An Idaho Cleanup Project contractor has provided funding to 15 classrooms in southeastern Idaho to support local educators and encourage the next generation of workers to pursue technical careers.
Office of Environmental Management
March 18, 2025
minute read time
Students in Cole Hebdon’s class at Sandcreek Middle School in Ammon, Idaho, use materials bought with Idaho Environmental Coalition’s Full STEAM Ahead in the Classroom grants to make robots.
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — An Idaho Cleanup Project contractor has provided funding to 15 classrooms in southeastern Idaho to support local educators and encourage the next generation of workers to pursue technical careers.
Through its Full STEAM Ahead in the Classroom grant program, Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC), the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) cleanup contractor at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site, empowers teachers by providing funds to supplement lesson plans and employ innovative approaches to teach science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) in classrooms.
As technical industries work to overcome the challenges of an aging workforce, inspiring the next generation of workers to pursue technical careers is essential to the success of the EM mission across the country. STEAM learning engages young minds in ways that facilitate technical understanding and is critical to the nation’s ability to meet its workforce development needs.
Taylor Permann teaches art at Rigby High School, in Rigby, Idaho. Permann received a Full STEAM Ahead grant to purchase more adequate tools and materials to enhance art education for her students.
“Here at the high school, I must find ways to fund my program,” Permann said. “With this grant, I was able to get items that students for years have asked to have, but that I could not provide with my limited budget.”
Students at Rigby High School in Rigby, Idaho, use materials purchased through Idaho Environmental Coalition’s Full STEAM Ahead in the Classroom grant program, which encourages innovation in their design and critical thinking skills.
IEC funding allowed Permann’s students to receive items such as art and pottery glazes they requested. The students are now learning new techniques and processes that help challenge their critical thinking skills and encourage them to be innovative in their designs, Permann said.
Cole Hebdon teaches 3D modeling and robotics at Sandcreek Middle School in Ammon, Idaho. He used IEC’s grant funds to advance his students’ understanding of robotics and engineering.
“I have created a class that teaches students how to use an engineering program, Fusion 360, to design and build robots that are meant to battle one another. It is just like the television show 'BattleBots,' but on a much smaller scale,” Hebdon said. “Without these grants, I would not be able to introduce students to the exciting world of engineering, with hands-on experiences. It also makes it more exciting and gets the attention of more students.”
-Contributor: Leamarie Mitchell
To receive the latest news and updates about the Office of Environmental Management, submit your e-mail address.