Homer-Center Elementary School won a grant to help with STEM education.
Nominations from local farmers helped Homer-Center Elementary receive $10,000 from the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. This is part of $2.3 million in grants being handed out across the nation this year for education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. To qualify for the grant, school districts had to be nominated by farmers in eligible counties for a merit-based grant of either $10,000 or $25,000. The districts then have to submit a grant application that describes their STEM-based project. The program’s Farmer Advisory Council then reviews the applications and select the winning school districts. Over $14 million has been handed out to over 750 schools in rural communities since the program started in 2011.
Homer-Center Elementary will use the money to provide Tower Gardens that will enhance the current STEM curriculum with hydroponic gardens. The grant presentation will be held on Friday when the ribbon is cut on the new Homer-Center elementary playground.
