The WVPEC and Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation are providing funding and resources to help West Virginia teachers innovate, inform, and inspire in their classrooms.
This year, an additional $20,000 in funding from WVU Health Sciences has created even more opportunity to inspire learning in classrooms across the Mountain State.
West Virginia Teachers are exposing their students to new, innovative ways of learning through the WVPEC’s Teacher Innovation Mini-Grants Program. After receiving 208 applications, 29 unique projects have been selected.
View Innovation Projects Read the Request for Proposals GuideProjects aim to improve academic outcomes and promote equitable learning.
Teacher: Courtney Moore
Grade(s): K,1,2,3,4,5
School: Kanawha Elementary School
County: Wood
This project will transform the Kanawha Elementary library into a hands-on STEAM makerspace using DASH robots and LEGO Education kits, giving students equitable access to coding, science, and teamwork activities that build creativity, critical thinking, and real-world skills.
Teacher: Jessica Houck
Grade(s): 5
School: Gilbert PK-8
County: Mingo
Fifth graders at Gilbert PK-8 will collaboratively design and build a model smart city using coding, circuitry, and 3D printing, developing creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills while gaining access to advanced technology and community expertise.
Teacher: Katie Dantrassy
Grade(s): 3,4,5
School: Central Elementary School
County: Marshall
Third-grade students will engage in a yearlong STEAM-based vocabulary program using “Buzzboxes,” combining hands-on activities, university partnerships, and family sharing to promote literacy, creativity, and real-world collaboration.
Teacher: Kimberly Parzych
Grade(s): 1
School: Ice Mountain Elementary School
County: Hampshire
This project will use KaiBit robots and hands-on learning kits to teach foundational coding, computational thinking, and cross-curricular skills in math and literacy, engaging students of all abilities through interactive, screen-free activities.
Teacher: Lindsay Hyden
Grade(s): PK,K,1,2,3,4,5
School: Nitro Elementary School
County: Kanawha
This project will engage K–5 students in hands-on STEM learning through a Robot Petting Zoo and a STEM Mini Golf Course, fostering creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and real-world application of engineering, coding, and design skills.
Teacher: Tiffany Sheets
Grade(s): K,1,2,3,4
School: Kingwood Elementary School
County: Preston
This project will equip K–4 teachers to integrate age-appropriate AI concepts into their classrooms through hands-on workshops, lesson design, and student projects, fostering engagement, creativity, critical thinking, and digital literacy.
Teacher: Tyler Bauer
Grade(s): 7,8
School: Fayetteville PK-8
County: Fayette
This project will transform Fayetteville PK-8’s outdoor walkway into an interactive art garden where students design and build STEAM-inspired installations celebrating local history, fostering creativity, community engagement, and year-round exploration.
Teacher: Wesley Monk
Grade(s): 6,7,8
School: South Charleston Middle School
County: Kanawha
This project will provide students with Jumbie Jams steel pan drums for a cross-disciplinary STEAM experience that integrates music, physics, cultural studies, and creative technology to promote hands-on learning, critical thinking, and cultural appreciation.
Teacher: Angela Nichols
Grade(s): 11/12
School: Clay County High School
County: Clay
The proposed EMT pilot program will provide high school juniors and seniors in Clay County with hands-on training, classroom instruction, and certification opportunities that prepare them for careers in emergency medical services and healthcare.
Teacher: Brittany Layne
Grade(s): 6,7,8
School: Guyan Valley Middle School
County: Lincoln
This project will modernize the student-run library within the Business Management CTE program at Guyan Valley Middle School by introducing a digital inventory and checkout system that builds students’ skills in technology, business operations, and customer service.
Teacher: Charles Krafft
Grade(s): 6,7,8,9,10,11,12
School: Clay-Battelle Middle/High School
County: Monongalia
This project will establish a broadcasting program that equips students living in rural areas with hands-on experience in video production, editing, and communications, expanding access to creative career pathways and postsecondary opportunities.
Teacher: Beth Roberts
Grade(s): 11,12
School: Webster County High School
County: Webster
This project empowers Webster County High School’s Health Science students to lead a peer-driven mental health and suicide prevention initiative that fosters awareness, belonging, and resilience through workshops, safe-space stations, resource toolkits, and community engagement.
Teacher: Jessica Loudin
Grade(s): 7,8
School: Point Pleasant Jr./Sr. High School
County: Mason
This project engages students in real-world crime-solving through lab experiments, case studies, and hands-on activities that build critical thinking, communication, and scientific skills in biology, physics, and chemistry.
Teacher: Jordan Leonard
Grade(s): 10,11,12
School: Spring Mills High School
County: Berkeley
This project enables students in Cross-Media Publishing and Social Journalism to create professional social media commercials for local businesses, gaining real-world media production experience while supporting community and economic development.
Teacher: Megan Bays
Grade(s): 10,11,12
School: Ben Franklin Career Center
County: Kanawha
This project will expand the Adventure Tourism program at Ben Franklin Career Center by introducing mountain biking as a hands-on learning experience that teaches students about outdoor recreation, trail management, and career opportunities in West Virginia’s growing tourism industry.
Teacher: Rachel Poling
Grade(s): 11,12
School: Fred Eberle Technical Center
County: Upshur
This project will use virtual reality technology to give students at Fred Eberle Technical Center immersive, personalized learning experiences across diverse healthcare fields, enhancing career exploration and skill development in therapeutic services.
Teacher: Tyler Bowen
Grade(s): 9,10,11,12
School: Spring Valley High School
County: Wayne
This project will transform the ProStart classroom into a STEAM-focused culinary lab where students conduct food science experiments and create educational videos that blend science, media production, and mentorship to build real-world, career-ready skills.
Teacher: Heather Hatfield
Grade(s): PK,K,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
School: Fort Gay PK-8
County: Wayne
This project will create a school mental health play therapy Room and implement Family Therapy Services to provide trauma-informed support for Pre-K through 8 students and their families, addressing emotional, behavioral, and relational well-being.
Teacher: Hillary Hulver
Grade(s): 9,10,11,12
School: West Virginia Virtual Academy
County: Kanawha
This project will create a flexible Math Escape Room experience that engages high school students and families in collaborative problem-solving to strengthen mathematical understanding and home-school connections.
Teacher: Melinda Franklin
Grade(s): PK,K,1,2,3,4,5
School: Talcott Elementary School
County: Summers
This project will expand the Ron Clark Academy House System by engaging students and parents in student-led community service initiatives that foster leadership, collaboration, and stronger home-school-community connections.
Teacher: Andrew Carroll
Grade(s): 9,10,11,12
School: Elkins High School
County: Randolph
This project will establish the Appalachian Documentary Lab @ Iron Horse Studios, where students will collaborate with award-winning filmmakers to create and showcase documentaries that amplify Appalachian stories and student voices through authentic visual storytelling.
Teacher: Charlie Hughes
Grade(s): 6,7,8
School: Marlinton Middle School
County: Pocahontas
This project immerses students in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream through virtual reality, interactive technology, live theater experiences, and creative performance, connecting classical literature to modern life through hands-on, imaginative learning.
Teacher: Erica Rodeheaver
Grade(s): 6,7
School: Mountaineer Middle School
County: Monongalia
This project will create a student-led podcasting studio where sixth graders connect literature and science through discussions of Restart and Concussion, building communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills while exploring themes of identity, empathy, and brain health.
Teacher: Tiffany Clemins
Grade(s): 8
School: Morgan County Schools
County: Morgan
This project will introduce a cross-disciplinary Appalachian Literature Awareness unit that empowers students to explore local culture and heritage through literature and technology, fostering literacy, digital fluency, and community engagement.
Teacher: Craig D Snider
Grade(s): 8,9,10,11,12
School: Notre Dame High School
County: Harrison
"Voices From The Hollow" engages students in exploring Appalachian folklore while using AI and multimedia tools to create a public-facing, interactive capstone project that integrates storytelling, technology, and cultural preservation.
Teacher: Jennyerin Steele-Staats
Grade(s): K,1,2,3,4,5
School: Ripley Elementary School
County: Jackson
The Jackson County Special Interest Fair will provide an inclusive, non-competitive platform for students with IEPs to explore and present passion-based projects, fostering creativity, self-expression, and essential academic and life skills.
Teacher: Sara Hill
Grade(s): 3,4,5
School: Ronceverte Elementary School
County: Greenbrier
This project will provide gardening supplies and adaptive tools to support an inclusive, hands-on program for students in special education programs, promoting sensory development, life skills, teamwork, and environmental learning.
Teacher: Sarah Dooley
Grade(s): K,1,2,3,4,5
School: Ruffner Elementary School
County: Kanawha
This project pairs elementary students with autism with cosmetology students to build relaxation, self-advocacy, and sensory-friendly hair care skills, while preparing future professionals to serve clients with sensory needs.
Teacher: Shannon Keesee
Grade(s): K,1,2,3,4,5
School: Wayne Elementary School
County: Wayne
This project will use Meta Quest 3 VR headsets and platforms like Floreo to provide immersive, personalized learning and therapeutic experiences that enhance communication, socialization, and life skills for students with special educational needs.
