FAQs

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CoVA STEM

1. What is COVA STEM Hub?: Coastal VA STEM Hub is a regional STEM learning ecosystem supporting the Coastal Virginia region (Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore). COVA STEM Hub is a consortia and community of practice of partnerships, including industries leaders, educators for all ages, museums, libraries, families, non-profits and many others – who all promote STEM awareness, engagement, literacy and skill development.COVA STEM Hub has been funded by the City of Newport News and has also received additional funding from the Society of American Military Engineers, the Virginia General Assembly through our partners at Virginia Peninsula Community College.

2. What are some of the goals of this consortia and community of practice around STEM education and engagement?

Champion STEM fluency and competency
Support Career Focused STEM Programming that aligns STEM programming to STEM Careers in our region;
Is an inclusive collaborative community with a DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) focus

We strive to remove barriers to access STEM education. COVA STEM follows the principles of the Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM (TIES). By bringing together an entire community, a comprehensive, integrated initiative provides the architecture for cross-sector learning by identifying STEM educators in the private and public sectors and link them to in-school and out-of-school initiatives — building STEM-rich learning environments.

3. What is this funding for?: This grant funding opportunity from COVA STEM Hub is made possible by a partnership between Virginia Peninsula Community College and the City of Newport News through a grant from the Virginia General Assembly, to support new STEM initiatives in the surrounding 17 municipalities. We encourage collaboration on this project to initiate and enhance our STEM programming and activities for residents at all ages. This notice of funding opportunity is open to educators and non-profits to begin new science, technology, engineering and math programming, professional development that leads to new STEM initiatives and events, after-school activities, field trips, equipment and curriculum. Projects proposed for grant funding should cultivate or enhance STEM awareness, literacy, and skill development.

4. Who are the regional municipalities’ that are eligible for this funding?

Coastal VA STEM Hub, is offering grant funding opportunities for educators and nonprofits in Coastal Virginia (i.e., Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore). Educators and non-profits in the following localities are eligible to submit a funding request:

Accomack County	James City County	Southampton County
Chesapeake	Newport News	Suffolk
Franklin	Norfolk	Virginia Beach
Gloucester County	Northampton County	Williamsburg
Hampton	Poquoson	York County
Isle of Wight County	Portsmouth

5. How do we apply for this funding and what is the cap?: The application can be found at www.nnva.gov/CoVA-STEM. The funding is limited, but the review panel would like to keep the cap open for the expected funding requests so that we can view your needs and your creative goals. All submission must be received by 5 PM on May 12, 2023, to be eligible for review.

6. Will this funding be available again?: We do anticipate a similar offering in the future, but we cannot commit to this at the present time. We also anticipate future grant opportunities for this region as STEM Learning Ecosystems have now be written into to the Bipartisan Congressional CHIPS and Science Act.

7. When will our approved and funded projects be required to launch? Will they need a completion date?: We would like to see project launch immediately but we do understand school and other schedules. Please state your timelines in your project narratives. Most projects are expected to close within a year but we also value those projects that can be used year over year – so hear again – please clarify this in your narrative. If extensions are needed please state this in the application.

8. Why has this community of practice formed? What is the business model?: This community action began in August 2019, with an acute awareness that our local industry leaders were struggling to obtain STEM-skilled applicants. The international consultants at TIES who were hired to design the Brooks Crossing Innovation + Opportunity Center’s iLab as the first model site of its kind in the USA. We have embraced and follow this TIES model for STEM Learning Ecosystems and the Community of Practice.