Great Lakes Energy recently awarded $29,751 in Touchstone Energy Classroom Grants to 19 schools within its service area for innovative, technology-based programs that fall outside regular school budgets. In the last seven years, GLE has awarded $157,460 in grants to area schools.
“We are grateful to have Great Lakes Energy as a benefactor and partner in education, and truly value this chance to provide opportunities and improve programs that benefit our students,” a school superintendent wrote in a note of appreciation to GLE.
Teachers can apply for grants each year in September when guidelines and the application form can be downloaded. Applications are due in early November.
This year’s classroom grant recipients are:
- Allendale Christian School, $1,000 to help fund iPads for music class
- Cadillac High School, $2,000 for Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Computer Science Essentials
- Charlevoix Middle School, $1,950 for data gathering and analysis project in science and math classrooms
- Covenant Christian School, Ludington, $1,379 for document camera and projector for student presentations and instruction
- East Jordan Middle/High School, $900 to help fund video equipment to enhance video production class
- Ellsworth Community School, $1,949.99 for Spheros Robot material for STEM class
- Grant High School, $2,000 for high school engineering and career readiness training initiative
- Inland Lakes Elementary, $1,406.04 for STEAM supplies (i.e., Legos, Spheros, Osmo kits)
- Mason County Central School, Scottville, $2,000 for Tower Gardens to grow indoors using aeroponic technology
- McBain Middle School, $2,000 for Wonder Workshop Dash Robots
- Newaygo Public Schools, $2,000 for Rural Robotics and Coding with Misty II
- Petoskey High School, $2,000 for Project Impac to improve transition services for students
- St. Mary School, Big Rapids, $1,000 to help fund iPads for STREAM programs
- Thornapple Kellogg High School, Middleville, $750.48 for classroom podcast studio
- Tri-County High School, Howard City, $2,000 for water quality testing project
- Vanderbilt Area School, $1,682.60 for place-based forestry project materials to promote sustainability and community involvement
- Walkerville Public Schools, $2,000 for sturdy headphones and Chromebooks/iPads
- Wayland High School, $792.09 for Sun Sprint Solar Car kit
- White Cloud Elementary, $941.24 for light table with manipulatives to explore letters, shapes and colors