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Becky Kuntzelman | The Imperial Republican
From left, Ella Schoenholz, Aurora Griebel and Carleigh Lewis will be participating in Illuminate Nebraska in Charlotte, North Carolina in April for their STEM project on human trafficking.

Three Chase Co. STEM students to participate in Illuminate Nebraska

Three students receive an all-expense paid trip to North Carolina

Chase County Schools (CCS) freshmen Ella Schoenholz, Aurora Griebel and Carleigh Lewis competed as a team the first weekend of February in a STEM competition with more than 300 other students.
As a result of their effort, they have been formally invited to participate in “Illuminate Nebraska,” an all expense paid trip to Charlotte, North Carolina in April, said Jennifer Gonzalez, CCS middle school science teacher.
The name of their project is the Swahili word, “Tulia,” meaning calm or stay calm, said Lewis.
 The subject of their project addresses human trafficking, she added.
Their project focuses on the technology and engineering areas of STEM, Gonzalez said.
“The girls chose the name ‘Tulia’ because it wouldn’t be easily identifiable for human traffickers, as most people would not make the connection to the meaning in Swahili,” she said.
This would allow their product to remain “anonymous” and maintain the safety aspect of their subject matter, said Gonzalez.
STEM background
In an ever-changing and increasingly complex world, it’s more important then ever that the nation’s youths are prepared to bring knowledge and skills to solve problems, make sense of information and know how to gather and evaluate evidence to make decisions, according to the Department of Education.
These are the kinds of skills that students develop in science, technology, engineering and math, including computer science—disciplines collectively know as STEM.
The program was established as a federal strategy based on a vision for a future where all Americans will have lifelong access to high-quality STEM education, and the U.S. will be the global leader in STEM literacy, innovation and employment.

 

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