Intermediate Unit 1 (IU1) invites you to join IU1, schools, and partners from around Southwestern Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio on October 2, 2025 from 9:00AM to 2:00PM at the PA Trolley Muesum as they showcase their Innovation Grant success at the Annual Innovation Showcase! This year we have partnered with the Rural Schools Collaborative to celebrate our regions students, educators, and partners.

The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and EQT Foundation, have awarded over 100 grants since 2019 to southwestern Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, and Belmont County Ohio classrooms to expand and support cutting-edge education. The grants seek to encourage school districts, primarily in rural communities, to develop engaging programs and curriculum with innovation and design serving as the driving force behind science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics education.

We hope that you can stop in to explore, learn, and connect with local educational organizations, teachers, and students on how they got a jump start in innovation through the Innovation Grants. Projects cover a wide variety of topics including sustainable agriculture, energy sources, digital design/fabrication, computer science, robotics, math, anatomy, arts and so much more! Learn more or apply for an Innovation Grant at: https://sites.google.com/iu1.org/innovationanddesign/grant-opportunities