Students engage in STEM activities with Zimmer Biomet volunteers. Photo provided.

Press Release

WARSAW — Warsaw Community Schools recently received a $150,000 grant from the Zimmer Biomet Foundation. This grant will be used to further STEM initiatives within WCS through targeted professional development, STEM strategic planning, expansion of classroom materials and STEM-focused personnel.

WCS initiatives have been successful in large part because of the tremendous collaboration and support of community businesses such as Zimmer Biomet. Individual experts have given time, talent and skills to students and the heavy contributors are helping to guide STEM programming as WCS seeks to make learning and instruction connected to the Warsaw community.

The support of Zimmer Biomet and the Zimmer Biomet Foundation has assisted WCS in producing a rigorous and high-quality K-6 biomedical curriculum. Their support has also provided numerous invaluable educational opportunities for students, including support for the annual elementary robotics showcase. The showcase provides a unique platform for student growth as well as community involvement by allowing over 200 students to demonstrate their knowledge in engineering and robotics.

Zimmer Biomet also helped provide classroom volunteers, which helped to integrate multiple content standards and real-world problems and solutions with experts in the field as authentic partners. Community engagement through classroom volunteers at each building help demonstrate how STEM impacts others and to inspire them toward STEM careers. Every guest expert from the community has promoted their background and demonstrated to students that they can pursue careers in their respective fields. Students that can see themselves in those STEM careers are encouraged to do a deep dive of understanding. Extended learning continues to promote further opportunities to investigate and pursue an interest in everything from gardening to robotics.

In addition, WCS administrators and instructional coaches are working to ensure that STEM education is protected and guaranteed to all students. WCS is taking the steps to integrate STEM into all content, including core curriculum, art, physical education, music, etc. With an embedded approach to STEM, WCS ensures that learning is interdisciplinary as it reaches across subjects and is blended together. With an integrated STEM curriculum, WCS is able to guarantee that each child is provided a high-quality, experiential learning environment.

Warsaw Schools have enjoyed a long-standing partnership with Zimmer Biomet, particularly in regards to furthering STEM curriculum for students of all ages.

“WCS is extremely grateful for the continued support from the Zimmer Biomet Foundation,” said WCS Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert. “Zimmer Biomet is a national leader in the STEM orthopedic industry and their ongoing support helps to ensure our curriculum and practices prepare students for local industry needs. Thanks to local support in curriculum development, ongoing teacher training and STEM materials, WCS has become a national leader in STEM education.”