Excellence in Education Grants
The Excellence in Education Grant Program began in 2008 to enhance educational opportunities for the students of the Chamber’s eight-county region. Teachers, students, or school administrators are eligible to submit grants for funding. Since that time, the Chamber has provided more than $80,000 in funding to area schools through the Excellence in Education Grant Program.
Funding Priorities
The Excellence in Education Grant Program provides funding assistance to supplement areas within the school systems where there are insufficient funds to meet student needs and where the purpose enlightens students academically, e.g. additional equipment for science, art, music, and drama departments. Sporting activities and booster clubs are not eligible for funding through the Excellence in Education Grant Program.
2023-2024 Grant Recipients
Floyd County Area Technology Center (Floyd), Floyd County School of Innovation (Floyd), Johnson County Middle School (Johnson), Shelby Valley High School (Pike), Valley Elementary School (Pike), and W.R. Castle Elementary School (Floyd) all received grant funding through the program this year.
Floyd County Area Technology Center Instructor Shawn Woods received $1,500 which will be used to give students hands-on experience with rebuilding a nonworking engine and to gain a better understanding of its internal workings.
Floyd County School of Innovation Science Teacher Kari Cornett was awarded $1,500 to help fund the purchase of drones, which will be beneficial to multiple pathways, from flying the drones to coding them to using it as a real-world tool in scenarios like search and rescue and land surveying.
Johnson County Middle School Engineering Teacher Holly Rogers received $1,500 to fund laboratory kits, experimental materials, and interactive learning tools for 7th and 8th grade students in her engineering class and will allow students to receive hands-on experiences in STEM disciplines.
Shelby Valley High School Teacher Zelda Hall was awarded $1,500 for calculus and physics equipment to give students a hands-on experience with mathematical concepts and how they apply in real-world scenarios. They will use these supplies to learn about displacement, velocity, and acceleration.
Valley Elementary School received $1,000 for supplies to conduct chemistry experiments. Students will test different substances to determine if their properties on a molecular level have changed (resulting in a chemical change) or if their appearance only has changed (a physical change).
W.R. Castle Elementary School UNITE Teacher Tyler Trimble was awarded $1,000 to enhance the production of the school’s weekly news broadcast. The funds will be used to purchase cameras, microphones, and a drone to expand news segments, crew members, and footage of the news.
“We’re excited to be able to help fund projects that enable students to have more hands-on learning experiences,” said Jordan Gibson, President & CEO of the Southeast Kentucky Chamber. “Educators in our region go above and beyond for their students, and we’re happy to support them as they make a difference in the lives of their students.”
Read the full release here.