Glacial Hills Elementary School gets $10,000 grant for iPads

Growing food for a growing world takes more than soil, water and sunlight; it also takes technology. Thanks to the support of local farmers and a $10,000 America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education grant, students at Glacial Hills Elementary will soon have their hands on some high-tech tools to help their garden grow.

America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, gives farmers the opportunity to nominate a public school district in their community to compete for a grant of either $10,000 or $25,000 to enhance education in the areas of math and/or science. More than 1,000 nominated school districts submitted applications. The Monsanto Fund will invest $2.3 million into rural education through this program.

“The iPads we are bringing into our classrooms will put information right at our kids’ fingertips,” said Deb Mathias, Glacial Hills technology director. “Students will have instant access to planting information, weather maps, soil typing tools, which will add depth to our lesson plans.”

After being nominated by local farmers, school districts completed an online application, and finalists were chosen by math and science teachers from ineligible school districts. The America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Advisory Council, a group of 26 prominent farmers from across the country, then reviewed the finalists’ applications and selected the winners.

“We’re very excited about this opportunity,” Mathias said. “There are limited resources available, but it’s nice to know that our area-farmers support us.”

Glacial Hills was presented with the $10,000 grant during a special assembly at the school on Friday, Oct. 26.

America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education started with a successful pilot in Illinois and Minnesota in 2011, in which farmers were given the opportunity to nominate a public school district in 165 eligible counties in those two states. The Monsanto Fund awarded more than $266,000 to local schools in 16 CRDs. Now, the program has expanded to 1,245 eligible counties in 39 states.

America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education helps farmers positively impact their communities and supports local rural school districts. This program is part of the Monsanto Fund’s overall effort to support rural education and communities. Another program that is part of this effort is America’s Farmers Grow Communities, which gives winning farmers the opportunity to direct a $2,500 donation to their favorite community nonprofit organization in their county. Farmers can participate in this program through Nov. 30, 2012 by visiting www.growcommunities.com.

About the Monsanto Fund

The Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the farm communities where farmers and Monsanto Company employees live and work. Visit the Monsanto Fund at www.monsantofund.org.

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