HJ461: Commending the PROPEL Academy.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 461

Offered March 2, 2020
Commending PROPEL Academy.
Patrons-- Subramanyam; Senator: Bell

WHEREAS, PROPEL Academy, an after-school program in Loudoun County Public Schools, has cultivated an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math among elementary school and middle school students for several years; and

WHEREAS, since 2017, PROPEL Academy has expanded into more than 20 elementary schools and middle schools throughout Loudoun County, providing dozens of students with interactive, hands-on opportunities to explore science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts; and

WHEREAS, PROPEL Academy engages students in activities that are both entertaining and academically rigorous, such as building robots and creating electricity, stimulating an early interest in science and how the world works; and

WHEREAS, through complex and involved STEM activities, students of the PROPEL Academy develop valuable computational and analytical reasoning skills that will serve them in various facets of their lives; and

WHEREAS, PROPEL Academy was initiated with the support of a Good Neighbor Grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation with the intention of closing the achievement gap by improving access to STEM programs for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, PROPEL Academy encourages students to have a greater understanding of STEM principles, preparing them for success both in and out of the classroom; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend PROPEL Academy, an after-school science, technology, engineering, and math education program in Loudoun County Public Schools, for contributing to the Commonwealth’s pursuit of academic excellence; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Patricia Herr, coordinator of PROPEL Academy, as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the program’s mission and best wishes for its continued success.