Lynn’s science dept. receives $50G grant

LYNN – Thanks to a Massachusetts philanthropist and former software company president, the Lynn Public Schools Science Department will have an additional $50,000 to work with this year, which will be put toward funding a variety of new programs and equipment throughout the district.Science Quality Assurance Specialist David Lenihan announced the donation to the School Committee Thursday night, indicating that the funds would help start after-school programs and purchase learning tools in elementary school classrooms.The donation was presented to the department earlier this month by the Gelfand Charitable foundation, a philanthropic effort by Newton resident Mark Gelfand. Gelfand founded Index Solutions, a software company, in 1985, and his foundation donates money to 75 different programs each year to fund stem-based science activity.”It kind of came out of the blue, we had talked and emailed a few times, and Mark informed me recently that we had received this grant,” said Lenihan.The department has not identified one specific area of focus for the money, but Lenihan did reveal some ideas in the works, including the possibility of a computer game production project and after school design labs at the middle-school level. At the elementary schools, Lenihan indicated the funds would be used to purchase new learning equipment and set up library programs.As for high school programs, the department is hoping to fund a project where students use technology and engineering to design a product for someone with a disability. The department would also like to help fund the Lynn Vocational and Technical Institute’s Robotics Team, and set up a stipend program for students hoping to attend summer programs at MIT.MIT offers programs in astrophysics and technology during the summer, but Lynn students are often reluctant to apply because they will miss time working part-time jobs and have trouble with transportation. Although just an idea, the stipends would be good incentive for high school students to choose academics over employment in the summer months.”There is nothing definite at this point,” cautioned Lenihan. “These are all just ideas.”While the majority of focus was put toward changes at the middle and high schools, committee member and former elementary school principal Vincent Spirito said he would like to see some of the money put in to the elementary schools, and not just for SmartBoards or staff training like Lenihan suggested.”I know how elementary school kids work, they like hands on things,” he said. “They would enjoy experiments in class or having a high school science teacher come in and show them things. Now that it is part of the MCAS, we should really look at it.”Lenihan said he would meet with department officials from all three levels to discuss how to use the funds, and inform the School Committee of his ideas prior to spending any of the money.