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Monsanto Funds Grant Helps StartUp VEX Robotics at Heartland

December 16, 2018

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Heartland Community Schools WINs $10,000 grant

TO FURTHER STEM EDUCATION - thanks to local farmerS

Partnering with Farmers, America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Program Provides Rural Schools with about $2.3 Million in Grants to Enhance Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education

• America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education $10,000 grant will allow Heartland Community School, to startup a high school VEX Robotics program.
• Farmers from across the country nominated Grow Rural Education grant recipients, who were ultimately selected by the program’s Farmer Advisory Council.
• Since 2011, Grow Rural Education has worked with farmers to award more than $16 million in grants to rural public school districts.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. In 2018– America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education called on local farmers to nominate rural schools to receive nearly $2.3 million in grants to enhance their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs. Local farmers answered the call, and the Grow Rural Education program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer, has recognized Heartland Community High School in York County, Nebraska, with a $10,000 grant.

Heartland Schools is just one of the many success stories of the Grow Rural Education program. For each winning school, teachers, students and, oftentimes, community members work together to make STEM programs more engaging. Heartland High School will use the Grow Rural Education program funds to startup a high school VEX robotics program.

“Bayer is proud to support programs like America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, which has made such a tremendous impact in rural communities across the United States,” said Lisa Safarian, Bayer Crop Science North America. “These grants help drive awareness of career opportunities in agriculture and enhance STEM education for the students who are the next generation of our industry.”

To qualify for a Grow Rural Education grant, farmers nominated a public school district to compete for a merit-based grant of either $10,000 or $25,000.  Local farmers who nominated Heartland to apply for the grant included:   Jami Schmidt,  Lonnie Quiring, Brad Janzen, Jeremy Janzen, Grant Schmidt, and Amy Janzen.  Nominated school districts then submitted a grant application that outlined how they would use the funds to enhance their students’ STEM education. A panel of qualified teachers review the applications and narrow it down to the finalists. The program’s Farmer Advisory Council, consisting of approximately 30 farmer leaders from across the country, then select the winning school districts, including Heartland Community High School. 

“America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education is a special program because farmers play a key role in nominating local schools and selecting the grant winners,” said Al Mitchell, Monsanto Fund president. “Each year, countless school winners tell us that the Grow Rural Education grants make a positive impact in their classrooms. For some, the results are evident in student test scores, and many educators say their students are more excited about STEM courses.”

Since Grow Rural Education began in 2011, it has awarded more than $16 million to more than 900 school districts in rural communities across the United States. To view a complete list of winners or to learn more about the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program, visit GrowRuralEducation.com or follow along on Facebook at facebook.com/AmericasFarmers.

About America’s Farmers

The America’s Farmers campaign highlights the importance of modern U.S. Agriculture through communications and community outreach programs that partner with farmers to impact rural America. To learn more, visit America’s Farmers at www.AmericasFarmers.com.

On Friday night, October 8, 2018, Monsanto representatives, Tammy Ott, Lynn Gloystein, and Rob Miles presented the facsimile $10,000 check and plaque to Heartland teachers, Margalee Thomas, VEX robotics coach, and Stephanie Miller, Agriculture instructor.  Ten of eleven VEX Robotics students and two area farmers were also present for the award presentation.  Marc Regier will also be a VEX robotics coach this first year of the extra-curricular activity.

Heartland students want to thank the area farmers who nominated our school and encourage all York and Hamilton county farmers to continue to nominate, Heartland Community, or other area schools yearly.  Another part of Monsanto Fund organization rewards schools with $2,500 through America’s Farmers Grow Communities program.   These funds are also nominated from local farmers to school districts and may be used in any academic area that they designate.