From coding robots, to new art display panels, six Mid-Prairie middle and high school projects are receiving grants from the Fund for Academic Excellence.

This is the second year of the educational endowment program from the Mid-Prairie Foundation, and they have expanded to provide funding to not just high school but also middle school programs. Class of ‘66 alum and member of the fund steering committee Cheryl Miller describes the purpose of these innovation grants, “Keeping Mid-Prairie up to the challenges of the times. Whether that’s in any area of the curriculum. Investing in bringing new ideas forward is what we’ve been trying to do, so innovation pretty much fits that description.”

Teachers submitted grant proposals in September, and were reviewed by a committee of parents, faculty, students, and alumni. Miller says it’s a wonderful experience to receive the ideas of the faculty, “It’s a very wonderful opportunity to see what goes on in education these days-what people are thinking about. And just help them plan and bring these new ideas forward.”

The steering committee is starting a national campaign this week to reach out to alumni for donations to the endowment, with the hopes of expanding the annual program to the elementary schools. This year’s grant recipients can be found here.