Bosch Rexroth donates $ 32,000 to eight schools Funds will support robotics and other STEM learning
Bosch Rexroth helped Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools celebrate National Apprenticeship Week with a donation of $ 32,000 worth of grants to support robotics programs and Science , Technology , Engineering and Math ( STEM ) learning .
The donation was announced at a lunch attended by elementary students , K-8 principals in the Olympic High feeder pattern , members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education , other CMS leaders , Bosch Rexroth and business community members .
Lake Wylie , River Gate , Winget Park , Palisades Park and Steele Creek elementary schools received $ 1,000 each , as did Kennedy and Southwest middle schools . Olympic High received $ 24,000 .
“ The generous donation from Bosch Rexroth fosters a K-12 alignment of authentic learning so students may engage with robotics , automation and advanced 21st-century technologies ,” said Michael Realon , Olympic career and technical education academy coordinator .
Olympic has built a national reputation by partnering with local business Bosch Rexroth , other local advanced manufacturers and Central Piedmont Community College for apprenticeship programs such as Apprenticeship 2000 and Apprenticeship Charlotte .
“ Our collaboration with Olympic and its feeder schools represents another exemplary program that we have been able to foster , build , and grow in a meaningful manner through next generational community leadership which understands the importance and nature of strategic partnership , so more Charlotte youth can experience upward economic and social mobility ,” said Mark Rohlinger , Technical Plant Manager at Bosch Rexroth .
A recent study by Harvard University and the University of California , Berkeley found that Charlotte ranked 99th among America ’ s 100 largest cities in providing economic and social mobility for youth .
The Olympic robotics program , which supports a K-12 model , is a result of a three year community improvement program called Alignment Southwest Charlotte ( ASWC ). It connects the overlapping interests of K-12 public education , businesses , faith organizations , nonprofits , and southwest Charlotte neighborhoods .
The Arrowood Business Association , a founding member and primary supporter of the ASWC movement , was recently awarded the City of Charlotte ’ s Neighborhood Leadership Award for its supportive role in providing an effective platform for companies like Bosch Rexroth to collaborate with K-12 schools .
$ 32,000 in Grants !
Creating a recipe for success Emilio Graf ensures food safety and quality
Have you ever wondered how 35,000 cases of cheese pizza make their way to our 170 schools each year ? Chances are it starts with Emilio Graf , inventory quality auditor .
Graf and the rest of the Child Nutrition inventory management team manage more than 80 percent of the food that goes to all schools as well as paper and plastic supplies , canned goods , frozen food and drinks . Each day , food is sent out for delivery from a 10,000-square-foot freezer at the Craig Avenue warehouse .
“ My job is making sure the quality of the product is good , our inventory is correct , procedures are followed and food is stored properly ,” said Graf .
Graf also spends his time off working with food . He ’ s an accomplished chef with extensive culinary training . He works at the Spectrum Arena , cooking for Michael Jordan . He ’ s cooked at the Wells Fargo PGA Gold Championship and cooks the food in Bruton Smith ’ s suite at NASCAR races . He ’ s traveled to New York to cook at the U . S . Open tennis championships and served as the president of the School Nutrition Association . “ I love anything food-related ,” said Graf . “ If I can cook , I am happy .”
At CMS , Graf and his team ensure that strict rules guiding food handling from the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture are followed . “ We make sure that food is handled with care ,” said Graf .
Each day , food , drinks and paper supplies are put into bins for school delivery . “ Everything is double and triple checked ,” said Graf . “ We have a strong inventory and control process . Nothing comes in or out without being recorded .”
Graf joined CMS 11 years ago as a cafeteria manager and then moved to the Child Nutrition inventory group . “ We have a great team here ,” said Graf . “ It ’ s like a family . We all know what needs to be done and it takes our whole team to make it happen . We double check each other and make sure things are done right .”
Before coming to CMS , Graf worked in hotels and restaurants in Miami and cooked on Royal Caribbean cruises . He met his wife on one of those cruises and they ’ ve been married for 26 years . They moved to Charlotte to start their family .
“ CMS is a part of our family ,” said Graf , whose wife is a teacher assistant at Reedy Creek . His son graduated from Independence High and his daughter graduated from Rocky River High .
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Parent Teacher Magazine • January / February 2017 • 3