Through the Georgia Teacher Initiative, the Georgia Foundation for Public Education has awarded grants between $500 and $2,500 in Teacher Grants for Innovation to Georgia public school teachers with an innovative project designed to improve learning outcomes and make a measurable impact on your student’s lives.
View Recipients from previous rounds by clicking the links below, or look below on this page to see recent Recipients.
Ms. Williams-Pittman will use the grant funding to develop and implement a student-led financial literacy curriculum tailored for high school seniors. This program will empower students to learn real-life personal finance skills by simulating common financial scenarios, such as budgeting, saving, investing, and understanding credit. Students will engage in project-based learning, analyzing case studies and role-playing financial decision-making, which they then translate into real-world applications and share through peer presentations and community workshops.
“Innovation in my classroom transforms learning into an active, student-centered experience. Through real-world simulations, technology, and collaborative projects, I make abstract concepts in personal finance and economics relevant and accessible. By incorporating gamification and data-driven tools, students practice financial decision-making in a risk-free environment, fostering both engagement and practical skill development. Innovation allows me to break away from traditional lectures, empowering students to become problem-solvers and critical thinkers. This approach not only enhances learning outcomes but also prepares students with the essential skills they need to confidently navigate real-life financial and economic challenges.”
Ms. Elam-Jack’s innovative project will teach students pottery-making using a pottery wheel to explore ancient civilizations and the lasting impact of these cultural advancements on modern society. Through hands-on practice, students will learn the techniques ancient cultures used to create pottery and how these objects served functional and symbolic roles in daily life. The project introduces a creative, experiential approach to learning history, blending art with historical inquiry to deepen understanding and appreciation of global cultures. This immersive method fosters critical thinking as students draw connections between past innovations, such as the pottery wheel, and their influence on modern technology, materials, and everyday objects.
“Innovation in my classroom plays a crucial role in fostering creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills among students. By integrating hands-on projects, like pottery-making, students engage in experiential learning that encourages them to explore historical contexts and cultural significance while applying modern techniques. This approach not only enhances their artistic skills but also helps them make connections between past and present innovations. By encouraging students to incorporate personal symbols and experiences into their work, I cultivate an environment where they can express their identities and perspectives, making learning relevant and impactful.”
Ms. Holland’s innovative project aims to enhance the practical teaching skills of future educators at Chattahoochee County High School by creating a hands-on, STEAM classroom for its new Teaching as a Profession Pathway. This project directly addresses the challenge of limited resources for aspiring teachers by providing essential materials like manipulatives and STEAM supplies. It empowers students by developing their teaching skills through real-world experiences, such as practicing lesson delivery in a supportive, simulated classroom environment and then sharing it with local elementary school students. This approach enhances traditional teacher preparation by emphasizing active, experiential learning over theory alone, better preparing students for success in their internships and future careers.
“Innovation in the classroom drives creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking. By integrating tools like 3D printers, robotics, and Snap Circuits, students are encouraged to explore, experiment, and design solutions to real-world problems. Innovation allows students to connect theory with hands-on learning, fostering an environment where failure is seen as a step toward improvement. For future teachers, innovation is crucial in transforming traditional methods into dynamic, interdisciplinary lessons that engage students in meaningful, project-based learning. This approach equips educators with the skills to inspire and prepare the next generation of problem-solvers and innovators.”
“Innovation is central to my teaching philosophy. I integrate hands-on, interactive tools like Snatoms to disrupt traditional learning methods, fostering a deeper understanding and greater enthusiasm for science. By continually adopting new approaches, I ensure that learning is dynamic, engaging, and tailored to meet my students’ needs effectively.”
“Innovation in my classroom plays a vital role in engaging students and enhancing their learning experiences. By integrating new technologies and creative methodologies, I encourage critical thinking and collaboration. For instance, using audio recording for podcasts fosters not only technical skills but also creativity and self-expression. Innovative practices, such as project-based learning and guest speakers, inspire students to explore real-world applications of their studies. This approach cultivates a dynamic environment where students feel empowered to take risks, explore diverse perspectives, and actively participate in their education, ultimately preparing them for future challenges.”
“Innovation in my class plays a crucial role in engaging students and enhancing their learning experiences. By incorporating hands-on, real-world projects like building electric race cars, students apply scientific concepts creatively and critically. Innovation fosters problem-solving, teamwork, and the ability to experiment and iterate, making learning more meaningful and dynamic. It allows students to connect classroom knowledge with real-life applications, sparking curiosity and preparing them for future STEM fields. Through innovative approaches, students become active participants in their education, developing the skills and mindset needed to tackle challenges in an ever-evolving world.”
Ms. Walker will implement a game-based learning lab where students play curriculum-based board games to promote inclusion and collaboration, especially for English Language Learners (ELLs). These games offer an interactive and low-pressure environment where ELL students can engage with both content and peers in a more social, meaningful way. Playing together fosters communication and teamwork, allowing students to practice English in authentic contexts without the fear of traditional classroom pressures.
“Innovation in the classroom is crucial because it allows teachers to be constantly learning and practicing new methods of learning in their classroom. Teachers that are open to innovation are working to best serve their students by being willing to try new methods and modes of delivery to reach all students regardless of background or ability. There is a common misconception that innovative teaching practices are best utilized in classrooms where students are performing at grade level expectations because there is freedom to try new things; I want to prove that all groups of students benefit from these practices.”
The Literacy Launch: Empowering Young Readers through Novel Study Sets project will revolutionize reading instruction in Ms. Munroe’s 3rd grade classroom by incorporating small group novel study sets. By providing diverse, engaging literature tailored to students’ reading levels and interests, this project targets the root cause of disengagement and limited comprehension. The program will foster personalized learning through collaborative discussions, where students can dive deep into texts, analyze characters, and explore themes in a way that traditional whole-class instruction does not allow.
“Innovation in my classroom means embracing creative, student-centered approaches that engage and empower learners. By incorporating flexible seating, personalized reading experiences, and hands-on learning, I create an environment where students feel valued and excited about their education. The Literacy Launch project exemplifies this by shifting away from traditional, one-size-fits-all teaching methods to a more dynamic, collaborative model with small group novel studies. This allows students to explore literature in depth, discuss ideas with peers, and take ownership of their learning. Innovation ensures that my students are not only prepared for academic success but also for lifelong curiosity and critical thinking.”
The Letters to Literacy: Supporting the Science of Reading program takes a revolutionary spin on phonemic awareness and phonics instruction. Through the use of hands-on manipulatives, students will have various tools to enhance their learning and make connections during classroom instruction. Getting away from the traditional way of teaching students how to read, The Letters to Literacy grant will provide teachers with Elkonin boxes, letter tiles, segmenting trays, dominoes and so much more. Through these manipulatives, students will interact with the letters and sounds and not have to visualize the information that is being taught.
“As the Instructional Coach, I will model for teachers how to use the manipulatives in small group instruction as well as in literacy stations. We are a Title 1 school in Monroe County, and many of our students only have access to the materials for reading that we have in our classrooms. Teaching students how to work collaboratively with these materials to enhance their learning as well as providing teachers with different approaches to their instruction to support the Science of Reading is key to student success.”
Inspired by the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss, Ms. Nies will implement The Dr. Seuss Fitness Stations to transform physical activity into a fun, imaginative experience for elementary students, addressing the root cause of inactivity—boredom and lack of engagement. Each station will incorporate vibrant characters and stories, making the exercise feel like a playful adventure. By tapping into children’s love for storytelling and imaginative play, the program makes physical activity exciting and accessible, creating a positive association with exercise. This inventive approach helps combat the rising issue of sedentary lifestyles in young students, encouraging regular participation and fostering a lifelong love for fitness in a way that feels like fun, not work.
“Innovation in my classroom transforms learning into an engaging, dynamic experience. By using creative approaches, like integrating storytelling with physical activity or technology with hands-on projects, I keep students motivated and excited to learn. Innovation allows me to tailor lessons to different learning styles, making education more inclusive and effective. It fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration while keeping students involved in their learning process. This inventive mindset enhances academic performance and builds confidence and a love for learning that extends beyond the classroom.”
“To demonstrate the role of innovation in my classroom, I’d like to provide several examples of student experiences from last school year. We participated in the Ford’s Theater Oratory Project after reading about Civil War heroes. We met virtually with an actress from Washington D.C. and performed Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. We took online field trips to the Badlands and Paul Revere’s House. We met the author and illustrator of the book Who Were the Tuskegee Airmen?and Lila Greer: Teacher of the Year. Just this year, several of my students won writing awards as part of the public library’s Litfest.”
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