TEACHER INNOVATION MINI-GRANTS
The WVPEC and Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation are providing funding and resources to help West Virginia teachers innovate, inform and inspire in their classrooms.
The WVPEC and Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation are providing funding and resources to help West Virginia teachers innovate, inform and inspire in their classrooms.
West Virginia teachers are exposing their students to new, innovative ways of learning through the WVPEC’s Teacher Innovation mini-grants program. After receiving 198 applications, 23 unique projects have been selected.
View Innovation Projects Read the Request for Proposals GuideProjects aim to improve academic outcomes and promote equitable learning.
Teacher: Jared Baker
Grade(s): Pre-Kindergarten,Kindergarten,1,2,3,4,5
School: Explorer Academy
County: Cabell
Students learn about various bird species, along with their habitats and behaviors, by participating in fun learning activities related to the live chickens that are raised at the school.
Teacher: Janet Cunningham
Grade(s): Kindergarten,1,2,3,4,5
School: Mary C Snow
County: Kanawha
Students explore the connections between STEAM and art by engaging in creative activities related to the upcoming solar eclipses.
Teacher: Sandra Cress
Grade(s): Kindergarten,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
School: Fairview Middle School
County: Marion
Students create interactive artwork that can be used as an instructional tool for younger students and develop greater appreciation for the use of visual art.
Teacher: Mrs. Michelle Farley
Grade(s): 6,7,8
School: South Middle School
County: Monongalia
Students engage in an aerial drone competition that hone their piloting, coding, communication, problem-solving and teamwork skills.
Teacher: Jennifer Reaves
Grade(s): Kindergarten,1,2,3,4,5
School: Mylan Park Elementary
County: Monongalia
Students develop computational thinking skills through integrated challenges involving VEX Robots.
Teacher: Samantha Haught
Grade(s): 9,10,11,12
School: Preston High School
County: Preston
Students learn more about West Virginia’s floods and flood protections by constructing their own models using a 3D printer and creating informational materials.
Teacher: Christy Hunt
Grade(s): 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12
School: Fall River Elementary (Current Home School)
County: McDowell
Students use various makerspace materials to recreate local historical landmarks and create products for sale that help raise funding for their school.
Teacher: Sandra Wiseman
Grade(s): Kindergarten,5
School: Woodsdale Elementary School
County: Ohio
Students use their imaginations to envision new superheroes that solve real-world problems by constructing 3D action figures and creating an eBook to publish and share with each other, their parents, an online audience, and the residents of the Peterson Rehabilitation Hospital.
Teacher: Vada Boback
Grade(s): Kindergarten
School: Hillsboro Elementary School
County: Pocahontas
Students learn about weather through various interactive experiences.
Teacher: Tyler Butts
Grade(s): 9,10,11,12
School: Spring Mills High School
County: Berkeley
Students learn about the importance of bees in agriculture by collaborating with Future Farmers of America to care for live beehives.
Teacher: Brittany Porter
Grade(s): 6,7,8
School: Guyan Valley Middle School
County: Lincoln
Students explore careers in broadcasting, journalism and production by creating their own daily show that delivers daily news, events and announcements from the GVMS students, staff and community.
Teacher: Margie Suder
Grade(s): 5,6,7,8
School: East Fairmont Middle School
County: Marion
Students delve into forensic science and criminal justice by participating in the investigative process, from evidence collection to mock trial.
Teacher: Brandy Lackie
Grade(s): 4,5
School: West Liberty Elementary School
County: Ohio
Students learn about small business and entrepreneurship by designing a 3D prototype to help solve problems facing local businesses while collaborating with Partners in Education and Community Businesses in West Liberty.
Teacher: Angela D. Abbott
Grade(s): 6,7,8
School: Winfield Middle School
County: Putnam
Students learn about small business and entrepreneurship by operating the “Generals Production Studio,” a simulated workplace that designs and prints materials for neighboring schools.
Teacher: Virginia Martin
Grade(s): 11,12
School: Wyoming County Career & Technical Center
County: Wyoming
Students with special needs learn about the workplace by operating a store that sells items from the school’s very own trade workshop (carpentry, welding, electrical, diesel, graphic arts, pre-engineering).
Teacher: Christa Miller
Grade(s): 2
School: Warwood School
County: Ohio
Students and their families engage in a series of after-school events that foster creativity and promote learning at home by collaborating with a children’s book author and the local library.
Teacher: Jill Stemple
Grade(s): Pre-Kindergarten
School: Rock Cave Elementary School
County: Upshur
Parents discover different ways that “loose parts,” or ordinary items found at home, can be used to increase STEAM and literacy skills during after-school family events.
Teacher: Jennifer Smith
Grade(s): Pre-Kindergarten,Kindergarten,1,2,3
School: Bunker Hill Elementary
County: Berkeley
Students gain access to a large collection of bilingual books in the school library, which supports students and families who are learning English as their second language while exposing native English speakers to diverse literature.
Teacher: Daric Piraino
Grade(s): 10,11,12
School: Keyser High School
County: Mineral
Students engage with the local community to research and produce a feature-length documentary highlighting the historical accomplishments of Mineral County residents.
Teacher: Holly Stillion
Grade(s): 6,7,8
School: Moundsville Middle School
County: Marshall
Teachers implement the Support for Personalized Learning (SPL) process by examining student performance data and making recommendations to improve school achievement in English Language Arts and Mathematics.
Teacher: Leigh Ann Hoffman
Grade(s): 4
School: George Ward Elementary School
County: Randolph
Students improve reading fluency and gain production experience by creating a reader’s theatre podcast for the school and local community.
Teacher: Rebecca Walton
Grade(s): Kindergarten,1,2,3,4,5
School: Peterson Central Elementary School
County: Lewis
Students with special needs develop independence and learn how to grow food by planting, maintaining and harvesting a garden that supplements the school’s lunch/snack program.
Teacher: Melissa Brammer
Grade(s): Kindergarten,1,2,3,4,5
School: Stratton Elementary
County: Raleigh
Students with special needs engage in augmented and virtual reality experiences that builds communication and adaptivity skills.