Tri-State Montrose Employees Club funds local middle school science departments

With students and teachers heading back to school this month, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association’s Montrose Employees Club decided to support middle school science classrooms and teachers in the area. The club donated $1,000 each to Centennial Middle School, Columbine Middle School and Olathe Middle School.

“STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines interest us at Tri-State because of the technical nature of our work,” explained Izale Kruse, volunteer president of the Tri-State Montrose Employee Association and substation apparatus technician.

Each school will decide how to allocate the funds based on immediate need. Columbine Middle School science teacher Teresa Brown said she will work with her colleagues to make those decisions, adding that in class, three students currently share one microscope and purchasing more is now a possibility. Centennial Middle School science teacher Meghan Waschbush echoed the need for new classroom equipment.

“Centennial Middle School is very thankful for the generous support from Tri-State. Funds will be used to update old scientific instruments and ensure that students can carry out scientific investigation with equipment that works,” Waschbush said.

Scot Brown, principal of Olathe Middle-High School, said, “This donation will be a huge asset to our science department. It will enable us to buy consumable supplies which are very important, but also very expensive. I am positive that our science department will take full advantage of this donation to benefit our students, and to provide even more learning experiences for them.”

Because science and math require critical-thinking skills, Tri-State’s Montrose employees hope their science classroom donations help prepare middle school students for advance learning in the future.  “The true goal of education is to help children think intensively and critically,” said Judy Hauger, Olathe Middle School science teacher. “I want the kids to be better prepared to face real-life problems with more creativity and effectiveness.”

The all-volunteer Employee Association at Tri-State’s Montrose Maintenance Center has supported children, seniors and veterans in their community for decades. Commitment to community is one of our seven cooperative principles.