STEM Grants

Bishop Leibold School was honored to be selected as a recipient of a $14,000 2010 Dayton STEM Hub Grant to develop, expand, and deepen K-12 STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) Instruction.

The STEM mission involves providing students with engaging lessons specifically designed to promote inquiry, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Equally important, this educational initiative seeks to help students see the powerful connections between the four fields of study and how those connections operate in the real world laboratories, industries, and research institutes in the Dayton region and beyond.

Although STEM education is a federal initiative, the Dayton Region is rapidly becoming a recognized leader in the field of STEM education. One of the most significant manifestations of that leadership has been the creation of the Dayton Regional STEM Center, which is one of 30 Dayton STEM partners in higher education, business and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Bishop Leibold School was the only Catholic grade school in the area to be funded through this Dayton STEM Hub grant. Chaminade-Julienne (CJ) was the only Catholic high school to receive this honor.
Of the nine grants that went to K-12 educational organizations, BLS and CJ were the only individual schools to secure a grant. All other grants went to districts.
All BLS STEM Teachers underwent training throughout the summer of 2010, including a day-long organizational meeting to set curricula across the grade levels, finalize orders for the purchase of learning materials, and set schedules for the STEM Room at the West Campus and Science Lab at the East Campus. Bishop Leibold was also awarded a $1000 Dayton Catholic Educational Collaborative STEM Grant for use in the upcoming year, which will be used for materials.
The 2010-2011 BLS STEM Hub Grant will be administrated by Mrs. Beth Allaire, our QUEST Math, and Science Enrichment Program Instructor. In addition to her responsibility for ensuring that BLS adheres to the stipulations and requirements of the grant, she is responsible for writing Grades 1-3 STEM curriculum; participating in team-teaching for our students at the West Campus; establishing area science and technology business instructional partnerships; and securing and coordinating material, equipment and facility resources at both campuses.
In Spring of 2015, Beth Allaire was awarded the 2015 Dayton Regional STEM Center's (DRSC) STEM Leadership and Service Award. We could not think of a more deserving candidate. Mrs. Allaire's contributions to the STEM Program at BLS are immeasurable and we are so thankful for all of her hard work and dedication to our students and our school.
In Spring of 2019, Beth Allaire was awarded the Dayton Hoopla STEM Teacher of the Year! Allaire was selected for her enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering and math in the classroom and the Dayton community. The selection committee for the Hoopla STEM Teacher of the Year award agreed that Allaire not only met, but exceeded the criteria they were looking for in a recipient of the award.
In Spring of 2021, Beth Allaire was awarded the OUTstanding Teacher Award by Five Rivers MetroParks for engaging students in the “outside the classroom”.
During the school year 2021-2022, Kimberly Patti was selected as a STEM Fellow at the Dayton Regional STEM Center. She spent one year developing curriculum with other area teachers and visiting STEM industries.
In Spring of 2022 , Kimberly Patti, BLS seventh and eighth grade Science/STEM teacher was a finalist for the Dayton Hoopla STEM Teacher of the Year award.
In Spring of 2022 , Kimberly Patti was accepted into the National Air and Space Museum/Smithsonian Teacher Innovator Institute and spent 2 intensive weeks of training and experiences during the summers of 2022 and 2023 in Washington, DC. She acquired a complete science library and science equipment to enhance her classroom instruction.
In Spring of 2024, Bishop Leibold was awarded two grants: Ohio Department of Education Coding Robots Grant for nearly $9,000 and Ohio Department of Education STEM Grant for nearly $35,000. With these funds, Bishop Leibold purchased programming robots for all grade levels including Bee Bots, Spheros, Ozobots, and Spike Prime robots. Bishop Leibold purchased 30 iPads, Chromebooks, two Bambu 3D printers, and Cricut vinyl cutters. These purchases will allow our students to develop skills in programming, 3D design and additive manufacturing and graphic design as they create original designs.
In Summer of 2024, Mrs. Kimberly Patti and Mrs. Beth Allaire attended a Makerspace Course and acquired 6 Databots to be used in Science classrooms to collect real-time data during scientific experimentation.