviation classes, and a host of supporting equipment and training for our teachers.
MINNDEPENDENT connects and strengthens Minnesota’s private and independent schools through programming, partnerships, and public policy so members can be student-centered and mission-driven. MINNDEPENDENT is the largest membership organization serving private and independent schools in Minnesota. We respect the autonomy of each school while recognizing their shared desire for support and guidance.
UCA has also recently received the donation of a small kit airplane that our students will be able to disassemble and reassemble as they learn how airplanes are built and serviced. Our eventual goal is to build an airworthy experimental aircraft.
