$50,000 Walmart donation to support continued growth of network,with focus on rural learning
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Building on a strong foundation of public-private partnership, the Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) recently announced it has received a $50,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation for the continued growth of the OSLN. The grant will support overall operations of the network and facilitate the launch of new schools in rural Ohio including an academy focused on biosciences.
At the OSLN’s flagship Metro Early College High School in Columbus, David Gose, Walmart’s Regional General Manager for Southern Ohio, and Erik Hingst, Walmart’s Senior Manager for Public Affairs and Government Relations in Ohio, joined Battelle Vice President for Education & STEM Learning Eric Fingerhut for the official announcement. Also attending was Battelle’s Director of STEM Innovation Networks, David Burns.
"We are proud to welcome Walmart to the OSLN family," Fingerhut said. "The Ohio STEM Learning Network was launched in 2008 as an unprecedented partnership between the public and private sectors. It is fitting to include Walmart, a business deeply committed to promoting STEM education in Ohio and around the country, as a partner in the network’s continued growth.”
“Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are proud to support the Ohio STEM Learning Network’s efforts to continue fostering academic success in Ohio. We are also proud to support the expansion of the Network that will bring this advance curriculum to more Ohio’s students,” Gose said. “Walmart proudly supports Ohio’s agriculture industry and we are grateful for the opportunity to support educational programs that will work to develop the future of Ohio’s agriculture industry.”
Metro opened its doors in the fall of 2006. The school’s pioneering approach to learning has since served as a model for STEM schools in Ohio and the United States. On average, 82 percent of Metro graduates earn college credit while in high school and every Metro graduate has been accepted to college. Metro is supported by and works closely with Battelle and the Ohio State University.
