MantisOpenSTEM Announces North Clayton Middle School as the First STEM Advantage Donation Recipient

ATLANTA - June 8, 2016 - PRLog -- MantisOpenSTEM proudly announces its groundbreaking step forward in the White House STEM for All initiative. In April, MantisOpenSTEM affiliate and Tripoint Media CEO, Kesha LeNoir Fairman visited the White House Science Fair to be on-hand for the announcement of the new batch of STEM commitments being made by a diverse group of public and private organizations. It was the first step in MantisOpenSTEM confirming their commitment to the White House, while witnessing a truly inspirational event that closed with President Obama's speech on the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) curriculum in America.

Through its MantisOpenSTEM brand, HipScience, LLC is enthusiastically rising to the President's challenge to engage all K-12 schoolchildren in STEM concepts and activities by launching their Mantis STEM Advantage program. The program allows schools across the nation to be nominated for a chance to overcome obstacles such as a lack of resources or funding.   When schools exceed the nomination requirement and become eligible to receive donations, they have the option to work with MantisOpenSTEM, becoming ambassadors to help crowdsource attention to the worthwhile campaign and ultimately receive STEM equipment.

Mantis did not have to wait long and watched as their program quickly gained traction. Metro Atlanta's North Clayton Middle School (NCMS) immediately recognized and seized the opportunity. NCMS was the first school to be added to the donation list. MantisOpenSTEM acknowledged their enthusiasm by reaching out to their Principal, Shakira Rice, to arrange a visit.

MantisOpenSTEM and TriPoint Media visited the school last month to proudly donate the first sensor and beta curriculum package. This was not an ordinary visit; students from James Jackson Elementary School of the Performing Arts interviewed the principal and teachers of North Clayton Middle School to identify their current involvement with STEAM / STEM at their school. The interview covered two primary items: the qualities and features of the Mantis sensors, and the various ways schools can work with MantisOpenSTEM on different initiatives. A representative from Mantis, Evan McCullough, explained how the sensors work and officially congratulated the school on behalf of MantisOpenSTEM CEO, Laron Walker. Students of NCMS shared their own interests in the technologies by relating how the arts are used in their robotics competitions, in demonstrating their solutions to tech problems, and the reasons their solutions stand out. Mrs. Loraine Smith, a sixth grade science teacher, shared that "she currently implements projects in which students act as meteorologists in the climate section of the curriculum". She asserts that with the use of the climate sensor, students would be able to have an added dimension of engagement.

After beginning collaborations with NCMS, MantisOpenSTEM was thrilled to learn that the various STEM themes covered by NCMS throughout the year correspond exceedingly well with their Mantis product line. MantisOpenSTEM concluded the session by letting the students and faculty host a Q&A. The event exemplified that teachers truly want to engage with their students.

More about STEM Advantage:  STEM Advantage was announced in conjunction with the White House Science Fair this past April. Anyone looking for new ways to reach youth through innovative technologies can start the nomination process by visiting http://www.mantisopenstem.com/enroll.  In addition to North Clayton Middle School, fifteen schools across six states are also on the eligible recipient list. Donation campaigns will go into full swing this month.  Anyone wanting to help a school get a sensor and curriculum kit can check out the list of qualified schools and make a donation for as little as $5. It is worthy to note that since the presentation, NCMS has received a second Climate Sensor donation from someone within the MantisOpenSTEM network.

How STEM Advantage works:
·         The program relies on a school receiving 25 nominations to put them 'on the map'.
·         Once eligible, the school can begin receiving donations toward securing sensor kits.
·         The benefitting school joins MantisOpenSTEM in spreading the word to donors as they collectively build a donor base.
·         Participants can watch the number of donated sensor kits grow every time a donation accumulates over the amount of a sensor.  Different campaigns will run throughout the year so sensor costs vary.
·         With the ability to pledge or donate a minimum of $5, everyone can get involved - parents, teachers, faculty, communities and corporate sponsors.
·         Other campaigns will be announced so follow us @MantisSTEM to stay informed.

If you want to learn more about the White House STEM for All Initiative, visit https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/documents/WHSF_fact_sheet_41316_0.pdf.

About Clayton County Schools:  Located just south of Atlanta, Clayton County offers its residents the best of metropolitan living. The Clayton County Public School system strives to promote a conducive learning environment in its 37 elementary schools, 15 middle schools, and 10 high schools.

About Tripoint Media: With locations in Georgia, Louisiana and California,Tripoint Media stands alongside MantisOpenSTEM through this STEM / STEAM education endeavor, providing hands-on learning with professional film equipment and a dedicated outlook on community outreach through their partnership with Sciberus Technology and HipScience, LLC.

About MantisOpenSTEM:  With locations in Atlanta and Orlando, Mantis is a brand division of HipScience, LLC.  HipScience is an embedded sensor company, embedding sensors so they talk and play with other relevant technology. The Mantis brand of sensors and probes is designed with STEM education in mind promoting an open platform and standards-based curriculum. With over 15 years of experience in the aerospace industry, the company has been designing and engineering sensors as education tools and commercial/industrial devices. To learn more, visit http://www.mantisopenstem.com!