Cincinnati’s Five All-Girls Catholic High Schools Awarded $2 Million STEM Education Grant from the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund

In a unique and historic collaboration, Cincinnati’s five all-girls Catholic high schools—Mercy McAuley, Mount Notre Dame, Saint Ursula Academy, Seton, and Ursuline Academy—are proud to announce they have been collectively awarded a $2 million STEM education grant over three years from The Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund, Fifth Third Bank, N.A. Trustee. This is the first time that these five schools have collaborated on a joint initiative of this magnitude, reflecting their shared mission of empowering young women. 

This groundbreaking effort began over a year ago when the Presidents from each school came together with the vision of applying for the grant as a unified group of women in leadership. While these schools have historically been seen as competitors, they are now proudly joining forces as collaborators, recognizing that their collective impact is far greater together. United by a shared belief in the power of STEM education to shape the future for young women, the leaders continue to meet regularly as a cohort group, offering support, sharing best practices, and strengthening one another’s efforts. This partnership reflects a deep commitment to lifting each other up for the benefit of all their students. 

The grant allows each school the flexibility to use the funds as they wish to support and/or expand their individual STEM programs. This could include upgrading STEM classrooms, lab spaces and instructional equipment; enhancing current STEM programs and/or extracurricular/career experiences; providing new professional development opportunities for STEM teachers, and more. The five schools will begin utilizing funds from the grant beginning in the 2025-26 school year. 

In a joint statement, the Presidents from Mercy McAuley, Mount Notre Dame, Saint Ursula Academy, Seton, and Ursuline Academy, expressed their gratitude and excitement for this generous grant:

“We are thrilled and grateful to receive this generous grant from the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund. By coming together, our local all-girls Catholic schools are taking a significant step forward in empowering our students in the field of STEM – a field that is traditionally underrepresented by women. This grant marks an incredible milestone in women-focused STEM education and will provide our students with increased opportunities that will help them become high-achieving scientists and innovators.”
-    Brigitte Foley, President, Mercy McAuley High School
-    Michelle Robinson, President, Mount Notre Dame High School
-    Lelia Kramer, President, Saint Ursula Academy
-    Kathy Ciarla, President, Seton High School
-    Patricia Boehm, President, Ursuline Academy

''Empowering young women has been at the heart of the Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund since its creation in 1908,’’ said Heidi Jark, managing director of the Foundation Office at Fifth Third Bank. ‘’We are honored to continue that legacy by supporting these five esteemed academic institutions as they advance STEM education for the next generation of female leaders across the Cincinnati region. By channeling our investments into these outstanding programs, we are shaping a future in which young women are not only introduced to STEM initiatives but are also inspired to fully engage with the opportunities these programs provide.”