AEP Ohio Foundation, Voinovich School celebrate 10 years of STEM education partnership

The American Electric Power (AEP) Ohio Foundation and the 花季传媒鈥檚 Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service have enjoyed a long-standing relationship, spanning nearly 20 years of collaboration.

Early on, the AEP Foundation supported research at the collegiate level. Over the years, the focus shifted to STEM education efforts for students, and in 2024, more than 800 students participated in programs implemented by the Voinovich School.

The school hosts regional science fairs annually as part of the . It also supplies iPads to local libraries, preloaded with programming linked to the , and offers programs for teachers to further their knowledge in STEM fields.

One highlight for K-6 students is the field trips to the Voinovich School facilities at the Ridges in partnership with the OHIO Museum Complex and the Kennedy Museum of Art. During the field trips, the staff sets up multiple learning stations and students are invited to participate in hands-on projects such as My Backyard Stream, which utilizes specially designed kits to test water quality.

Sherri Biegelsen, a sixth grade science teacher at The Plains Intermediate School, says more than 150 students participate annually in field trips to the Voinovich School and raves about the program and the opportunities it provides.

鈥淚n general, kids spend a lot less time just playing and being outside, discovering the environment,鈥� she says. 鈥淗opefully, these field trips will get some of them interested in finding out what's in their own backyard. Human observations are the first step in science.鈥�

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Biegelsen adds that the effect of the field trips can be felt beyond the actual event, helping kids who may have learning or other issues.

鈥淚 had a student who had a hard time with behavior in the classroom, but their behavior during the field trips is terrific,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey were outside, they were actively doing things, so they were engaged and not at all disruptive.鈥�

At the secondary level, with the help of the AEP Ohio Foundation, OHIO鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences has developed the STEMStart program, where rising freshmen at 花季传媒 arrive on campus a week earlier than the regular August move-in date to immerse themselves in STEM projects that help prepare them for their majors.

More than 60 students participate in three days of workshops, including a day-long biology field exercise at the nearby , where Voinovich School staff members assist with teaching. Residential scholarships are awarded to 16 STEMStart participants through grant support from the AEP Ohio Foundation.

鈥淔or students who were interested in science when they were younger, we have an opportunity to help them keep that level of enthusiasm, even though it becomes much more challenging in college,鈥� says Stephanie Miller, a biology professor at the College of Arts and Sciences and co-director of the STEMstart program. 鈥淭he AEP Ohio Foundation has done a great job of supporting us and the local region from the public schools through entering college.鈥�

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