By Davon Dean |Staff Writer|

CSUSB officials were granted $80,000 from Southern California Edison (SCE) for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics STEM program.

The grant was awarded to the Latino Education and Advocacy Days (LEAD) program, the Cal State Project to Promote Coastal Sage Scrub Conservation and Environmental Education Program.

The STEM program is for those students whose majors are in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The STEM program is designed to help students excel and gives them the tools needed to be successful, according to a Public Affairs article on the CSUSB website.

Since 2000, SCE has awarded $334,050 in scholarships to the CSUSB campus.

According to Tammy Tumbling, SCE’s Director of Philanthropy and Community Investment, the company has given nearly $45 million to programs related to STEM.

SCE also supports the University’s Palm Desert Campus, awarding $59,920 in grants to it since 2005.

“Our philosophy of giving is that all people should have opportunities to do well. Together, Edison International and CSUSB hope to promote the inclusion of underrepresented students in the STEM fields,” said Tumbling.

“This is truly wonderful news. We’re grateful to SCE Edison International for their generous support of our STEM programs and educational outreach programs,” said CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales.

Morales and his team understand the importance of having more students graduate with majors in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and ultimately enter the workforce in STEM-related fields.

The students of the STEM program and the Cal State Project to Promote Coastal Sage Scrub Conservation and Environmental Education program are happy about the positive news, according to Public Affairs articles on the CSUSB website.

In order to promote the Coastal Sage Scrub Conservation and Environmental Education Program, $25,000 of the SCE grant will go to the project.

Coastal Sage Scrub Conservation and Environmental Education is a program that provides research for a habitat preserve program at an unmarked trail at the base of the CSUSB Murillo Family Observatory.

Students in the program are hoping for more modern devices.

“I feel confident with the funds that were given to the programs. We will now have better tools to help us succeed in the program,” said student Jose Sanchez.

The vision of this program is to have students from grades five to 12 visit to learn the fundamentals of habitat conservation and restoration.

“I would like my younger brother to take advantage of such a great program,” said Marisela Vargas, Coastal Sage Scrub Conservation program member.

The funding will also be used for the LEAD program, which is entering its sixth year.

LEAD holds a yearly conference focusing on educational issues affecting Latinos at the national, regional and local levels.

“I’m Latino and I feel the LEAD program is the best program that I’ve experience since attending Cal State San Bernardino,” said student Paul Diaz.

The funds will be used to further advance and improve the programs already in place.