The Cleveland Monsters, in partnership with the Great Lakes Science Center and Cargill, will again distribute classroom STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Kits to Northeast Ohio students this season in an expansion of the team’s ‘Science of Hockey’ program. After reaching 4,000 Northeast Ohio second graders in the program’s first year, the Monsters are excited to welcome 20 new schools across 6 school districts to the network of participants in the program. The expansion brings the total number participants in the program to nearly 6,000 second-grade students across 10 regional school districts.

New to the program this academic year are Brunswick City Schools, South Euclid-Lyndhurst City Schools, Maple Heights City Schools, Avon Local Schools, Fairview Park City Schools and six additional Cleveland Metropolitan Schools.

The expansion is made possible through a partnership between the program’s presenting partner, Cargill, and an investment from the Monsters Community Foundation in support of STEM Education.

“We are excited to be able to build off of the success of last year’s Monsters STEM Program with the help of our partners at the Great Lakes Science Center and Cargill,” said Cleveland Monsters President and COO Mike Ostrowski.  “We look forward to seeing the program continue to spark a curiosity in STEM disciplines and the sport of hockey with students across Northeast Ohio.”

The program includes a five-hour curriculum focused on engaging students in the areas of literacy, math, science, and physical fitness through hands-on activities related to the sport of hockey. Students will be tasked with investigating the physics behind the game, measures taken to enhance physical fitness and improve player safety, along with other related topics. Upon completing the program, students will present their findings to their classmates and learn about various careers in the professional sports industry. 

“The Science Center is thrilled by the success of the ‘Science of Hockey’ program,” said Great Lakes Science Center President & CEO Kirsten Ellenbogen. “We always look to create deeper learning experiences, even for our successful programs. Our next iteration will inspire thousands more second graders in new schools and new districts this year.”

Each participating school within the 10 districts will receive a kit presented in a Monsters STEM hockey bag that includes all the necessary items to complete the program including materials to build a mock tabletop hockey rink. A digital version of the curriculum will also be made available for all participating classrooms.

The content and curriculum of the program is developed by STEM Learning professionals at the Great Lakes Science Center and adheres to Ohio’s State Learning Standards for the second grade.  Upon completion of the curriculum, all students will be invited to attend a future Monsters game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Fans can learn more about the STEM program by visiting www.clevelandmonsters.com/STEM