Help Clifton Middle School Score A Science Lab Makeover From Northrop Grumman

Clifton Middle School in Monrovia is just one of two public middle schools in California to qualify as a semifinalist in Northrop Grumman Foundation’s Fab School Labs science classroom makeover contest.

Voting for Clifton will take place online on Tuesday, Nov. 17 on Fab School Labs Facebook page and anyone can vote. Clifton is going up against Dawnwood Middle School (Centereach, NY), Legacy Preparatory Charter Academy (Plano, Texas), and Selden Middle School (Centereach, NY).

After the online voting, the Fab School Labs team will determine the top five grant recipients based on a final selection process, according to the Fab School Labs website.

Northrop Grumman Foundation’s Fab School Labs program is designed to “help meet the educational demands of today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world.” The contest, held so students can gain “access to the latest learning tools and technologies that will stimulate as well as teach,” gives public middle school teachers and school administrators the opportunity to create the STEM lab of their dreams.

Educational sources, including the National Science Board, say inadequate funding and facilities hold down their ability to offer quality instruction in science and mathematics education at the elementary and middle school level.

“Enhancing classroom tools is another way to help our teachers boost the science and technology learning experience for their students,” said Sandra Evers-Manly, Northrop Grumman vice president, Global Corporate Responsibility and president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation.

“Young people are naturally inquisitive and adept at so many of the technologies we have available to us today. With the help of teachers and the community at large, we look forward to giving kids the chance to succeed and thrive as they engage in the exciting field of science, technology, engineering and math where they can let their imagination soar.”

The contest, announced earlier this year, gave teachers, principals, and school administrators the chance to share their vision for a dream science lab. Submissions, which told each school’s story through video, photos, and a brief essay, were reviewed by a team comprised of Flinn Scientific and an independent consultant.

Nearly 200 schools nationwide participated in the contest. The top 20 semifinalist schools, which represent 12 states and 19 cities) were selected using a scoring system that included existing classroom/lab resources, level of need, students impacted, feasibility of upgrades and plans proposed, and meeting the contest eligibility requirements and entry criteria.