Grant Follow-Up: Back to School Grants

To start the 2017-2018 school year, we asked educators in our county's schools to answer the following question: What would you do in your classroom with an extra $500? 

We had an overwhelming response (over 60 entries!), but in the end, only two classrooms were chose to receive the $500 grants. Mrs. Yackle's Ag Science Class at Bad Axe and Mrs. Smithers' 3rd grade class at Laker Elementary. 

Mrs. Yackle used the grant to purchase a hydroponics system for her classroom which was used for experiments, research, and eventually, a cooking lesson!

"Our botany class has greatly appreciated the back to school grant for our hydroponic units. Our students have learned about setting up scientific research projects, testing water quality and pH, as well as how hydroponic systems work. To end our project, our students learned how to make fresh salsa which turned into a basic cooking lesson as most of the botany students had never worked with chopping vegetables before. They are all very excited to learn how to can stewed tomatoes in the fall." - Mrs. Yackle.

Mrs. Smithers' Class used their $500 to become published authors! With the grant, each student was able to write and illustrate their own hardcover children's book, complete with stories about what they want to be when they grow up, poems that include the letters of their name, and more. The students learned about the writing and editing process, as they worked on this project for the entire school year.

Members of the HCCF Board and Staff attended their end-of-year "Publishing Party" where the newly published authors walked the red carpet after their name was called. The authors also read their own stories to those in attendance. 

Two $500 grants brought innovation and smiles to two Huron County classrooms! We are proud to support our educators and our next generation however possible.