IDAHO FALLS — The Museum of Idaho has received an $82,000 grant to promote STEM education locally and to provide scholarships for kids.

The money comes from the Idaho STEM Action Center, a state agency with a mission to ensure Idaho’s students and workforce acquire the knowledge to remain competitive in the workplace. The money is aimed at further enhancing thee museum’s ability to provide educational opportunities surrounding the disciplines of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

“We are fortunate to partner with entities like the STEM Action Center,” Kimberly A. Lee, the museum’s Director of Grants said in a news release. “They share our commitment to increasing access, for all Idaho students and families, to STEM-centered educational opportunities, while simultaneously increasing awareness of the STEM skills needed to propel Idahoans into future job markets.”

Some $35,000 of that grant is paying for a traveling exhibit that will be part of the museum’s multidisciplinary Discover Steampunk exhibit, which launched this month. Another 10,000 will go toward sponsoring the Maker Faire, which the museum will host in September, according to the release.

The museum will also be able to hire a full-time education assistant for a year as well as provide 30 need-based scholarships for area youth to attend the museum’s Rocky Mountain Adventure Camps this summer. Additional grant money will allow the museum to offer its monthly parent/toddler education class free for a year. The class, known currently as “Little Learners,” will be rebranded as “Growing STEM Strong.”

“This generosity will allow the Education Department at MOI to offer even more opportunities for meaningful STEM learning,” said Chloe Doucette, the museum’s Director of Education. “Our goal is to bring authentic educational experiences to learners of all backgrounds, and the Idaho STEM Action Center is helping us to achieve that goal.”

In late 2017, the STEM Action Center also awarded the museum nearly $20,000 for educator training through new Makey-Makey computer science workshops and musuems Rocky Mountain Adventure Educator Camps offered throughout the summer. Both opportunities include an option to earn continuing education credits from Boise State University.

For more information visit www.museumofidaho.org.