Humble schools awarded $100K in grants by HEB

HUMBLE, TX (KTRK) -- The Humble Independent School District recently won $100,000 in HEB grant money.

The grocery store chain named Humble ISD the "Best Large District in Texas." The recognition brings with it new opportunities for educators across the district.

Take for instance in Nathan Newsom's engineering classroom at Ross Sterling Middle School. Mr. Newsom was able to purchase 12 robotic spheros for his students. The balls cost about $100 to $129 each and would not have been possible without the grant money. Newsome told abc13 the spheros give students the chance to put their skills to the test.

"With the programming of a robot, we're talking order of operations from math. We're pulling in tech writing skills from the English department," said Newsom. "It makes it relevant to the students and understanding why we're teaching them what we're teaching them."

For students like 8th grader Erick Osegueda, he loves the new addition to the classroom.

"Since we're actually using it, I feel like I'm learning it a lot better than sitting in the classroom and seeing it on a powerpoint," said Osegueda.

Over at the Career and Technical Education Center, Kira Hassler Newsom's forensic science students can't want for a new simulator. The "Shoot or Don't Shoot" simulator costs around $15,000. Hassler Newsom told us the simulator will gives students a real feel for what it's like to be in law enforcement.

"It helps our students who are going to be future law enforcement officers understand the dangers associated with it, the frame of mind you need to be in law enforcement," said Hassler Newsom. "The student actually interacts and has to decide what level of force they want. Whether it's pepper spray, a Taser, or actually lethal force. If we can give them the opportunity to be hands on, they perform much better."

Eyewitness News reached out to HEB about Humble ISD's award. They released the following statement to us.

"H-E-B is strongly committed to supporting education and literacy throughout Texas. We have contributed more than $12 million to education in just the past 10 years. The Humble Independent School is an excellent example of how a district is providing quality and advanced educational tools to their students."