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

Applications for the annual Classroom Innovation Grants^TM 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 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