Oklahoma Connections Academy Surprised With Check For New Mobile STEM Lab

Christmas came early for the Oklahoma Connections Academy, a virtual charter school with students across the state. 

A foundation gave the academy nearly a quarter million dollars for a new bus with a STEM lab inside. 

The Oklahoma Connections Academy staff Christmas party on Friday had some unexpected holiday cheer, with a surprise check. 

"It was $212,374.00. Almost a quarter million-dollar grant,” High School Science Teacher Kristen Whitmer said. 

She helped write the grant, and said this money means the academy will soon have a "mobile STEM lab." 

It will travel across the state and be used during field trips. 

"A rolling science fair. Literally. I mean just a little bit of everything,” HDR Vice President Mike Walters said. 

HDR is a design firm based in Omaha, with an office in Tulsa. The firm specializes in engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services. 

"To see the reaction of the teachers, I can’t wait to see the reaction of the kids,” Walters said. 

Walters said the HDR Foundation, which raises money from the company's employees, was founded in 2012. The HDR Foundation said it gave away about $2 million to 84 nonprofits, schools and nature conservancies across the country this year, with the check for Oklahoma Connections Academy being the largest. 

"It's a world of difference because we're taking just what they're already exposed to, what they already have, and we're just elevating it to the next level. We want to make sure that they have just a full, comprehensive, you know, educational experience. And we want them to enjoy what they're doing,” Whitmer said. 

The academy expects the bus to be ready to roll by next school year. 

"We just want to thank the HDR Foundation. Like, this is huge and without, you know, them, I don't see how we could have ever had this come to fruition,” Whitmer said.