Education Grant WinnerMelissa Covarrubia

Taking field trips as a kid are some of the most enjoyable experiences you could be a part of because while you are still amid a learning experience, it gives you a chance to do so from a different lens. The fresh air, new learning playground, and an opportunity to being outside of school? Sign us up!

Melissa Covarrubia, educator at Las Palmas Leadership School for Girls, was looking for the funds to support her second consecutive school field trip to the University of Texas at Austin, where they would enjoy event centered around the wonderful world of STEM! Thanks to Power of the Dollar^® members, she was awarded a $1,000 grant in December 2024 for “Lady Bobcats in STEAM” idea, which she then used to finance her school’s trip up to Austin!

“The motivation for applying is knowing we’re opening opportunities to girls who wouldn’t have had that opportunity,” said Covarrubia. “Everything I do, I do for the kids, and trying to develop their leadership skills. Us being able to provide those opportunities for them to experience things that they hadn’t otherwise seen is really my inspiration!”

Immersed into a world of STEM, Ms. Covarrubia’s students got to participate in UT’s annual ‘STEM Girl Day’ on February 24, 2024, where they put their STEM skills to the test and were able to witness a bit of STEM magic. The event covers a lot of ground as there are different activities they can explore all throughout the fair, and the girls were excited to be involved in it all. What also came as a pleasant surprise was how well some of the girls worked with others they hadn’t before!

“One of the things we worked on was developing better social skills,” said Covarrubia. “We were able to tap into those social and emotional skills, so that was another great takeway, was when they were having to cooperate and come to a happy medium… some girls weren’t getting along with each other before the trip, and after the trip, we really haven’t had any issues—that was a big benefit I didn’t anticipate initially!”