Green Bay, Wis.—More than 1,200 participants visited the Brown County STEM Innovation Center at UW-Green Bay on April 30, 2022 to have fun, learn, explore and challenge themselves in a variety of STEM activities.
Brown County, Einstein Project and UW-Green Bay partnered together with JBS USA colleagues and families to host this fun-filled day. Families participated in 26 different activities including Lego robotics, paper airplanes, aquatic robots, cardboard city, Play-Doh dentistry, rockets, engineering lab demos, water chemistry, and more.
JBS USA also announced its $250,000 gift to fund the sponsorship of multiple educational resources at the Brown County STEM Innovation Center. This sponsorship includes the Einstein Project’s STEM Expo and multiple pathways for hands-on, family-friendly learning experiences both virtually and through an onsite “Makerspace,” where visitors can collaborate to share tools, materials and expertise on a variety of STEM projects.
JBS USA previously announced a $1 million investment in the community and has since worked closely with local leaders to identify where the funds can best help meet immediate and longer-term community needs. JBS Green Bay’s total commitment has since been increased to $1.8 million through an additional allocation of Hometown Strong funding.
“We are proud to partner with the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Brown County and the Einstein Project to promote STEM education in our community,” said Hicham Timejardine, JBS Green Bay general manager. “STEM education doesn’t just lead to jobs, it leads to careers, and by laying STEM foundation early, young students can grow up to do whatever they put their minds to.”
Chad Janowski, executive director of the Einstein Project said the commitment by JBS will provide STEM opportunities for the region.
“We are excited about this new partnership with JBS,” he said. “Their commitment to our community will help us ensure that all kids in the Green Bay area have access to quality, hands-on STEM learning opportunities. Their sponsorship will help to purchase new instructional materials for classrooms impacting up to 52,500 kids annually. Their support for our mobile makerspace and events at the STEM Innovation Center can bring informal STEM learning experiences to another 5,000 kids each year.”
“We are incredibly appreciative of JBS USA’s vision to support STEM education in Northeast Wisconsin,” said UW-Green Bay Chancellor Mike Alexander. “UW-Green Bay is proud to collaborate across the region to build these access points for students to enter jobs that are in demand across the region.”
JBS Green Bay also participated in a dedication ceremony for the project on Sat., April 30, to unveil the sponsorship and welcome local community organizations, families and children to participate in special activities to showcase the center.
Hometown Strong is a $100 million initiative that was developed to strengthen the communities where JBS operates. Funds are being directed to the communities where JBS team members live and work in the U.S. and Canada. Hometown Strong is one of the largest community investment programs of its kind.
