DENVER, CO – July 9, 2014 – MWH, the global wet infrastructure sector leader and provider of strategic consulting, technical engineering, and environmental and construction services, has partnered with CBS EcoMedia to provide KIPP Denver Collegiate High School (KDC) with critical educational tools needed to support scientific literacy and enhance college readiness for KDC students.
Through CBS EcoMedia’s EducationAd program, MWH has funded 15 laptop computers, science equipment, as well as programming incorporating the new educational tools. The new technology and science equipment will enable KDC’s science department to continue to open doors for its students in STEM-related fields, preparing them for the level of rigor required by collegiate science programs.
KIPP Colorado will introduce the new tools to science teachers this summer so they’re able to incorporate the equipment into their curriculum plans for the upcoming 2014-2015 school year.
The funding from MWH will impact an estimated 380 students at KDC annually.
Advancing STEM education and encouraging students to pursue engineering has been a focus for MWH. For the last several years, MWH has partnered with STEM schools in the community to conduct classroom outreach to show students what it means to work as an engineer. Building a Better World is a guiding purpose at MWH, and a part of its commitment is to inspire the imaginations of students everywhere to see that a career in engineering is an opportunity to care for the environment.
“We are privileged to have the opportunity to work with the KIPP program,” said Meg VanderLaan, chief communications officer at MWH. “We find that our work to connect students to STEM education unlocks creativity, and allows students to imagine their future in a STEM field. The ability to work with students often inspires our employees as much as it inspires the students.”
KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public charter schools dedicated to preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and in life. KIPP Colorado proudly serves over 1,000 students at KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy, KIPP Denver Collegiate High School, and KIPP Montbello College Prep.
“This financial support from MWH will afford students at KIPP Denver Collegiate High School (KDC) enhanced opportunities to continue building on current successes in their science programs,” said Jessica Cleveland, KDC Science Department Chair. “Students will be able to strengthen their scientific skills, fluency with technology, and the thinking strategies necessary to excel in today’s science related fields. Teachers now have the opportunity to plan in a way that allows students to engage in data presentations, independently identify and investigate current research, and synthesize and communicate information in a way that mirrors what is at the heart of scientific work, the ACT, and AP courses. The new opportunities afforded to our students will change the game for them, positioning them at the forefront of their generation as they demonstrate scientific literacy in the face of a constantly changing world.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with MWH and KIPP Colorado to put state-of-the-art technology and equipment into the hands of bright young minds,” said Paul Polizzotto, President and Founder of CBS EcoMedia Inc. “The financial support provided through our EducationAd program ensures that students at KDC have the tools necessary to develop the skills needed in today’s world. We commend MWH for its commitment to improving quality of life and supporting STEM education in the communities it serves.”
About KIPP Colorado
KIPP – the Knowledge Is Power Program – is a national network of open-enrollment, college-preparatory public charter schools with a track record of preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and in life. KIPP was founded in Houston in 1994, and has grown to 141 schools serving more than 50,000 students in 20 states and Washington, D.C. KIPP Colorado Schools currently operates three schools, two middle and one high school, in Denver and will add an elementary and high school in the Montbello neighborhood in 2015. They serve over 1000 students, 98 percent minority students, and 95 percent qualify for free or reduced price lunch.
