Dot Foods launches new Focus on STEM program for West Central Illinois schools

QUINCY (WGEM) - As the school year ends, Tri-State teachers already look ahead for next year.

There were 22 teachers from 13 West Central Illinois school districts (including St. Peter, Pikeland CUSD 10, Central CUSD 3, Beardstown High School, St. Mary School, Payson-Seymour High School, Griggsville-Perry Elementary and High Schools, and Brown County Middle School) that came to Mt. Sterling on Thursday to attend a LEGO Education Development course.

It’s part of an all new pilot program called Focus on STEM, launched by Dot Foods.

“Today is the first class,” said Dot Foods charitable director Suzy Parn. “It’s a program that with our help through the Illinois Center of Technology and the Tracy Family Foundation put together for teachers in the region.”

Parn said the charity has slated $150,000 in grants for the 2023-24 school year.

“The job market is going to be largely centered around STEM skills,” Parn said. “And so it’s good for the kids and good for the schools. And it’s really great for Dot Foods. It’s good for other employers in the region because these are what our jobs are going to require as well.”

Junior high computer science teacher Robert Scheiter said this is one way to grow the STEM program at the Central School District in Camp Point.

“We’re working on a spy kit,” Scheiter said. “It’s for 8-12 grade. It allows them to do robotics and learn about different types of sensors.”

Scheiter said using LEGO pieces will help expand the curriculum.

The workshop’s facilitator Colleen Cannon-Ruffo said the LEGO education workshop targets K-12 grade students.

“We brought a whole bunch of solutions,” Cannon-Ruffo said. “And the teachers are getting a hands-on learning through play and experiencing what this can look like in their classrooms.”

Parn said they plan to host four more workshops for those educators that attended today which will include different vendors.

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