ASSET Inc. Secures $20.2 Million Federal Education Grant To Promote STEM Education in Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- ASSET Inc. (Achieving Student Success through Excellence in Teaching) announced today it has secured a $20.2 million Investing in Innovation (i3) grant from the U.S. Department of Education to improve science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in Pennsylvania.

ASSET learned on August 5 that it was one of 49 finalists out of 1,698 applicants for the i3 grant competition, and in order to receive the grant, had just one month to raise a required 20 percent private sector match.

More than 75 corporations, foundations, universities, small businesses, organizations and individuals stepped forward to offer financial and in-kind support, helping ASSET reach its goal by the September 8 deadline.

"The groundswell of support from our longtime partners and most recent supporters has been genuinely overwhelming and very heartwarming," said ASSET Executive Director Dr. Helen Sobehart.  "The fact we were able to exceed our match requirement and raise more than $5 million in just five weeks is a true testament to the generosity and support of the corporate, foundation, university and general business communities in Pennsylvania."  

ASSET will now utilize the U.S. Department of Education grant to establish Regional Professional Development Centers and satellite sites across the state, expanding the reach of its hands-on, inquiry-based science and math training and materials for teachers and students.

The project also includes a fully subsidized advanced professional development program targeting high-needs and rural schools, building on the state's Science: It's Elementary initiative — a program designed and managed by ASSET in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

"This all was just a vision a few months ago when ASSET applied for this i3 grant. With the support of the community, it has become a reality," added Sobehart.  "We are honored to play a role in improving STEM education in the state and to serve as a model for the nation."  

For a full list of corporations, foundations, universities and organizations who contributed to ASSET, please visit www.assetinc.org.

The i3 fund, which is part of the historic $10 billion investment in school reform in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will provide $650 million in grants to winning organizations. For more information, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovation/index.html.

About ASSET Inc.

Established in 1994 by Bayer Corporation and several community partners, ASSET Inc. is an education improvement nonprofit dedicated to continuously improving teaching and learning. ASSET supports school districts in implementing a standards-based science and math education program through teacher professional development aligned with hands-on curriculum materials for grades K-8. In partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, ASSET also designs and manages the Science: It's Elementary initiative. In 2009, an independent evaluation found that ASSET member schools scored statistically significantly higher than their peers in demographically similar comparison schools on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessments in science and significantly higher in reading and math. ASSET currently impacts 180 school districts, 5,000 teachers and 142,000 students. For more information, visit www.assetinc.org.

SOURCE ASSET Inc.