Cargill helps school develop STEM program

Pope John XXIII Central Catholic High School in Elgin will use a $3,750 grant from the Cargill company to help purchase equipment and software for its Environmental Sciences/STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program.

The funds came from a "Cargill Cares" grant, including money from the local Cargill operation and a matching grant from the company’s Global Partnership Fund.

The school plans to purchase materials to build six robots, robot programming software and a project-based curriculum. The materials also will supplement other science classes.

Last school year, the school received a grant from Cargill to start an Environmental Sciences/STEM class to help students interested in a career in agriculture.

"We decided to add another dimension to this class with the incorporation of robotics," said Julie Dwyer, technology coordinator at the school. The grant will help make that possible, she said.