Proudly Announcing our 2024-25 National Signature Project Award Recipients!

Each year, the National Rural Education Association (NREA) and Rural Schools Collaborative (RSC) accept applications for the National Signature Project Award (NSPA), a $2,500 grant awarded to an outstanding and innovative classroom project that exemplifies the very best in Place-Based Education. The National Signature Project Award is open to any rural classroom teacher in the United States.

Last year, RSC and NREA proudly funded three incredible rural teachers and projects. And, for the first time, RSC and the NREA are thrilled to award four additional rural teachers with $1,500 toward their individual Place-Based Education projects.

Rural Schools Collaborative and the National Rural Education Association are proud to announce Jessica McGuire of Oakes, North Dakota, as the 2024-25 National Signature Project Award recipient for her Place-Based project, "7th Grade Business Fair." RSC and NREA are also proud to announce our runner-ups for the 2023-24 National Signature Project Award! In no particular order, the NSPA runner-ups are Bradley Crider, of Wartburg Tennessee, Colleen Mette, of Parkston South Dakota, Jennifer Pratt, of Houston Mississippi, and Robyn Bonner, of Peck Idaho.

In addition to their place-based education awards, NREA and RSC will compensate all of the awardees' travel and registration fees for their attendance to The 2024 National Forum to Advance Rural Education - happening in Savannah, Georgia on October 31-November 1, 2024.

Learn about all five outstanding rural educators and more about their upcoming projects!

Jessica McGuire of Oakes, North Dakota -- National Signature Project Award Recipient

Jessica just concluded her 3rd year teaching junior high math at Oakes High School, a small rural school in North Dakota, and also her alma mater. Jessica recently started a small business on the side because of her love for baking. This small business is what sparked her classroom project for her 7th grade students.

When Jessica was in 5th grade, she participated in a business fair where students, with their parents' help, created products to sell. This experience left a lasting impression on her. Now, as a teacher, she adapted the concept for her 7th graders. In her version, students become small business owners. Over this cross-curriculum project, students will develop business ideas, create detailed plans including a business name, logo, product description, budget, and marketing strategies, and present these to a panel of community members. If approved, they receive a loan to bring their plans to life. Those less interested in business can take roles such as event manager or marketing assistant. This project offers a hands-on glimpse into entrepreneurship, preparing students for potential future business ventures and highlighting the importance of small businesses in rural communities. Small businesses are vital to the life of rural towns. This project gives students a glimpse into what it takes to own their own business and may even set them on a path towards doing that.

Bradley Crider, TN – National Signature Project Award Runner-Up Recipient

Bradley Crider, or Mr. C as he is more commonly known, began his teaching career in inner-city Houston, Texas in 2000. In 2023, after 24 years of teaching in the inner-city, Bradley decided he wanted a new challenge. Thus, he embarked into the world of rural education, partly in an effort to reconnect with his childhood roots.

Bradley’s Place-Based Education project, “Grow Our Own Fish Farm” will include stocking and maintaining a fish pond on school grounds. The project involves deepening the existing school pond and stocking it with local fish species, such as bluegill and smallmouth bass. Funds will be used to purchase scales, nets, and a water aerator. The project aims to provide students and faculty with practical experience in studying fish growth and water quality. Additionally, this project features partnership and collaboration with local Parks & Wildlife officers, and offers opportunities for engaging with the local community. Bradley will be working with a local expert, Stump Smith, to aid their project with his expertise and guidance. This initiative will enhance environmental education and community involvement for the students and the wider Wartburg community.

Colleen Mette, SD – National Signature Project Award Runner-Up Recipient

Colleen is a passionate educator, dedicated both to her students and her own personal development. In addition to being a loving mom, and educator, Colleen also has a passion for art, which she is excited to share with her students and community in her project, “Main Street Color Collaboration.”

Colleen’s Place-Based Education project will use art to transform the Main Street in their community. This project celebrates the town's agricultural roots, and brings together individuals from diverse backgrounds, including students, artists, farmers, historians, and community leaders, to collaborate on a shared artistic vision. Depicting rolling hills, bustling farmers' markets, and local animals, the artwork will create a colorful tapestry from sidewalk to sky. With the grant funds, local artists, volunteers, and community members will collaborate to bring this vision to life, led by Colleen and her students. The mural project will be inclusive and accessible to all students, providing a hands-on learning opportunity for participants of varying ages and skill levels. Local artists will also be invited to participate in the project, allowing students to engage in a real-world artistic endeavor under the guidance of a professional artist. This initiative will not only beautify Main Street but also showcase the town’s spirit and heritage. The community looks forward to coming together in this creative endeavor, making the town an even more special place to live.

Jennifer Pratt, MS – National Signature Project Award Runner-Up Recipient

Jennifer Pratt is a dedicated educator with over three decades of experience shaping young minds. As an alternative school teacher at the Houston Alternative School in Chickasaw County, Mississippi, Jennifer Pratt teaches a range of subjects to a diverse group of students in grades 6 through 12. Ms. Pratt has spent her entire career in education, all years at her alma mater of Houston High School.

The "Sow and Grow Sensory Garden" project is set to create a versatile, therapeutic space aimed at nurturing students' physical, mental, and academic well-being through hands-on interaction with nature. This sensory garden will help at-risk students improve their physical fitness, overall health, while also enhancing their intellectual abilities by developing coping skills and relieving stress. The skills and knowledge gained through this project will have wide-ranging practical applications, empowering students to lead healthier, more sustainable lives beyond school. By fostering ecological awareness, vocational skills, and intellectual growth, the sensory garden aims to transform students into ambassadors for nature-based education, ultimately cultivating a greener, healthier community. The garden will incorporate raised beds and smaller planters, allowing students to engage in all aspects of building and caring for the garden. The "Sow and Grow Sensory Garden" promises to be a cornerstone of educational and community development, showcasing the transformative power of nature-based learning.

Robyn Bonner, ID – National Signature Project Award Runner-Up Recipient

Robyn has been a teacher in rural schools for her 34 years in education. The last nine years she has been the teacher in a K-6 one room schoolhouse, Peck Elementary. Here she is the head teacher, nurse, secretary, financial manager, plumber, and is assisted by 3 paraprofessionals. Robyn says “I love my job, there is never a dull moment.” Robyn provides unique learning opportunities for her students, which sparked her “Community Chicken Coop” project idea.

Robyn will utilize the National Signature Project Award grant to expand the school’s Place-Based Education initiatives. The one room school serves 37 students and is a vital community hub. The current project includes a greenhouse where students have successfully planted over 350 seeds, with plans for a community-supported annual plant sale. The school also has a composting area utilizing food scraps from lunch to improve soil quality. The “Community Chicken Coop” grant will fund the addition of a chicken coop, enabling students to care for the birds hatched annually from a local bird preserve. This project will involve students in feeding, cleaning, and egg-gathering duties, fostering teamwork and responsibility. The coop will join the existing greenhouse and composting bin within a fenced area, with local volunteers assisting in the birds' care during weekends and school breaks. This initiative is particularly beneficial for students with trauma, as caring for animals has been shown to aid in the healing process. Additionally, fresh eggs will be sent home with students, enhancing their nutrition and teaching them valuable cooking skills. The grant will also support future plans for a community garden, providing fresh, organic food for the community, especially benefiting the area's many retired citizens. Peck Elementary School is a central gathering place, hosting activities such as building birdhouses and solar water stills, and this project will further strengthen community ties and educational opportunities.

We are thrilled to support Jessica, Bradley, Colleen, Jennifer & Robyn with their student-driven projects that connect their students to their rural community and place. Congratulations to these five outstanding rural educators!

Jessica McGuire, Bradley Crider, Colleen Mette, Jennifer Pratt and Robyn Bonner are part of the seventh annual National Signature Project Award cohort. The 2024-25 recipients are preceded by Kim McCully-Mobley, Will Miller & Carrie Guillaume as part of the sixth annual National Signature Project award cohort. The 2023-24 recipients included Lara Belice, Abby Jones and Chris Robinson as part of the fifth National Signature Project Award recipient cohort, following 2021-22 selection, Haley Salitros Lancaster of Lincoln High School in Vincennes, Indiana. In 2020 Connie Michael of Crow Agency Elementary on the Crow Reservation in Montana ​​was the National Signature Project Award recipient, and in 2019 Devon Barker-Hicks of Idaho, and in 2018 Andrea Wood, from Moorcroft, Wyoming.

Jessica McGuire will receive an award of $2,500, which will be applied to her incredible place-based project! This is the first year Rural Schools Collaborative and National Rural Education Association have awarded four additional projects, Bradley Crider, Colleen Mette, Jennifer Pratt and Robyn Bonner will be awarded $1,500 towards their individual place-based education projects.