Fab School Labs - Northrop Grumman

Harriet Tubman Village Charter School, a San Diego Middle School, Celebrated the Opening of a Fab School Lab Funded by the Northrop Grumman Foundation

Fri, 06 Oct 2017 19:00:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Oct. 6, 2017 – Northrop Grumman recognizes the value of stimulating the interest of our youth in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The shortage of skilled professionals in our workforce impacts our nation’s competitiveness and national security. The Northrop Grumman Foundation is proud to find schools and educators like those at Harriet Tubman Village Charter School who are working hard to implement programs to get students excited about, and engaged in STEM.

Harriett Tubman was one of five schools from across the country that was selected as a Fab School Labs contest winner in 2016. Each school that was chosen received a grant of up to $100,000 to create the STEM classroom of their dream. The Fab School Labs contest was designed to drive student interest in STEM by providing public middle school teachers and administrators the chance to create a dream STEM lab and giving students access to the latest learning tools and technologies that stimulate as well as teach.

Part of the Fab School School lab at the Harriet Tubman Village Charter School, San Diego. Funded by the Northrop Grumman Foundation, under the Fab School Labs program.

Harriett Tubman recently commemorated its new state-of-the-art facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the new Fab Lab space. The event celebrated the hard work of everyone in San Diego who helped to make this dream a reality by providing much needed redesign and tools to teach skills needed for 21st century learning and college and career readiness.

Printing equipment in the Fab School School lab at the Harriet Tubman Village Charter School, San Diego. Funded by the Northrop Grumman Foundation, under the Fab School Labs program.

“Northrop Grumman congratulates each of our Fab School Labs winners, all of our participating schools and all the STEM teachers across the country who work tirelessly every day to engage and inspire their students,” said Sandra Evers-Manly, vice president, global corporate responsibility, Northrop Grumman, and president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation.

Local TV news coverage of the event in San Diego, can be found here:

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/on-air/as-seen-on/Science-Lab-Receives-New-Tools_San-Diego-448654723.html

To learn more about the Fab School Labs contest, visit www.FabSchoolLabs.com.

Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation are committed to expanding and enhancing the pipeline of diverse, talented STEM students globally. They provide funding to sustainable STEM programs that span from preschool to high school and through collegiate levels, with a major emphasis on middle school students and teachers. In 2016, Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation continued outreach efforts by contributing more than $19 million to diverse STEM-related groups such as the Air Force Association (CyberPatriot), the REC Foundation (VEX Robotics), National Science Teachers Association, and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering. For more information, please visit www.northropgrumman.com/foundation

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Northrop Grumman Foundation Announces Winners for Year Two of its Fab School Labs Makeover Contest

Fri, 13 Jan 2017 18:45:00 GMT

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Jan. 13, 2017 – From among the nearly 200 public middle schools nationwide that participated, the Northrop Grumman Foundation is pleased to announce the five winners in the second year of its Fab School Labs makeover contest. Each of the winning schools will receive a grant of up to $100,000 to help turn their current science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) facilities into state-of-the-art, fully-equipped STEM labs. The five winning schools are:

Cottonwood Valley Charter School – Socorro, New Mexico
Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences – Escondido, California
Downtown College Prep Alum Rock Middle School – San Jose, California
Harriet Tubman Village Charter School – San Diego, California
UP Academy Leonard – Lawrence, Massachusetts

In addition to the top grant winners, the 20 remaining semifinalist schools will each receive a $2,000 grant they can use to help furnish their labs with supplies and equipment.

“Northrop Grumman congratulates each of our Fab School Labs winners, all of our participating schools, and all the STEM teachers across the country who work tirelessly every day to engage and inspire their students,” said Sandra Evers-Manly, vice president, global corporate responsibility, Northrop Grumman, and president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation. “We are excited to work with five more schools in helping them transform their STEM facilities as a means to engage more students to pursue careers in these ever-changing, demanding and dynamic fields.”

The Fab School Labs contest was designed to drive student interest in STEM by providing public middle school teachers and administrators the chance to create a dream STEM lab and giving students access to the latest learning tools and technologies that stimulate as well as teach. To help meet the technology-driven demands of our world, the Northrop Grumman Foundation’s Fab School Labs program is helping STEM labs become places of inspiration, imagination and opportunity for tomorrow’s innovators and inventors.

Announced earlier last year, the Fab School Labs contest invited teachers, principals and school administrators to submit videos, essays and photos to tell their school’s story and vision for a state-of-the-art STEM lab. Winners were selected from a field of 25 semifinalist schools, who were chosen based on existing classroom/lab resources, level of need, student impact, feasibility of upgrades and plans proposed, and how well each met contest eligibility and entry requirements.

Winning schools can now begin working with a professional STEM lab design team to plan and build a lab with all of the equipment, technology, tools, resources and furnishings they have long needed to keep students challenged, engaged, and learning at a competitive level.

The Northrop Grumman Foundation has been actively working with the contest’s previous winners over the past year - Benjamin Syms Middle School, Hampton, Virginia; Clifton Middle School, Monrovia, California; Aurora Frontier P-8, Aurora, Colorado; Lucille M. Brown Middle School, Richmond, Virginia; and Bertha Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy, Austin, Texas – to realize their dream STEM lab makeovers.

To learn more about the Fab School Labs contest, visit www.FabSchoolLabs.com.

About the Northrop Grumman Foundation –

For more information, please visit www.northropgrumman.com/foundation.

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Voting Begins Next Week for Top 25 Semifinalist Public Middle Schools in 2016 Fab School Labs Makeover Contest Held by the Northrop Grumman Foundation

Fri, 02 Dec 2016 19:50:00 GMT

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Dec. 2, 2016 – Public voting to determine the finalists in the second year of the Northrop Grumman Foundation’s Fab School Labs contest will run from Monday, Dec. 5 to Friday, Dec. 9. With the support of their local communities and the public, a week-long online voting campaign will commence to give the 25 semifinalist schools an opportunity to make their dreams of a state-of-the-art STEM lab a reality with one of five available grants of up to $100,000 each.

To help determine the final five winning school grant recipients, the semifinalist schools will engage the public’s help via an online voting campaign hosted on the Fab School Labs Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FabSchoolLabs beginning Dec. 5. Once all of the online votes have been cast, a final selection process will be conducted by the Fab School Labs’ panel of judges to determine the top five grant recipients. The winning schools will then work with a design and scientific equipment supplier to help create their Fab School Lab and identify new tools, resources and furnishings.

The schedule for online voting and Fab School Labs contest semifinalist schools, which hail from 17 states, are as follows:

Voting Day One – Monday, Dec. 5

National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Middle School – Akron, Ohio

Oak Valley Middle School – Commerce Township, Michigan

South Harrison Middle School – Lost Creek, West Virginia

South Oldham Middle School – Crestwood, Kentucky

UP Academy Leonard – Lawrence, Massachusetts

Voting Day Two – Tuesday, Dec. 6

Cottonwood Valley Charter– Socorro, New Mexico.

Green Woods Charter School – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Kiser Elementary – Gila Bend, Arizona

Morton School of Science – Chicago, Illinois

Northeast Middle School – Clarksville, Tennessee

Voting Day Three – Wednesday, Dec.7

Connellsville Area Middle School – Connellsville, Pennsylvania

Downtown College Prep Alum Rock Middle School – San Jose, California

Mountain View Preparatory School – Cottonwood, Arizona

Salisbury Middle School – Salisbury, Maryland

Wiley H. Bates Middle School – Annapolis, Maryland

Voting Day Four – Thursday, Dec. 8

Bluegrass Middle School – Elizabethtown, Kentucky

Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences – Escondido, California

International Technology Academy – Pontiac, Michigan

Lakeland Elementary Middle School – Baltimore, Maryland

Princess Anne Middle School – Virginia Beach, Virginia

Voting Day Five – Friday, Dec. 9

Beverlye Magnet School – Dothan, Alabama

Consuelo Mendez Middle School – Austin, Texas

Deerfield Beach Middle School – Deerfield Beach, Florida

Harriet Tubman Village Charter School – San Diego, California

William James Middle School – Statesboro, Georgia

Nearly 200 schools participated in the contest submitting videos, photos and sharing their school’s vision and need for a state-of-the-art science lab. The contest, which was announced earlier this year during one of National Science Teachers Association’s five annual conferences, invited teachers, principals and school administrators to tell their school’s story through video, photos, and a brief essay. The top 25 semifinalist schools were chosen based on a scoring system that included existing classroom/lab resources, level of need, students impacted, feasibility of upgrades and plans proposed, and meeting the contest eligibility requirements and entry criteria.

To learn more about the Fab School Labs contest, visit www.FabSchoolLabs.com.

About Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation

Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation are committed to expanding and enhancing the pipeline of diverse, talented STEM students globally. They provide funding to sustainable STEM programs that span from preschool to high school and through collegiate levels, with a major emphasis on middle school students and teachers. In 2015, Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation continued outreach efforts by contributing more than $17 million to diverse STEM-related groups such as the Air Force Association (CyberPatriot), the REC Foundation (VEX Robotics), National Science Teachers Association, and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering. For more information, please visit www.northropgrumman.com/foundation.

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Northrop Grumman Foundation Announces Top 25 Semifinalist Public Middle Schools in 2016 Fab School Labs Makeover Contest

Mon, 14 Nov 2016 20:12:00 GMT

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Nov. 14, 2016 – The Northrop Grumman Foundation announced the 25 public middle school semifinalists in its Fab School Labs STEM lab makeover contest. With the support of their local communities and the public at large as part of a week-long online voting campaign scheduled from Monday, Dec. 5 to Friday, Dec. 9, the semifinalist schools will have an opportunity to make their dreams of a state-of-the-art science lab a reality with one of five available grants up to $100,000 each.

The schedule for online voting and Fab School Labs contest semifinalist schools, which hail from 17 states, are as follows:

Voting Day One – Monday, Dec. 5

National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Middle School – Akron, Ohio

Oak Valley Middle School – Commerce Township, Michigan

South Harrison Middle School – Lost Creek, West Virginia

South Oldham Middle School – Crestwood, Kentucky

UP Academy Leonard – Lawrence, Massachusetts

Voting Day Two – Tuesday, Dec. 6

Cottonwood Valley Charter- Socorro, New Mexico.

Green Woods Charter School – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Kiser Elementary – Gila Bend, Arizona

Morton School of Science – Chicago, Illinois

Northeast Middle School – Clarksville, Tennessee

Voting Day Three – Wednesday, Dec.7

Connellsville Area Middle School – Connellsville, Pennsylvania

Downtown College Prep Alum Rock Middle School – San Jose, California

Mountain View Preparatory School – Cottonwood, Arizona

Salisbury Middle School – Salisbury, Maryland

Wiley H. Bates Middle School – Annapolis, Maryland

Voting Day Four – Thursday, Dec. 8

Bluegrass Middle School – Elizabethtown, Kentucky

Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences – Escondido, California

International Technology Academy – Pontiac, Michigan

Lakeland Elementary Middle School – Baltimore, Maryland

Princess Anne Middle School – Virginia Beach, Virginia

Voting Day Five – Friday, Dec. 9

Beverlye Magnet School – Dothan, Alabama

Consuelo Mendez Middle School – Austin, Texas

Deerfield Beach Middle School – Deerfield Beach, Florida

Harriet Tubman Village Charter School – San Diego, California

William James Middle School – Statesboro, Georgia

“Enhancing school classrooms and the tools available to students is necessary for teachers to make the science and technology learning experience inspiring,” said Sandra Evers-Manly, vice president, Global Corporate Responsibility, Northrop Grumman, and president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation. “We have an opportunity to spark the naturally inquisitive nature of today’s youth who are adept at so many of the technologies available to us today. With teachers and the community at large working together, students have a greater chance to thrive and let their imagination soar as they engage in the exciting field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”

Joining Northrop Grumman Foundation in the contest’s semifinalist and finalist review and judging process will be the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). According to Dr. David Evans, executive director, NSTA, “By the time students enter middle school, they have already reached a critical age to embrace the world of science through engaging learning opportunities. Unfortunately, due to outdated equipment, lack of space, and budget constraints, many schools are not able to provide their science classrooms with up-to-date equipment and materials, leaving the laboratory experiences for students uninspiring or all together absent. Through the Fab School Labs contest, teachers are able to receive the tools, resources, and technologies needed to strengthen their existing lab capabilities, so that they can not only better prepare their students to be informed citizens, but inspire a real passion for science.”

Nearly 200 schools participated in the contest submitting videos, photos and sharing their school’s vision and need for a state-of-the-art science lab. The contest, which was announced earlier this year during one of NSTA’s five annual conferences, invited teachers, principals and school administrators to tell their school’s story through video, photos, and a brief essay. The top 25 semifinalist schools were chosen based on a scoring system that included existing classroom/lab resources, level of need, students impacted, feasibility of upgrades and plans proposed, and meeting the contest eligibility requirements and entry criteria.

To help determine the final five winning school grant recipients, the Northrop Grumman Foundation will engage the public’s help via an online voting campaign hosted on the Fab School Labs Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FabSchoolLabs beginning Dec. 5. Once all of the online votes have been cast, a final selection process will be conducted by the Fab School Labs’ panel of judges to determine the top five grant recipients. The winning schools will then work with a design and engineering company to help create their Fab School Lab and identify new tools, resources and furnishings.

To learn more about the Fab School Labs contest, visit www.FabSchoolLabs.com. To vote once the online public voting window is open, or to follow the competition, visit Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FabSchoolLabs.

About the Northrop Grumman Foundation – Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation are committed to expanding and enhancing the pipeline of diverse, talented STEM students globally. They provide funding to sustainable STEM programs that span from preschool to high school and through collegiate levels, with a major emphasis on middle school students and teachers. In 2015, Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation continued education outreach efforts by contributing more than $17 million to diverse STEM-related groups such as the Air Force Association (CyberPatriot), the REC Foundation (VEX Robotics), National Science Teachers Association and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering.  For more information, please visit www.northropgrumman.com/foundation.

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Last Call for Submissions for the Northrop Grumman Foundation's 2016 Fab School Labs Makeover Contest

Mon, 13 Jun 2016 18:30:00 GMT

FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- The Northrop Grumman Foundation reminds all public middle schools that June 17 is the last day to enter for its Fab School Labs online contest. Now in its second year, the school lab makeover contest is designed to encourage today's children to become tomorrow's innovators and provide public middle schools with an opportunity to create science classrooms and technology labs that truly inspire with grants up to $100,000 each available to five winning schools.

In 2015, the program's inaugural year, nearly 200 public middle schools nationwide participated in the contest, with the five winning schools currently in the process of finalizing their design plans before renovations get underway later this summer.

For the contest, the Northrop Grumman Foundation invites teachers, principals and school administrators to enter their eligible school by visiting www.FabSchoolLabs.com, where they can submit their application, along with photos and video to help tell their story. Semifinalist schools will be chosen and their videos will receive online votes of support to assist with the final selection process. Online voting will take place in November 2016 and the winning schools will team up with Fab School Labs contest partner Flinn Scientific Inc. to design a state-of-the-art lab complete with all of the tools, resources and furnishings needed.

In addition to the website, teachers are also encouraged to follow the competition at www.Facebook.com/FabSchoolLabs.

Inadequate funds to purchase equipment and an overall lack of facilities are frequently cited problems by teachers and educators as it relates to science and mathematics education at the elementary and middle school level, according to the National Science Board and other education sources. To help meet the education demands of today's fast-paced, technology-driven world, the Northrop Grumman Foundation – through its Fab School Labs program – is helping today's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) labs and classrooms become places of inspiration, imagination and opportunity for students.

Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation are committed to expanding and enhancing the pipeline of diverse, talented STEM students globally. They provide funding to sustainable STEM programs that span from preschool to high school and through collegiate levels, with a major emphasis on middle school students and teachers. In 2015, Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation continued outreach efforts by contributing more than $17 million to diverse STEM-related groups such as the Air Force Association (CyberPatriot), Conservation International (ECO Classroom), the REC Foundation (VEX Robotics), National Science Teachers Association, and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering. For more information, please visit www.northropgrumman.com/foundation.

CONTACT: Mark Root
         Northrop Grumman Corporation
         703-280-2739 (office)
         571-425-2132 (mobile)
         mark.root@ngc.com

         Kate Fisher/Rosalie Hagel
         Finn Partners
         954-765-3636 (office)
         954-258-5859 (mobile)
         fabschoollabs@finnpartners.com

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Northrop Grumman Foundation 2016 Fab School Labs Contest Now Open for Submissions

Wed, 04 May 2016 15:00:00 GMT

FALLS CHURCH, Va., May 4, 2016 -- The Northrop Grumman Foundation is welcoming submissions now through June 17, 2016 for the second year of its Fab School Labs online contest. The school lab makeover contest provides public middle schools with an opportunity to make their ideal state-of-the-art science lab a reality with grants of up to $100,000 each.

The Northrop Grumman Foundation invites teachers, principals and school administrators to enter their eligible school by visiting www.FabSchoolLabs.com , where they can learn about the contest and submit their application, along with photos and video to help tell their story. Finalist schools will be chosen and their videos will receive online votes of support through the Fab School Labs Facebook page to assist with the final selection process. The winning schools will then team up with Fab School Labs contest partner, Flinn Scientific Inc., to design a state-of-the-art science lab or classroom complete with all of the tools, resources and furnishings needed to incorporate new and innovative methods and subject matter.

The contest is designed to drive students' interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by giving public middle school teachers and school administrators the chance to create the STEM lab of their dreams and provide students access to the latest learning tools and technologies that will stimulate as well as teach.

"It is an honor to once again offer five schools, teachers and their students the chance to receive a new, state-of-the-art science lab or classroom," said Sandra Evers-Manly, vice president, global corporate responsibility, Northrop Grumman, and president, Northrop Grumman Foundation. "The amount of support received from students, teachers and the communities by our 2015-2016 winners was overwhelming, and we look forward to rallying more communities during the 2016-2017 school year."

In addition to the website, teachers are also encouraged to follow the competition at www.Facebook.com/FabSchoolLabs .

Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation are committed to expanding and enhancing the pipeline of diverse, talented STEM students globally. They provide funding to sustainable STEM programs that span from preschool to high school and through collegiate levels, with a major emphasis on middle school students and teachers. In 2015, Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation continued education outreach efforts by contributing more than $17 million to diverse STEM-related groups such as the Air Force Association (CyberPatriot), Conservation International (ECO Classroom), the REC Foundation (VEX Robotics), National Science Teachers Association and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering. For more information, please visit www.northropgrumman.com/foundation .

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Northrop Grumman Foundation Seeks to Inspire the Next Generation of STEM Innovators with 2016 Fab School Labs Makeover Contest

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 15:00:00 GMT

FALLS CHURCH, Va., March 31, 2016 -- The Northrop Grumman Foundation today announced it is launching its online contest, Fab School Labs, to encourage today's children to become tomorrow's innovators by creating science classrooms and technology labs that inspire. Now in its second year, the classroom makeover contest is open to public middle schools and will make five grants of up to $100,000 available to five winning schools to fund a school lab makeover. The submission window for applications begins May 1 and closes June 17, 2016.

The contest is designed to drive students' interest in science and technology by giving public middle school teachers and school administrators the chance to create the science or technology lab or classroom of their dreams and provide students with access to the latest learning tools and technologies that will stimulate as well as teach.

Inadequate funds to purchase equipment and an overall lack of facilities are frequently cited problems by teachers and educators as it relates to science and mathematics education at the elementary and middle school level, according to the National Science Board and other education sources. To help meet the educational demands of today's fast-paced, technology-driven world, the Northrop Grumman Foundation â through its Fab School Labs program â is helping today's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) labs and classrooms become places of inspiration, imagination and opportunity for students.

"Access to the latest technologies and learning tools can help our teachers be more effective in motivating the next generation of innovators, which is why we created the Fab School Labs contest," said Sandra Evers-Manly, Northrop Grumman vice president, global corporate responsibility and president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation. "Children are naturally inquisitive and adept at many of the technologies available to us today. With the help of teachers and the community at large, we look forward to giving more kids the chance to succeed and thrive as they engage in the exciting field of science, technology, engineering and math."

Beginning May 1 and continuing through June 17, 2016, teachers, principals and school administrators can enter their eligible school by visiting www.FabSchoolLabs.com , where they can learn about the contest and submit their application with video and photos to help tell their story. Semifinalist schools will be chosen and their videos will receive online votes of support to assist with the final selection process. The winning schools will then team up with Fab School Labs contest partner Flinn Scientific Inc. to design a state-of-the-art lab complete with all of the tools, resources, furnishings and finishes needed.

In 2015, the program's inaugural year, nearly 200 public middle schools nationwide participated in the contest. The five schools selected to receive a grant of up to $100,000 for a classroom makeover were: Benjamin Syms Middle School, Hampton City Schools, Hampton, Virginia; Clifton Middle School, Monrovia Unified School District, Monrovia, California; Aurora Frontier P-8, Adams-Arapahoe 28J: Aurora Public Schools, Aurora, Colorado; Lucille M. Brown Middle School, Richmond Public Schools, Richmond, Virginia; and Bertha Sadler Means Young Women's Leadership Academy, Austin Independent School District, Austin, Texas. The five schools are currently working with Flinn Scientific to create and finalize design plans for their new and improved labs before renovations get underway later this year.

In addition to the website, teachers are also encouraged to follow the competition at www.Facebook.com/FabSchoolLabs .

Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation are committed to expanding and enhancing the pipeline of diverse, talented STEM students globally. They provide funding to sustainable STEM programs that span from preschool to high school and through collegiate levels, with a major emphasis on middle school students and teachers. In 2015, Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation continued education outreach efforts by contributing more than $17 million to diverse STEM-related groups such as the Air Force Association (CyberPatriot), Conservation International (ECO Classroom), the REC Foundation (VEX Robotics), National Science Teachers Association and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering. For more information, please visit www.northropgrumman.com/foundation .

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Northrop Grumman Foundation Announces Finalists of Its Fab School Labs Makeover Contest

Fri, 18 Dec 2015 17:00:00 GMT

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Dec. 18, 2015 -- From among the nearly 200 public middle schools nationwide that participated, the Northrop Grumman Foundation has announced the five finalists in its Fab School Labs classroom makeover contest. Each of the winning schools will receive a grant of up to $100,000 to help turn their current science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) facilities into a state-of-the-art STEM teaching environment. The five winning schools are:

Benjamin Syms Middle School, Hampton City Schools, Hampton, Virginia
Clifton Middle School, Monrovia Unified School District, Monrovia, California
Aurora Frontier P-8, Adams-Arapahoe 28J: Aurora Public Schools, Aurora, Colorado
Lucille M. Brown Middle School, Richmond Public Schools, Richmond, Virginia
Bertha Sadler Means Young Women's Leadership Academy, Austin Independent School District, Austin, Texas

In addition to the top grant winners, the 15 remaining semifinalist schools will each receive a $2,000 grant they can use to stock their labs with supplies and equipment.

"Northrop Grumman congratulates our Fab School Labs finalists, all of our participating schools, and every STEM teacher that works hard every day to engage and inspire their students," said Sandra Evers-Manly, Northrop Grumman vice president, global corporate responsibility and president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation. "After hearing from the nearly 200 schools that entered our contest, it is clear that the need for better teaching tools, modern equipment and up-to-date facilities at the middle school level is great, as these are vital to any classroom activity and to a teacher's ability to keep students engaged and inspired. We look forward to working with our five winning schools to turn their existing facilities into a true fab school lab."

The Fab School Labs contest was designed to drive student interest in STEM by giving public middle school teachers and administrators the chance to create a dream STEM lab and provide students access to the latest learning tools and technologies that stimulate as well as teach. To help meet the technology-driven demands of our world, Northrop Grumman Foundation's Fab School Labs program is helping science classrooms and STEM labs become places of inspiration, imagination and opportunity for tomorrow's innovators and inventors.

Announced earlier this year, the contest invited teachers, principals and school administrators to submit videos, essays and photos to tell their school's story and vision for a state-of-the-art STEM lab. All submissions were reviewed by a team that included contest partner Flinn Scientific, along with a consultant. Winners were selected from a field of top 20 semifinalist schools, who were chosen based on existing classroom/lab resources, level of need, student impact, feasibility of upgrades and plans proposed, and how well each met contest eligibility and entry requirements.

To help determine the five winning schools, the Northrop Grumman Foundation enlisted the public via a five-day online voting campaign hosted on the Fab School Labs Facebook page that garnered more than 45,500 votes. In addition to the public support received by each school, a final review of the 20 semifinalists conducted by the Fab School Labs team and a national science education organization assessed how each school's desired dream STEM lab would allow for new teaching methods and lesson plans, course objective suitability, and overall plan feasibility.

Winning schools will now begin working with Flinn Scientific to design and build a lab with all of the tools, resources and furnishings they have long needed to keep students challenged, engaged and learning at a competitive level.

To learn more about the Fab School Labs contest, visit www.FabSchoolLabs.com .

Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation

www.northropgrumman.com/foundation , are committed to expanding and enhancing the pipeline of diverse, talented STEM students globally. They provide funding to sustainable STEM programs that span from preschool to high school and through collegiate levels, with a major emphasis on middle school students and teachers. In 2015, Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation continued education outreach efforts by contributing more than $17 million to diverse STEM-related groups such as the Air Force Association (CyberPatriot), Conservation International (ECO Classroom), the REC Foundation (VEX Robotics), National Science Teachers Association and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering.

  CONTACT: Mark Root
         Northrop Grumman Corporation
         703-280-2739 (office)
         571-425-2132 (mobile)
         mark.root@ngc.com
         
         Kate Fisher/Matt Ritter
         Finn Partners
         954-765-3636 (office)
         954-258-5859 (mobile)
         fabschoollabs@finnpartners.com

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Northrop Grumman Foundation Fab School Labs Contest Announces Top 20 Semifinalist Schools

Tue, 03 Nov 2015 16:01:00 GMT

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Nov. 3, 2015 -- Northrop Grumman Foundation announced the 20 public middle school semifinalists in its Fab School Labs science classroom makeover contest. With the support of their local communities and the public at large as part of a week-long online voting campaign scheduled from Monday, Nov. 16 to Friday, Nov. 20 the semifinalist schools will have an opportunity to receive votes to make their dreams of a state-of-the-art science lab a reality with one of five available grants up to $100,000 each.

From outdated equipment and an overall lack of functional space for students to work, to a need for more safe and secure classrooms to be able to conduct experiments, the contest submissions cast a spotlight on today's middle school science facilities and the need to help bring them up to the learning standards required to meet the growing technological advancements and demands of our society.

The schedule for online voting and Fab School Labs contest semifinalist schools, which hail from 12 states and 20 cities, are as follows:

Voting Day One - Monday, Nov.16
Benjamin Syms Middle School (Hampton, Va.)
Harrington Middle School (Mt. Laurel, N.J.)
Princess Anne Middle School (Virginia Beach, Va.)
Willetts Middle School (Brunswick, Ohio)

Voting Day Two - Tuesday, Nov. 17
Clifton Middle School (Monrovia, Calif.)
Dawnwood Middle School (Centereach, N.Y.)
Legacy Preparatory Charter Academy (Plano, Texas)
Selden Middle School (Centereach, N.Y.)

Voting Day Three – Wednesday, Nov. 18
Aurora Frontier P-8 (Aurora, Colo.)
Browns River Middle School (Jericho, Vt.)
Calavera Middle School (Carlsbad, Calif.)
Stewartville Middle School (Stewartville, Minn.)

Voting Day Four – Thursday, Nov. 19
Crittenden Middle School (Newport News, Va.)
Louise Radloff Middle School (Duluth, Ga.)
Lucille M. Brown Middle School (Richmond, Va.)
New Bridge Middle School (Jacksonville, N.C.)

Voting Day Five – Friday, Nov. 20
Bertha Sadler Means Young Women's Leadership Academy (Austin, Texas)
Brookville Intermediate School (Brookville, Ohio)
Herndon Middle School (Herndon, Va.)
Hyde Park Middle School (Las Vegas, Nev.)

The Fab School Labs contest has been designed to drive student interest in STEM by giving public middle school teachers and school administrators the chance to create the STEM lab of their dreams and provide students access to the latest learning tools and technologies that will stimulate as well as teach.

Inadequate access to funds and facilities are frequently cited problems by educators as it relates to science and mathematics education at the elementary and middle school level, according to the National Science Board and other education sources. To help meet the education demands of today's fast-paced, technology-driven world, the Northrop Grumman Foundation – through its Fab School Labs program – is helping today's science and STEM labs and classrooms become places of inspiration, imagination and opportunity for students.

"Enhancing classroom tools is another way to help our teachers boost the science and technology learning experience for their students," said Sandra Evers-Manly, Northrop Grumman vice president, Global Corporate Responsibility and president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation. "Young people are naturally inquisitive and adept at so many of the technologies we have available to us today. With the help of teachers and the community at large, we look forward to giving kids the chance to succeed and thrive as they engage in the exciting fields of science, technology, engineering and math where they can let their imagination soar."

Nearly 200 schools participated in the contest submitting videos, photos and sharing their school's vision for a state-of-the-art science lab. The contest, which was announced earlier this year, invited teachers, principals and school administrators to share their vision for a dream science lab and to tell their school's story through video, photos, and a brief essay. All submissions were reviewed by a team comprised of Flinn Scientific and an independent consultant. The top 20 semifinalist schools were chosen based on a scoring system that included existing classroom/lab resources, level of need, students impacted, feasibility of upgrades and plans proposed, and meeting the contest eligibility requirements and entry criteria.

To help determine the final five winning school grant recipients, Northrop Grumman Foundation will engage the public's help via an online voting campaign hosted on the Fab School Labs Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FabSchoolLabs beginning Monday, Nov. 16. Once all of the online votes have been cast, a final selection process will be conducted by the Fab School Labs team to determine the top five grant recipients. The winning schools will then work with a design and engineering company to build a lab with all of the tools, resources and furnishings needed.

To learn more about the Fab School Labs contest, visit www.FabSchoolLabs.com . To vote once the online public voting window is open, or to follow the competition, visit Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FabSchoolLabs .

Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation www.northropgrumman.com/foundation , are committed to expanding and enhancing the pipeline of diverse, talented STEM students globally. They provide funding to sustainable STEM programs that span from preschool to high school and through collegiate levels, with a major emphasis on middle school students and teachers. In 2014, Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation continued outreach efforts by contributing $15.9 million to diverse STEM-related groups such as the Air Force Association (CyberPatriot), Conservation International (ECO Classroom), the REC Foundation (VEX Robotics), National Science Teachers Association and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering.

  CONTACT: Mark Root
         Northrop Grumman Corporation
         703-280-2739 (office)
         571-425-2132 (mobile)
         mark.root@ngc.com
         
         Kate Fisher/Matt Ritter
         Finn Partners
         954-765-3636 (office)
         954-258-5859 (mobile)
         fabschoollabs@finnpartners.com

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