Ingalls awards thousands of dollars to fund STEM projects

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WLOX) - Ingalls Shipbuilding is doing its part to get South Mississippi students excited about science, technology, engineering and math.

Erica Wilson uses virtual reality headsets in her science and social studies classes at Singing River Academy in Pascagoula to give students the chance to explore new places.

Now, she’ll be able to purchase 10 more headsets with the $4,000 she received from Ingalls.

“Two years ago, I received the same grant, so now I have a classroom set so everyone can go on the same virtual field trip at the same time. No one’s left out," she said.

Her virtual field trips are one of the 28 STEM projects Ingalls chose to fund this year.

David Weigle is using his $2,300 grant to buy a drone with a camera and video editing software for his unmanned aerial systems class at Gautier High School.

“Without these funds, I would not be able to get this project off the ground. Very grateful to Ingalls and their generosity and showing an interest in my students," he said.

In total, Ingalls gave away more than $99,000 to schools, which it calls an investment.

“If individuals are interested in STEM, it’s our opportunity to give back to those schools, and one day those students may be future employers of Ingalls shipbuilding," said Edmond Hughes, Vice President for Human Resources and Administration.

Teachers are grateful for the opportunity to prepare their students for the future.

“The students want hands-on experiences and through the Ingalls grants, they’re able to do just that. They’re becoming mathematicians, scientists, and chemists, and even shipbuilders," Wilson said.

This is the 12th year for the program, and so far, Ingalls has awarded more than $1 million for STEM-related projects.

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