Facebook and Utah Valley University Fund Tech Training Program for Utah Elementary Schools

AMERICAN FORK, Utah, May 13, 2021 –  Facebook’s involvement in Utah technology education has grown since it broke ground in 2018 on its data center in Eagle Mountain, a growing community on outskirts of the “Silicon Slopes” community here.

“STEM curriculum and hands-on educational opportunities are incredibly important for students of today to be career- and college-ready, and we’re proud to partner with Utah Valley University and the Alpine School District to support this new marquee technology,” said William Marks, community development regional manager at Facebook, told the Daily Herald.

During a recent school day at Forbes Elementary in American Fork, students and teachers felt like it was Christmas morning when a trailer full of donated science, technology, engineering and math teaching tools, games, and books were unloaded as part of a new K-6 STEM curriculum created and funded by Facebook, UVU, Utah State University and the local school district.

Kate Elliott, the head UVU student assistant, said “The kids are really excited, so it’s really fun to watch them. It has been fun to teach something they don’t always get to do.”

Indeed, the elementary classroom becomes the birthplace of imagination and ingenuity and must be safeguarded and supported in order to create the leaders of tomorrow.

Called the SEEdPOD project, coming from Utah’s Science and Engineering Education (SEEd) standards that combine principles of engineering with science subjects, lesson plans and materials are stored in trailers called “pods.”

Teachers in the Provo and Alpine school districts review the lessons, with funding from UVU and Facebook. USU provides research support.

Other SEEdPOD trailers are scheduled to be delivered to elementary schools in Blanding, Utah, and other communities in Utah County here.

Indeed, through the partnership, awareness is spreading about the education needs of teaching in three-dimensional ways. This is especially so given that technology has changed from the traditional school classroom setting from prior to the onside of the COVID-19 pre-pandemic.

Training teachers to use Utah’s new SEEd standards has been a challenge due to COVID-19, said Krista Ruggles of the UVU School of Education. The SEEdPOD project aims to close the gaps between education and training with technology.