Penn Robotics Teams awarded grants from Indiana Department of Education

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation Robotics programs have been awarded a grant of $53,600 by the Indiana Department of Education. The grant is for 15 teams at eight different P-H-M schools.

The P-H-M proposal was selected from more than 145 grant proposals submitted for this competitive funding opportunity. The DOE stated that its review team was impressed by Penn’s plan to design, construct, program, and operate robots in competitions sponsored by non-profit organizations with the goal of increasing Indiana student interest in STEM.

Penn’s two Robotics Teams each received $14,000 from the grant.

Other P-H-M schools and the benefitting Robotics teams are:

• Grissom (2 existing teams, $5,000)
• Horizon (2 existing teams $6,137.50)
• Elm Road (2 existing teams, $6,137.50)
• Meadows Edge (1 new team, $3,175)
• Walt Disney (1 new team, $3,175)
• Northpoint (4 new teams, $12,800)
• Bittersweet (1 new team, $3,175) 

Penn’s portion of the grant pays for team registration and supplies for building competition robots.

“We are incredibly honored and deeply grateful to announce that Penn High School’s two FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) teams have received a generous grant from the Indiana Department of Education to cover the registration costs for the 2024-2025 season,” Penn First Robotics Coach Kyle Marsh said. “This support is not only a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, mentors, and volunteers but also a recognition of the transformative power of STEM education.

“This grant ensures that our teams can continue to innovate, collaborate, and compete at the highest level, while nurturing the next generation of engineers, scientists, and leaders,” Marsh continued. “We are humbled by this opportunity and remain committed to representing our school, community, and sponsors with pride and excellence.

Thank you to all who made this possible. Your belief in our students is inspiring, and we look forward to making the most of this incredible opportunity.”

For the existing teams, the grant pays for coaching stipends, team registration, competition registration, game specific materials, and supplies for building competition robots.

Most of their supplies will be updating and replacing used parts, tools, storage, and new parts needed for the new game. 

Funds will also be used for transportation to events. 

The new teams will use the grant money to pay for coaching stipends, team registration, competition registration, game specific materials, and supplies for building competition robots.

Most of their supplies will be start-up kits, tools, storage, and game specific parts. 

Funds will also be used for transportation to events. 

“The grant allows existing P-H-M Robotics teams to continue excelling and meet the cost of participating, new robotics teams to meet the extra costs of starting up, and for P-H-M to pay coaches a stipend for all the work they put into robotics teams,” Penn High School Assistant Principal Josiah Parker said. “The grant is really removing barriers for schools to give students opportunities to excel in STEM. It also helps build a pipeline of students with experience and who are excited about Robotics to the high school and eventually into STEM-related fields in our community.”