FISTA now an approved STEM Partner with the City of Lawton

LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) – FISTA is now an approved STEM partner with the City of Lawton after council made a change to the Skill, Training, Education, Development, and Investment or STEDI project plan.

According to Mayor Stan Booker, FISTA is spear heading STEM in Lawton.

The STEDI plan allows a certain percentage of property taxes to go towards industrial development, and 10% of those funds are set aside for STEM activities.

Mayor Booker said when the STEDI plan was first implemented FISTA wasn’t a thing.

“It helps us use money properly, so that we don’t duplicate efforts. So we can partner with FISTA on things that they’re already doing and spending money, and we can work together to stretch our money and not duplicate efforts,” said Mayor Booker.

When STEDI investments go into industrial development, the City sees a return in the form of increased property taxes.

But with an investment in STEM projects, like FISTA, Booker stated the return will be see in Lawton’s students.

“Every high tech company that we look at asks about the pipeline,” Booker said. “When they ask about the pipeline we know that they’re talking about, ‘Are you training the workforce of the future’, ‘Where are we going to get our future employee.’”

Booker added there are a few STEM camps over the horizon for students, in addition to FISTA implementing their own STEM program.

At the moment, Booker said the funds from the STEDI plan were just received and will be divided out in future council meetings.