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Battelle Grants $968,000 to 16 Central Ohio Nonprofits, Expanding STEM Programs for 14,000 Students
On June 15, 2026, Columbus‑based research and development powerhouse Battelle announced a $968,000 grant package to 16 nonprofit organizations across Central Ohio. The awards, part of the 2026 Battelle Central Ohio STEM Grants program, are projected to touch 14,341 students and 1,421 educators within the next year.
With these awards, Battelle’s cumulative contribution to Central Ohio STEM initiatives now totals $8.8 million since the program’s launch in 2013. The 2026 slate prioritizes emerging technologies and career‑connected learning, and several grantees will weave artificial intelligence (AI), data science, aerospace, and applied engineering into K‑12 programming.
These grants will fund informal, out‑of‑school programs across Franklin, Delaware, Fairfield, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, and Union counties. The 2026 initiatives are organized around four themes: AI and data; aviation and manufacturing; applied engineering; and specialized access and literacy.
AI and Data - Friends of the Conservatory plans to involve over 9,200 students and 800 teachers in developing an AI‑driven app that enhances field trips at Franklin Park Conservatory. - TECH CORPS will immerse 200 students in real environmental datasets during week‑long Techie Camp sessions that cover coding, data science, and AI fundamentals. - The Ohio State University Foundation, through WOSU, will pilot Wild Kratts Creature Creator STEM Labs and an AI‑enhanced field‑trip experience for 1,300 students and 45 educators. - The Hardy Center’s Hardy Summer Pathways program will engage 120 youth in coding, engineering, environmental projects, and responsible‑AI activities.
Aviation and Manufacturing - Urban Aviators Society will open an aviation and aerospace pipeline for 200 youth, blending flight simulation, drone training, mentorship, and discovery flights. - Central Ohio Manufacturing Partnership’s “Calculated Futures: Master the Math, Model the Path” will link 500 high‑school students with manufacturing professionals in after‑school workshops that fuse engineering challenges, math, AI, and design.
Applied Engineering - Franklinton Cycle Works will instruct 100 youth in engineering, mechanics, and safety concepts through its Earn‑A‑Bike program. - Educational Solutions Company will guide 200 students through a four‑week biomedical STEM Career Studio that centers on mobile lab experiences and biotechnology investigations. - See Brilliance will run a Neighborhood Tech Lab for 250 youth, who will tackle local challenges and showcase their projects in schools and libraries. - Clintonville‑Beechwold Community Resources Center will host the Build the Future Lab, engaging 75 elementary students in product design, math, and commerce challenges linked to local businesses. - Central Community House of Columbus will bring 80 K‑5 students and their families into contact with STEM professionals, field trips, and mentors via its Future Innovators initiative.
Specialized Access and Literacy - A Kid Again Inc. will provide at‑home STEM Welcome Kits and career‑exploration videos to 400 medically fragile children. - Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library in West Jefferson will reach roughly 1,000 kids with The Sound of Reading, a program that pairs literacy, music, and hands‑on science experiments. - The Village of West Jefferson’s Lunch and Learn series will immerse 350 students in hands‑on enrichment and conversations with local STEM professionals during the school day. - The Ohio Academy of Science will lead 200 students through digital Research‑to‑Careers simulations that map independent STEM projects to real‑world competencies. - Final Third Foundation will combine soccer, literacy, environmental science, and wellness into a summer camp for 150 kids.
The grants arrive as Ohio school districts prepare to roll out new statewide guidance on AI use in classrooms and to finalize local policies by mid‑2026. Central Ohio is emerging as a hub for advanced manufacturing, defense, and applied AI, drawing new investment and raising demand for technical talent.
By embedding advanced concepts—AI modeling, drone operations, biomedical engineering—into neighborhood nonprofits, libraries, and community centers, Battelle and its partners seek to democratize early access to high‑wage career pathways. For Central Ohio students, those pathways are now unfolding in out‑of‑school labs, aviation hangars, makerspaces, and even soccer fields, rather than solely in conventional classrooms.
In sum, the 2026 Battelle Central Ohio STEM Grants constitute a substantial investment in local talent development. The $968,000 award package will back a wide range of programs that weave cutting‑edge technology into K‑12 learning. As Ohio schools adopt AI‑focused curricula and the region keeps drawing advanced manufacturing and defense firms, the grants are poised to fortify the workforce pipeline and widen STEM participation throughout Central Ohio.
With these awards, Battelle’s cumulative contribution to Central Ohio STEM initiatives now totals $8.8 million since the program’s launch in 2013. The 2026 slate prioritizes emerging technologies and career‑connected learning, and several grantees will weave artificial intelligence (AI), data science, aerospace, and applied engineering into K‑12 programming.
These grants will fund informal, out‑of‑school programs across Franklin, Delaware, Fairfield, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, and Union counties. The 2026 initiatives are organized around four themes: AI and data; aviation and manufacturing; applied engineering; and specialized access and literacy.
AI and Data - Friends of the Conservatory plans to involve over 9,200 students and 800 teachers in developing an AI‑driven app that enhances field trips at Franklin Park Conservatory. - TECH CORPS will immerse 200 students in real environmental datasets during week‑long Techie Camp sessions that cover coding, data science, and AI fundamentals. - The Ohio State University Foundation, through WOSU, will pilot Wild Kratts Creature Creator STEM Labs and an AI‑enhanced field‑trip experience for 1,300 students and 45 educators. - The Hardy Center’s Hardy Summer Pathways program will engage 120 youth in coding, engineering, environmental projects, and responsible‑AI activities.
Aviation and Manufacturing - Urban Aviators Society will open an aviation and aerospace pipeline for 200 youth, blending flight simulation, drone training, mentorship, and discovery flights. - Central Ohio Manufacturing Partnership’s “Calculated Futures: Master the Math, Model the Path” will link 500 high‑school students with manufacturing professionals in after‑school workshops that fuse engineering challenges, math, AI, and design.
Applied Engineering - Franklinton Cycle Works will instruct 100 youth in engineering, mechanics, and safety concepts through its Earn‑A‑Bike program. - Educational Solutions Company will guide 200 students through a four‑week biomedical STEM Career Studio that centers on mobile lab experiences and biotechnology investigations. - See Brilliance will run a Neighborhood Tech Lab for 250 youth, who will tackle local challenges and showcase their projects in schools and libraries. - Clintonville‑Beechwold Community Resources Center will host the Build the Future Lab, engaging 75 elementary students in product design, math, and commerce challenges linked to local businesses. - Central Community House of Columbus will bring 80 K‑5 students and their families into contact with STEM professionals, field trips, and mentors via its Future Innovators initiative.
Specialized Access and Literacy - A Kid Again Inc. will provide at‑home STEM Welcome Kits and career‑exploration videos to 400 medically fragile children. - Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library in West Jefferson will reach roughly 1,000 kids with The Sound of Reading, a program that pairs literacy, music, and hands‑on science experiments. - The Village of West Jefferson’s Lunch and Learn series will immerse 350 students in hands‑on enrichment and conversations with local STEM professionals during the school day. - The Ohio Academy of Science will lead 200 students through digital Research‑to‑Careers simulations that map independent STEM projects to real‑world competencies. - Final Third Foundation will combine soccer, literacy, environmental science, and wellness into a summer camp for 150 kids.
The grants arrive as Ohio school districts prepare to roll out new statewide guidance on AI use in classrooms and to finalize local policies by mid‑2026. Central Ohio is emerging as a hub for advanced manufacturing, defense, and applied AI, drawing new investment and raising demand for technical talent.
By embedding advanced concepts—AI modeling, drone operations, biomedical engineering—into neighborhood nonprofits, libraries, and community centers, Battelle and its partners seek to democratize early access to high‑wage career pathways. For Central Ohio students, those pathways are now unfolding in out‑of‑school labs, aviation hangars, makerspaces, and even soccer fields, rather than solely in conventional classrooms.
In sum, the 2026 Battelle Central Ohio STEM Grants constitute a substantial investment in local talent development. The $968,000 award package will back a wide range of programs that weave cutting‑edge technology into K‑12 learning. As Ohio schools adopt AI‑focused curricula and the region keeps drawing advanced manufacturing and defense firms, the grants are poised to fortify the workforce pipeline and widen STEM participation throughout Central Ohio.
