Scholarship and STEM Education Support
The STEM Education committee continued its strategic goal of exciting and engaging students in STEM, with a major focus on middle school students and project-based learning. In the 2025–2026 year, a total of $48,000 was awarded in grants and scholarships.
One scholarships was awarded to Mason Huffman for outstanding leadership and academic achievement. Recognizing the importance of supporting STEM teachers as leaders and inspirations, 32 teachers received $250 each to purchase science supplies for their classrooms.
Support for project-based learning included funding and collaboration with several programs:
Edison Ford’s summer camps, robotics teams, and outreach programs; FGCU and GEMS summer camps for girls in engineering, math, and science; Ding Darling’s Wildlife on Wheels program; the Cape Coral High Solar Car program; and the Lee County Regional Science Fair Awards.
One of the best student and teacher meetings was hosted in April, featuring an outstanding speaker organized by Mason Huffman and his team from the Cape Coral High Solar Car program, which left a lasting impact on attendees.
2026 Mathletes Session at FGCU
Solar Car: Cape Coral Team
We heard from them at our annual Student Recognition Dinner.
Robotics Teams in competition
Thanks to the generosity of the Society, First graders were busy using the new kid safe cardboard cutting tools for their cardboard box projects.
Thanks to the generosity of the Society, Fifth graders had fun dissecting owl pellets.
The Society "wowed" the WoW (Wildlife on Wheels) team in March, 2024 with a check for $10,000 to support the mobile classroom’s educational outreach to local schools in need. Pictured here, DDWS Urban Education Leader Melissa Maher (left) accepts a check from Scholarship Chair Trudy Sampson.