Forty-three school districts across southwestern Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and eastern Ohio were awarded more than a quarter-million dollars in grant funding today through a partnership led by Chevron, EQT, and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

Called “Innovation Grants,” the program, now in its third year, seeks 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.

“Chevron is proud of our role in producing the energy that’s providing career opportunities for today’s students and we place a high value on partnering with schools to support innovative classroom initiatives to address the region’s workforce skills gap,” said Trip Oliver, Manager Policy, Government and Public Affairs at Chevron Appalachia. “We’re committed to supporting the communities where we’re privileged to operate, and we hope these grants help spark an interest and prepare students with the science and math skills critical to in-demand energy and advanced manufacturing careers.”

Since 2017, the Chevron and Benedum Foundation-led initiative has awarded more than $500,000 in Innovation Grants to schools across the region, with EQT’s generous support further expanding the program this year. 

“We strive to identify opportunities that impact the communities we serve in meaningful ways,” said Ellen Rossi, EQT Foundation Manager. “Education is a core focus of the EQT Foundation and we’re proud to partner with Chevron on this truly innovative program that expands curriculum and gets students excited to learn.”

Pennsylvania will have 13 projects in 12 school districts across Washington, Greene and Fayette counties funded, receiving a combined $87,900 for initiatives aimed at topics including coding, robotics, STEM, and music. In Ohio, 12 projects in 5 school districts in Belmont County will receive a combined $63,800 for projects aimed at engineering, robotics, and girls in STEAM. Finally, 18 projects in 10 West Virginia county school districts – Brooke, Hancock, Harrison, Marshall, Monongalia, Ohio, Preston, Randolph, Tucker, and Upshur – will receive a combined $107,500 for projects related to robotics, coding, 3D printing, and engineering.

“Small grants like these are incredibly valuable in tapping the creativity of frontline teachers working with community partners,” said James Denova, Vice President of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. “There are a lot of inspiring ideas out there, but they are often overlooked by large scale top-down projects. In many ways, the grassroots approach to IU1’s innovation grants democratize reform in public education.” 

NOTE: Listed below are the grants each school in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio received.

PENNSYLVANIA

• Brownsville Area School District, Brownsville Area Elementary School, Music, Movement, Technology, Oh My!, $3,500

• Connellsville Area School District, Connellsville Area Middle School and CACTC, Real World Innovations for Career Success, $7,500

• Connellsville Area School District, West Crawford, Circuit Boards, $4,000

• Frazier School District, Frazier Elementary, Environmental Learning Extension, $7,500

• Jefferson-Morgan School District, Jefferson Morgan Middle/ High School, Jefferson-Morgan Print Shop, $7,500

• Carmichaels Area School District, Elementary, Middle, High School, Financial Literacy Lab, $7,500

• Central Greene School District, Waynesburg Central Elementary School, smART Space 2.0, $7,500

• West Greene School District, West Greene Junior Senior High School, 21st Century Fabrication Technologies and the Business Classroom, $7,500

• Avella Area School District, Avella Junior/Senior High, Media Center Enhancement, $6,300.00

• Bethlehem Center School District, Bethlehem High School, The STEAM Adventures of Tom Sawyer, $7,200

• Burgettstown Area School District, Burgettstown Area Elementary Center, Remake Research, $7,500

• Fort Cherry School District, Fort Cherry Elementary Center, Battlebots: Innovative Creators of Technology & Design, $6,900.00

• Trinity Area School District, Trinity High School, T Talk, $7,500

OHIO

• Barnesville Exempted School District, Barnesville Elementary, Integration of Virtual Reality into Classrooms, $4,600

• Barnesville Exempted Village School District, Barnesville High School, zSpace for Life, $7,500

• Bridgeport Exempted Village School District, Bridgeport High School, Entering the Esports Arena, $7,500

• Bridgeport Exempted Village School District, Bridgeport Elementary School, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Question, Create, and Innovate, $6,800

• Bridgeport Exempted Village Schools, Bridgeport Middle School, STEAMing Up STEM, $7,400

• Martins Ferry City Schools, Martins Ferry High School/Middle School, Making STEAM Wearable: Girls and e-Textiles in Makerspaces, $5,000

• Martins Ferry City Schools, Martins Ferry High School/Middle School, Makey Making Curriculum Connections in the STEAM Makerspace, $5,000

• Martins Ferry City Schools, Martins Ferry High School/Middle School, Making the Cut in the Makerspace, $5,000

• Shadyside Local School District, High School (Primary), Elementary School (Secondary), Robotics STEM Class and future robotics club and team, $7,500

• Union Local School District, Union ES/MS/HS, Project Based Learning in Today’s Classroom, $7,500

 WEST VIRGINIA

• Brooke County Schools, Brooke High School and Brooke Middle School, Save the Chimney Swifts from Extinction, $1,400

• Hancock County Schools, Oak Glen Middle School, Architecture in Our World, $7,400

• Harrison County Schools, Adamston Elementary, Making Space “Pawsitive" InThe Studio, $7,500

• Harrison County Schools, Liberty High School, Integrating STEAM in the Special Education Classrooms in Liberty High School, $7,500

• Marshall County Schools, Center McMechen Elementary, STEM in Sports, $4,600

• Marshall County Schools, Washington Lands Elementary School, Coding Games to Supplement PLTW Robotics, $1,200

• Monongalia County Schools, Skyview Elementary School, Letting Off STEAM Outside, $7,300

• Monongalia County Schools, South Middle School, Robotics Class Expansion, $3,800

• Monongalia County Schools, University High School, Robot Rampage, $6,500

• Ohio County Schools, Bethlehem Elementary School, Discover & Engage, $7,500

• Ohio County Schools, Steenrod Elementary School, The Art of #Math4Life, $7,000

• Ohio County Schools, West Liberty Elementary School, Power Packed Multi-Grade Level PBL's, $7,500

• Preston County Schools, Aurora School/ Rowlesburgh School, Experimental Ceramics, $7,500

• Preston County Schools, Rowlesburg School, STEAM Lab for Preston County, $6,800

• Randolph County Schools, Tygarts Valley Middle/High School, Basics for Bulldog Broadcasting, $6,900

• Tucker County Schools, Tucker Valley Elementary/ Middle School, "Learn to Code" So We Can "Code to Learn", $7,500

• Upshur County Schools, Buckhannon-Upshur High School, Educational Game Character Model 3D Printing, $7,200

• Upshur County Schools, Buckhannon-Upshur High School, Quickbooks Online, $2,400