CARROLLTON, GA — The Carrollton City Schools Education Foundation awarded 52 grants to teachers through the Instructional Excellence Grant program this year, with awards totaling close to $22,000.

The awards were announced in “Publishers Clearinghouse Prize Patrol” style, which included a team of foundation members and school administrators surprising the recipients in their classrooms. Grants were awarded to teachers at Carrollton High School, Carrollton Junior High, Carrollton Upper Elementary, Carrollton Elementary, and the Burwell School.

The Instructional Excellence Grant program began in 1994 with five teachers sharing $2,000 in funding. Nearly $300,000 in grants has been awarded through the program, which provides teachers a funding outlet to support instructional projects or programs that are not funded through traditional sources.

Teachers apply for the grants online at the beginning of the school year. A grants committee consisting of foundation board members and community representatives then reviews the applications and selects recipients.

This year, the grants will provide supplementary materials such as sewing machines for the Family and Consumer Science Class at CJHS, lego sets for chemistry students at CJHS, a broadcast booth for the CHS eSports team, and an interactive rug for CES kindergarten students.

“Our teachers do so much and have such creative ideas to take their classrooms to the next level. This funding allows them to purchase extra tools to enhance the classroom experience for their students,” said Kristen Gill, director of the CCS Education Foundation. 

Carrollton Upper Elementary School teacher Whitney Meigs received a grant that will help her students become pen pals with individuals at the Carroll County Training Center. Pictured with Mrs. Meigs are foundation board members, Superintendent Dr. Mark Albertus, CUES Principal Stacy Lawler, and students in her class.