The money will be a “game changer” for students in Elementary District 159 in Matteson, Superintendent Mable Alfred said.
A science, technology, engineering and mathematics center, under construction next to the district's Colin Powell Middle School in Matteson, is scheduled to open this summer, Alfred said.
The STEM center will include a Makers Lab, aerospace and atmospheric science lab, robotics and flight stimulation, according to the district.
Students will have “21st century technology at their fingertips” once the center opens, Alfred said.
Rich Township High School District 227 is converting its Olympia Fields campus to a STEM center, and the Amazon money has the flexibility to be applied to other areas, including fine arts and radio and television broadcasting, Superintendent Johnnie Thomas said.
“This funding is incredible,” he said. “This will impact our entire organization.”
A formal announcement of the Amazon funding is scheduled for Tuesday at District 227’s Olympia Fields campus.
In a news release announcing the contribution, an Amazon official said that discussions started in January 2021 regarding a donation that would enhance educational experiences in the two school districts.
“Amazon believes it is critical to think long-term about our role in the communities where we operate and that's why we’re proud to make this investment in Southland schools,” Sarah Glavin, senior manager of community engagement for Amazon, said in the release. “Growing the STEM programs in these communities will not only prepare students for the next stage of their education, but also give them critical and highly-valued workplace skills.”
Thomas said his district had been working with Amazon before news of the donation about engineering career pathways offered at the Olympia Fields STEM campus. Last year, Amazon opened a massive fulfillment center in Matteson.
Those opportunities include work in robotics, which Amazon has introduced at its Matteson and Markham fulfillment centers.
“This donation is a great opportunity for us to get started to offer some unique opportunities,” Thomas said. “Especially to minority students who don’t normally get this opportunity.”
Alfred said District 159’s plan is to offer classes at the STEM center to students of all ages in the district, as well as to open the facility to the community at large. She said how those offerings will be rolled out to the larger community is still being discussed.
She said that STEM education is being built into the district’s curriculum, but that District 159 will also offer STEM classes after school and on weekends.
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