Amazon has made a $20,000 donation to the Mt. Vernon Education Foundation to support the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation’s STEM program. (STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math.) These funds will be used to enhance the long-term advancement of STEM programming, providing additional educational opportunities for Mt. Vernon students. 

“Amazon is committed to leveraging its scale for good,” said Amazon’s General Manager Andrew Fair. “We’re proud to give back to the communities where our employees live and work, and we knew that supporting Mt. Vernon School District was a priority. We’ll continue to find ways to contribute to the betterment of this community.”

Amazon recently launched a 615,000 square foot fulfillment center in the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation’s district to support customer fulfillment operations. The Amazon facility has created more than 800 new, full-time positions and is located near Mt. Comfort Elementary School on CR W 300 N in Greenfield. 

Although the specifics on how the funds will be utilized in the STEM program have not been finalized yet, discussions to evolve programming opportunities, such as furthering student opportunities for drones or STEM pathways like the vocational welding track, may be a consideration.

Renee Oldham, Executive Director for the Mt. Vernon Education Foundation, stated, “We share the community vision with Amazon in furthering educational opportunities for Mt. Vernon students. We’re extremely grateful that Amazon recognizes our foundation as a meaningful source that will positively impact the lives and educational opportunities of our students, and we look forward to future collaborations with Amazon.”

Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation was one of the state’s first districts to be kindergarten through grade 12 STEM Certified, as designated by the Indiana Department of Education. Mt. Vernon recognizes that STEM experience for all students is necessary to have a fundamental understanding in those skills; STEM proficiency will be an integral component of their skills needed to succeed in the 21st century.