MARSHALL — The middle school students of Lynd Public School will soon be partaking in another hands-on science project this spring after being awarded a $4,300 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) grant from the Toshiba America Foundation.

The money will support the science class with equipment and production items for their maple syrup production project. Come this spring, students will work to identify maple family trees on school property. The class will harvest and evaporate sap, to turn it into consumable maple syrup.

“We are thrilled, thanks to this grant, to be able to take our students outside for such a meaningful activity, especially one with such a rich cultural and historical impact in Minnesota,” Lynd middle school science teacher Martin Boucek said in a release from Toshiba. “Adding maple syrup production to our science program is an additional activity alongside our environmental education programs and Trout in the Classroom program, that will allow our students to put their theoretical skills to use in real-life outdoor scenarios,”

During the project, students also will now be able to design a maple reverse osmosis system, which filters water from sap to speed up concentration. The class will measure gravity of the liquids to determine the process of when sap turns into syrup, and students will monitor tree production levels.

“We have multiple maple trees on property, and the students are already busy preparing for the right weather to give sugaring a try,” Boucek said. “We hope that they produce some delicious syrup, and that we can add this as an annual activity in our science program.”

Toshiba America Foundation is a non-profit grant making organization that was founded in 1990 in collaboration with Toshiba Corporation and Toshiba America Group Companies.

The organization works to award grants to STEM classes for kindergarten through 12th grade students in the United States.

This is the first time Boucek is receiving this grant. He initially thought of the idea in association with other programs his class is involved in.

“I thought about it in association with the theme from our other fishing programs and the idea of ‘No Child Left Inside’ from the DNR, and found many associated standards that this activity actually satisfies while providing the kids hands-on outdoor approach,” Boucek said.

Boucek looks forward to bringing his students another outdoor learning activity opportunity.

“We have a good amount of trees right on school property as well as permission to tap in the adjacent DNR land,” Boucek said. “We are excited to attempt to gather some sap and turn it into syrup. We are, of course like with many of our outdoor projects, at the mercy of our weather.”

Boucek’s class also was recently named a state finalist in Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow STEM competition, for their project in planning to establish a school garden with self-sustaining features. The school won a $2,500 Samsung technology prize package for being named a finalist.

Also coming in spring will be the science student’s trout study, where they have been growing trout at the school in partnership with the Trout in the Classroom program. Students will be releasing their trout at Camden State Park in April.