The GenCorp Foundation awarded Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts a $28,575 grant for science lab equipment and Science Fair prize money.
“We are thrilled and extremely grateful to receive this grant from the GenCorp Foundation,” said ASMSA Director Dr. Janet Hugo. “These funds will enable us to expand our student research program and provide our science department with equipment to enhance instruction.”
GenCorp Foundation board member Rob Shenton said when the board decided it wanted to do more for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education in Arkansas, he thought of ASMSA and contacted Dr. Hugo.
“This matched up well with the foundation’s mission” said Shenton, whose son Sean graduated from ASMSA in 2008.
GenCorp is a technology-based manufacturing company headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., and has been in operation in Arkansas since the 1970s. Its Camden facility employs about 540 people. The GenCorp Foundation was established in 2000 to meet the charitable needs of the communities where the company conducts business. The foundation’s primary giving focus is education, especially for STEM programs.
ASMSA is a leader in STEM education in Arkansas and is one of only 13 public, residential high schools in the country committed to the education of high-achieving students with a special aptitude for science, math and technology. Application to ASMSA is open to all sophomores who meet the academic criteria. The school provides free tuition, room and board for all students.