WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, released the following statement applauding the National Science Foundation (NSF) for awarding grants totaling $735,679 to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and Nevada State College to support their efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in science education.
“To solve the pressing challenges of today and tomorrow, students in every Nevada community must have access to critical science education resources,” said Senator Rosen. “The NSF grants awarded to UNLV and Nevada State College will make science education more accessible to our students, enabling them to pursue careers in computer science and have a hand in solving the climate crisis. I’m proud to support efforts by Nevada colleges and universities to open STEM education to more students, and I will continue fighting for the resources they need to ensure success.”
BACKGROUND: The University of Nevada, Las Vegas was awarded $435,679 for its project entitled “Developing Integrated Computer Science Curricula for Linguistically Diverse Classrooms in Grades 3-5.” This project will develop integrated computer science curricula using educational robotics for linguistically diverse students in grades 3 through 5.
Nevada State College was awarded $300,000 for their project entitled “Amplifying Climate Resilience Curriculum Using Informal Learning Opportunities for Undergraduates.” This project will build and plan STEM education learning experiences that engage Latino students on the issue of climate change.
In December 2019, Senator Rosen’s Building Blocks of STEM Act was signed into law. The bipartisan bill created and expanded upon STEM education initiatives at the National Science Foundation for young children, including new research grants to increase the participation of girls in computer science.
