2023 Are You Smarter Than a Gaston County Fifth Grader?

The Lowell Elementary and Dominion Energy school/business team was the winner of the annual “Are You Smarter Than a Gaston County Fifth Grader?” competition held Thursday, February 9 at Stuart W. Cramer High School.

The popular program that pairs business partners with elementary schools in a game show format raised $XX,XXX for the Gaston County Education Foundation. The Foundation will use the money to fund the Ron L. Ensley grant program that provides funds to teachers for innovative classroom lessons and activities.

In 2022, the Foundation awarded more than $48,000 in grants to teachers at schools across the county. In March, teachers have the opportunity to apply for the Jennifer T. Stultz art appreciation grants, which are named in honor of Jennie Stultz who served as the Foundation’s executive director for 20 years.

The Gaston County Education Foundation organized the competition. Tindol Suburu and Wells Fargo were the title sponsor for the program. Other sponsors included CaroMont Health, Local Market/Unite Oil of the Carolinas and Allen Tate.

Clariant Corperation, Dominion Energy, Encore Bank, Firestone Fibers and Textiles, First Horizon Bank, FleetNet America, Gaston Emergency Medical Services (GEMS), Gastonia East Rotary Club, GSM Services, McAdenville Woman’s Club, Next Generation, Rotary Club of Gastonia, Steelfab, and Tindol Subaru.

Here is a list of the award winners:

◾First Place: Lowell Elementary/Dominion Energy

◾Second Place: W.A. Bess Elementary/The Rotary Club of Gastonia

◾Third Place: McAdenville Elementary/McAdenville Woman’s Club

◾Team Spirit: W.A. Bess Elementary/The Rotary Club of Gastonia

◾People’s Choice Award: Rankin Elementary/Clariant Corporation and Kiser Elementary and Next Generation

Other school/business teams participating in the competition were:
◾W.B. Beam Intermediate and Fleet Net
◾Catawba Heights Elementary and Steel Fab
◾Chapel Grove Elementary and Gaston County EMS
◾Gardner Park Elementary and Tindol Subaru
◾New Hope Elementary/CaroMont Health
◾North Belmont Elementary/Gastonia East Rotary
◾Pleasant Ridge Elementary and GSM Services
◾Robinson Elementary/Encore Bank
◾Sadler Elementary/Firestone Fibers and Textile