A Gift for Science in Motion

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Science In Motion program has received a new van thanks to a donation from Bradford Fairway Sales and Leasing.

The 2006 Ford Freestar will be used to transport the Science In Motion team to area middle schools and high schools to bring high-quality, state-of-the-art science equipment into the schools to enhance existing programs and to expand the science knowledge of the students.

Earlier this year, the budget of each Science In Motion program was reduced nearly 9 percent by the state. This resulted in the Pitt-Bradford program going from a two-van operation to a one-van operation. In order to help address the fiscal crisis, a van that required very little maintenance, would get fairly good gas mileage and had ample storage space was required.

“Because Science In Motion educators travel more than 15,000 miles visiting 33 schools per year, the Freestar is ideal,” said James Baldwin, assistant dean of academic affairs, registrar and director of Science In Motion. “Thanks to Linford Toy, Benjamin Shearman and Chad Perkins, Fairway Sales and Leasing was able to donate a significant portion of the cost of the van.”

Perkins, sales and business manager for Fairway Sales and Leasing, said, “We feel fortunate to have an accredited university in our local community,” said Perkins, sales and business manager. “A lot of dealerships do not get to have their involvement in the community seen as we do. It is our pleasure to assist Pitt-Bradford with its vehicle needs.”

Pitt-Bradford is one of 11 institutions that form the consortium that, as part of the Pennsylvania Basic Education/Higher Education Science and Technology Partnership Program, serves schools in the commonwealth. The program consists of a full-time mobile educator, administrative assistant and lab technician.

The Pitt-Bradford program supports a region about the size of the state of Connecticut, providing service to the most rural and economically disadvantaged regions of Pennsylvania.

A review of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment scores for each school in the counties served by the Pitt-Bradford SIM program revealed, collectively, considerably higher scores in science than in math and reading (and with two exceptions, in writing). Every Pennsylvania student in grades 4, 8 and 11 is assessed in science.

Pictured, from left, Brenda Brandon, Melanie Acker and James Baldwin of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s Science In Motion program with Chad Perkins, sales and business manager of Bradford Fairway Sales and Leasing. A donation by Bradford Fairway provided the mobile science program with a 2006 Ford Freestar van, shown here.
(Photo courtesy of Pitt-Bradford)