Greg Coop, executive director of the Moultrie YMCA, and Amanda Beaty, grant coordinator for the United Way of Colquitt County, joined forces to help the Y receive a planning grant from AmericCorps that they hope will help bring science experiences to afterschool programs throughout Colquitt County.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Moultrie YMCA is among 19 state-wide agencies that have been awarded AmeriCorps grants. While the majority of these are full grants, Gov. Nathan Deal announced the Moultrie YMCA would receive a planning grant, along with five other communities. These funds, totaling $36,183, will be used to explore opportunities for the future utilization of AmeriCorps members to provide STEAM learning opportunities (science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and math) to a coalition of community-wide afterschool programs.  

According to YMCA CEO, Greg Coop, “the programming will complement and strengthen the STEAM curriculum currently offered in the 10 Colquitt County elementary schools.”

The YMCA, in partnership with the United Way of Colquitt County, hopes the STEAM curriculum will increase students’ interest in science-related subjects.

“There is an increasing demand,” Coop said, “for a workforce that is competent in technology and understands the science, engineering, and math that underpin so much of the commerce in our global economy.”

 “Though our schools are offering more in these areas, they can only do so much during the school day. Also,  many of our children struggle because they do not have internet or computer access in their homes,” he stated. “For these reasons, this opportunity to provide STEAM learning in afterschool programs is something we need to investigate and work for.”

While STEM is the basic program of science, technology, engineering and math, the local partnership decided to use the option to include agriculture (STEAM).  

“Agriculture is the area’s largest industry. It is important to include it in the curriculum,” Coop said.

Using this grant to fund a year of planning and development, the Y will be ready to apply for another grant to implement what they hope will be a robust afterschool STEAM program that includes curriculum, materials, and instructors, according to a press release from the organization.   

“Our goals are to increase the frequency and quality of our students’ exposure to these vital skills,” Coop said.

Amanda Beaty, grant coordinator for United Way of Colquitt County, stated, “Colquitt County elementary schools feed into 17 afterschool programs administered by four different organizations (YMCA Primetime and 21st Century programs; the Boys and Girls Club, R.D. Smith Youth Center and the Arts Center). If we receive the full grant, all children involved with these programs will have the opportunity to run science experiments, analyze data, design engineering solutions, and do hands-on experimentation.”

According to Beaty, AmeriCorps volunteers will be stationed in Colquitt County for a specified time period.  

“They will be tasked with coordinating and preparing STEAM lesson plans,” she said. “They will also assist teachers in developing and providing hands-on STEAM activities for regular classroom use.”

AmeriCorps is a volunteer organization that engages more than 75,000 Americans in intensive service each year at nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the country.

Beaty and Coop are excited to partner with AmeriCorps to bring this dynamic program to Colquitt County students, the Y’s press release said.

“The STEAM skills our children will learn will give them an edge in a very competitive global world,” Coop added.