Woodland Middle School Wins Innovation Fund Tiny Grant

EUHARLEE, GA — A Bartow County school is among six award winners for the state's Innovation Fund Tiny Grant program, which provides funds to traditional public schools, charter schools and school districts to implement small-scale programs that directly engage students.

“The Innovation Fund Tiny Grant connects educators with additional resources to implement innovative initiatives to improve student achievement,” Gov. Nathan Deal said Friday. “These grant proposals address critical areas in today’s educational environment and provide a foundation for educators to develop new strategies. I congratulate each of the award winners and I look forward to seeing the impact each Tiny Grant will have on the futures of students in Georgia.”

Woodland Middle School at Euharlee received $6,947.34 to partner with Georgia Power, Georgia Highlands College and other organizations to create a to create a science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) maker lab. The initiative will allow students to take part in hands-on activities designed to increase achievement and engagement.

Programs funded by Tiny Grants must align with one of three priority areas: applied learning with a focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education; development and replication of blended learning school models; and birth-to-age-eight language and literacy development. Grantees will evaluate the impact of the programs on student engagement and achievement and submit their findings to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement at the end of the grant period.

Grant recipients are:

Applied Learning with a Focus on STEAM Education

• Woodland Middle School, Bartow County Schools: Engaging and Achieving Through Maker Lab
• Statesboro High School, Bulloch County Schools: Using Virtual Reality to Teach Blueprint Reading & Design
• Metter High School, Candler County Schools: Metter High School Algebra I Graphic Design Logo Project
• Paulding County Schools: STEAM Resource and Development Innovation Lab

Birth-To-Age-Eight Language and Literacy Development

• Esther Jackson Elementary School, Fulton County Schools: Project SOAR
• Furlow Charter School, Sumter County Schools: Bilingual Book Project

The Innovation Fund invests in public education entities that develop and scale programs that enable Georgia educators to improve student performance and tackle our state’s most significant education challenges. In 2011, the Innovation Fund began as a $19.4 million grant competition created under Georgia’s Race to the Top Plan.

Since its inception, the Innovation Fund has invested more than $36 million of state and federal funding through grants to school districts, charter schools, postsecondary institutions and nonprofit organizations to pilot innovative education programs, ranging in focus from teacher and leader induction and development to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) applied learning, blended learning and birth-to-age-eight language and literacy development. More information about the Innovation Fund is available on the GOSA website.

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