Columbia Public Schools receives $20k donation

The Columbia Public School District announced Monday it received a check for $20,000 from a multinational manufacturing company.

3M donated the money to the district’s STEM program.

STEM stands for science, engineering, technology and math.

The $20,000 will be used for the district’s steam bus.

The bus has different robotics and tools for STEM projects that individual schools may not have.

The district said the bus and STEM program are important for Boone Co. and its students to show children there are jobs available in the tech field, right in Mid-Missouri.

“We want to connect those kids to what their opportunities are because we know that 60% of our kids are going to stay right here in Columbia. They’re going to stay right here in Boone County, so we want to make them ready for those jobs when they leave us. What better way to do that than start at elementary and work our way up,” said Craig Adams with CPS.

The money will allow the bus to become ADA compatible and have solar panels added.