Nanticoke, Luzerne County, PA -
In the cafeteria, SHINE after-school students played checkers on a large rug-like board, worked with a zSpace virtual reality screen, and built things with LEGO and LEGO-like bricks. “I'm building a car!” one boy smiled as he proudly held up a boxy rendition of an automobile.
In the adjacent hallway near the entrance of Greater Nanticoke Area High School, which hosts one of the SHINE programs in Luzerne County, students Julia Harbert and Emily Yukenavage held signs and beamed as they participated in a check presentation by Cabot Oil and Gas, which donated $20,000 to SHINE on Wednesday, split equally between the programs in Luzerne and Carbon counties.
What should they spend the money on?
“A car!” Julia suggested without hesitation.
State Sen. John Yudichak, I-Plymouth Township, suggested to gathered media that the money would more likely go to items need for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) lessons espoused by SHINE four days a week at area schools.
“Future engineers and energy engineers will be coming out of this program,”
said Yudichak, a staunch supporter of SHINE since helping bring the private/public partnership to Luzerne County in 2015.
The program has state Educational Improvement Tax Credit status, meaning Cabot Oil and Gas will get a substantial tax credit for its $20,000, and Luzerne County SHINE Director Carol Nicholas said she is working on other partnerships with the company.
Alas, buying a new car as per Julia is not on the list, unless they make a little one with a 3D printer, one of the items the money will purchase, according to Nicholas. She also hopes to buy another zSpace machine.
