First Choice Power Classroom Innovation Grants

First Choice Power Classroom Innovation Grants provide resources to teachers with simply innovative and creative teaching ideas. We know teachers possess the power to engage the minds of their students. Providing tools and resources to teachers turns innovative ideas into excitement and learning for multitudes of students.

The First Choice Power Fund awarded $50,000 to provide Texas teachers additional tools for creative teaching.

Applications for the annual grants were due in March, and more than 50 teachers across the state applied. Texas teachers in communities served by First Choice Power applied.

Programs receiving funds for the coming 2008-09 school year are:

• Akiba Academy of Dallas, Dallas, Band2Band, Joe   Hirsch, $1,000
• Alvin High School, Alvin, Where Are the Fossils in my Fossil Fuel?, Catherine Ryan, $2,800
• Angleton Middle School, Angleton, Let There Be Light! … But Where Did it Come From?, Dalaine Pittman and Bryant Sutton, $2,800
• Aubrey Intermediate School, Aubrey, The Marvelous Mallet Express Adventure: Passport to Music Around the World, Rosemary Cummings, $2,800
• Challenger Elementary, Pearland, Math 21st Century Style, Lisa Hicks, $1,800
• Clifton Elementary, Clifton, Science Lab on Wheels, Zacha Gregory, $850
• Clifton High School, Clifton, Technology -- An Art Form as Well as a Career Path, Carla Williams, $2,700
• Crockett Middle School, Pecos, Going for Gold in the Classroom - Olympic Style!, Lucy Lara, $1,100
• Epps Island Elementary School, Houston, Picturing Reading Success, Melissa Buron, $2,400
• Gatesville Primary School, Gatesville, Bee-Bots To The Rescue!, Debbie Grmela, $1,500
• Grace School, Houston, Loving Literacy Bags, Debbie McColloch and Jill Halligan, $1,750
• Helen Edwards Early Childhood Center, Kaufman, Cameras For Kids, Khindra Kent, $2,000
• Kermit Jr. High, Kermit, How Far Can I Go?, Sylvia Michaelis, $2,800
• Odyssey Academy, Galveston, Striking the Chord of Achievement, Lauren McDaniel and Kim Mowbray, $2,800
• Odyssey Academy, Galveston, Odyssey Wild, Bobby Markle, $2,800
• Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic School, Richwood, Live Poets' Society, Laura Haffelder and Nancy Brewster, $2,400
• Our Lady Queen of Peace Regional Catholic School, Richwood, Tooth-riffic, Anne Cohea, $600
• Satori Elementary School, Galveston, Words To Read By, Nina Corley, $2,800
• St. Mary Catholic School, League City, The World is a Zoo, Kamala Bergeron, $2,700
• Sweeny Junior High School, Sweeny, Bulldog Books Online: Podcasting Literature, Kristen   McReynolds and Gina Raska, $2,800
• Walter Hall Elementary, League City, Capturing! Measuring! Collecting! Oh, My!, Robin Hillis, $1,200
• Westbrook Intermediate, Friendswood, Tex-Fest: Bringing the History of Texas Alive, Elizabeth Chapman, $2,800
• Whitney High School, Whitney, Environmental Grows Wings, Suzie Seibel, $2,800