NOXUBEE COUNTY – Huber Engineered Woods, a company in the J.M. Huber Corporation business portfolio and builder of a new mill in Shuqualak, recently celebrated a $170,000 investment supporting hands-on STEM education and career-connected learning for more than 1,400 students across Noxubee and Kemper counties.
The funding will expand Project Lead The Way programs in local schools, helping to build a pipeline for future engineers, scientists and skilled workers in the region.
“We are visiting classrooms today to see the funds in action,” said Lea Volpe, vice president and communications and community relations at J.M Huber Corporation. “It’s great to see the excitement in their faces as they are learning computer science, robotics, and engineering skills that we are investing in to help prepare them for the future.”
While the investment was officially celebrated last week, the PLTW programs funded by HEW have already made a measurable impact for more than a year. In the program’s first year, approximately 1,000 elementary, middle and high school students in Noxubee and Kemper counties were directly exposed to PLTW’s project-based STEM curriculum. Twelve teachers also completed PLTW’s intensive two-week training program to prepare for classroom implementation, expanding learning opportunities for students at every level.
The announcement was highlighted during an event Oct. 9 at Noxubee County High School and the Noxubee County Career and Technical Center, where representatives from HEW and PLTW witnessed the program’s impact in action. At the high school, students in computer science classes demonstrated how they are learning coding and app development. By the end of the school year, each student will have designed and customized their own app, applying the skills learned through PLTW’s project-based approach. At the Career and Technical Center, students in an introduction to engineering course showcased their teamwork and critical thinking as they designed, built and tested catapult systems with their peers.
“The funding enhances our program offerings by exposing kids to things they wouldn’t ordinarily be exposed to,” said Washington Cole IV, Noxubee County School District superintendent. “When you see a company such as Huber reaching out and supporting schools, it enhances our students’ outlook on life, the investment and the community. It’s uplifting and encouraging.”
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