RSC Announces 2026 Grants in Place Awardees

Rural Schools Collaborative is thrilled to welcome the 2026 cohort of Grants in Place awardees. Each year, the Grants in Place program awards rural educators from across the country with grants to foster Place-Based Education projects that connect their classrooms to their local communities. Grants in Place is facilitated through Rural Schools Collaborative’s Regional Hubs; whenever possible, RSC awards one grant per partner in our network. In addition to supporting teachers from within each hub, RSC awards a small number of national selections to educators from outside of our Regional Hub Network.

This year, thanks to a generous three-year grant from the Bezos Family Foundation to expand the Grants in Place program, RSC is honored to be able to support more teachers than ever before. This grant will support 100 innovative Place-Based Education (PBE) projects over the next three years to connect rural classrooms to their communities. Moreover, several of RSC’s partners have provided further support to make more projects within their regions possible– in total, they have contributed over $15,000 going to over ten additional educators. We are so grateful for the extra generosity from our Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, Oregon, and Southeast hubs.

We are honored to invite you to get to know our outstanding 2026 cohort and learn more about the Place-Based Education projects they will use to engage their students and communities this spring.

Appalachia: Keith Douglas

Keith Douglas serves as the Transition Coordinator for Weakley County Schools and has spent five years working in transition services. He brings over fifteen years of experience in special education, supporting students of all ages. In his current position, he helps students from 8th grade through age 22 get ready for life after high school. He believes real work-based learning is key to their future success.

Keith and his transition students at Westview will be growing a student-run microbusiness, Westview Wags and Tags, designing and making custom pet ID tags and preparing homemade dog treats, selling products to staff, families, and the local community. This project provides meaningful opportunities to build workplace, social, and life skills in a real world setting. Special education teachers and support staff will guide students in all project phases, offer support, visual aids, and coaching, and ensure student safety, involvement, and learning. Moreover, students will team up with the local CTE and Agriculture departments, which offer a dog grooming service. This hands-on project helps students reach transition goals by building skills in communication, teamwork, time management, money handling, and problem-solving, while maintaining flexibility and inclusivity for students of all ability levels.

Appalachia: Amanda Robinson

Amanda Robinson is the kindergarten through 6th Grade STEAM Teacher at Pikeville Elementary in Eastern Kentucky. As a 20-year veteran teacher, she has spent 17 of her years teaching 6th Grade Reading and the last three years in her current role as the elementary STEAM teacher. Amanda loves finding opportunities for her students to showcase their interests and skills and does so through her sponsorship of the Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) and FIRST Lego League Teams. She is excited to work with her STLP students, their 4th grade peers, and the physical education teacher to bring the “Growing Up Healthy” program to life.

Growing up Healthy will engage 4th and 5th grade students to learn more about and promote healthy lifestyles within their community. Students will investigate the issue of childhood obesity by analyzing local health data and exploring resources such as parks, grocery stores, and school cafeterias to understand how their environment influences wellness. They will collaborate with stakeholders– including families, healthcare providers, and local organizations– through interviews, surveys, and guest speakers, making direct connections between classroom learning and community realities. The project will culminate in student-created solutions, such as awareness campaigns, healthy menu proposals, or community events that promote physical activity. By engaging in local inquiry, building community partnerships, and designing authentic solutions, students see how they can positively impact their hometown while developing a deeper sense of connection, responsibility, and agency.

Arizona: Daisy Mills

Daisy Mills serves as the Title IV Coordinator at El Capitan High School, bringing more than 20 years of teaching experience. She is known for her dedication to student growth and community engagement with a passion for creating meaningful learning opportunities. Outside of school, she enjoys gardening and traveling. Ms. Mills’ goal is to connect students with hands-on, transformative learning experiences that instill local pride and promote a deeper understanding of the world around them.

Daisy’s project, Community Wide Talent Show, seeks to strengthen community connections, celebrate diversity, and provide an inclusive platform for expression in Colorado City. Talent shows bring people of all ages and backgrounds together in a positive, family-friendly environment, fostering a sense of pride and belonging. For Daisy’s students, it creates opportunities to showcase skills, build confidence, and develop leadership and teamwork skills through performance, planning, and production roles. The Student Council will play key roles in planning, coordinating, and marketing the talent show, while meeting El Capitan High School’s mission of empowering students to be active contributors to their community.

Arkansas & Delta: Jacqueline Johnson-Cox

Jacqueline Johnson-Cox is the EAST Facilitator for the Marvell-Elaine School District. This is her first year as EAST Facilitator but she has served in several other capacities within the district for the last five years including Media Specialist, Librarian and Federal Secretary. She is dedicated to advancing scholars and exposing them to new opportunities that support their growth. She is committed to expanding opportunities for scholars and fostering innovative, hands-on learning. Outside of work, she enjoys helping others and building strong community connections.

Jacqueline is excited to lead the Better Together: Connecting Community and Technology project. Through Better Together: Connecting Community and Technology in EAST, Jacqueline seeks to bridge the gap facing her students in advanced technology and enrichment opportunities. Students will identify challenges within the community, and collaborate to develop technology-based solutions. Examples may include designing digital media to support local businesses, creating interactive projects that preserve the area’s agricultural heritage, or developing public service campaigns that address issues such as health, environment, or education. They will research, plan, and implement projects that serve real audiences, while building critical skills in communication, teamwork, and emerging technologies. Just as importantly, students will gain pride in knowing their work benefits their own community– strengthening the bond between school and place.

Arkansas & Delta: Laterica Burton

Laterica Burton is an Art Teacher at KIPP Blytheville College Preparatory School, now in her second-year teaching art. She has worked with children for over ten years, including three years in a public-school setting, and recently completed her master’s program, earning her fifth degree. Laterica is a 2025 Arkansas Teacher Corps fellow. She enjoys decorating, designing events and putting together creative projects. Laterica is excited to support Art Roots by helping students explore local culture and create meaningful, community-inspired artwork.

Laterica’s project, titled Art Roots: Growing Creativity in Our Community, will engage students grades K-6 to create murals, mixed-media pieces, and public art installations that reflect Bytheville’s heritage. As part of their project, students will explore Blytheville’s history, geography, and cultural identity through art. They will collaborate with and learn from local artists and community members, fostering intergenerational learning and civic pride. As a result of this project, student artwork will be displayed in public spaces– libraries, parks, and local businesses– turning the town into a living gallery of youth expression.

Black Belt: Cassandra Williams Allen

Cassandra Williams Allen is an educator and community leader serving students in the Alabama Black Belt. She teaches computer science, data analytics, and business education at Francis Marion School, where she also coaches robotics, advises FBLA, and sponsors student organizations. A recent graduate with a master’s degree in Collaborative Special Education (6–12), Cassandra is committed to creating inclusive learning environments that honor students’ backgrounds, strengths, and needs. Her approach to teaching centers on place-based learning, digital literacy, and real-world experiences that build confidence and career readiness. She believes every child deserves access to high-quality opportunities– no matter their zip code.

Code & Cultivate: Expanding Our Outdoor Classroom builds upon Francis’ Marion’s raised garden bed project from 2023-24 to integrate technology into the sustainable outdoor classroom. Students will use coding and data analysis to manage and improve the garden’s efficiency, and program microcontrollers and sensors to monitor soil moisture, temperature, and sunlight, then automate irrigation using the collected data. The addition of water barrels, hoses, and geo-textile barriers will create a foundation for a future smart greenhouse model that conserves water and prevents soil erosion, all while providing greens, herbs, and vegetables that will support classroom nutrition lessons and be shared with local families. Students will gain technical and digital skills while solving real-world challenges in an interdisciplinary environment.

Colorado: Sabra Sowell-Lovejoy

Sabra Sowell-Lovejoy is an enthusiastic educator with 26 years of experience, inspiring students in grades five through eleven in English, science, social studies, and food production. Her passions for local history, writing, food, and hands-on learning truly seamlessly integrate as she connects culture with food. With a Master of Fine Arts fueling her creativity, Sabra empowers her students to explore the world holistically while appreciating their home in meaningful ways. Her commitment to education fosters curiosity and connections, making learning a purposeful journey.

Sabra’s project, The Heritage Harvest: From Local Roots to Modern Recipes, is an interdisciplinary unit that connects students to their local environment and community history through the lens of food. Students will spend time foraging for local edible plants, planting and cultivating a school garden, and researching the region's culinary past. Their research will involve both textual analysis in historical cookbooks and local archives, and through primary source interviews with family and community members, connecting students to Colorado’s culinary identity. To conclude the project, students will produce and publish a recipe book, utilizing skills in photography, writing, and digital publishing, which will be available in the school and county libraries.

Driftless Region: Paula Tonn

Paula Tonn is the Middle and High School Librarian for the School District of Lodi in southern Wisconsin. She is in her 20th year in education. She feels that most of life is best experienced outdoors (in all seasons!), which is why she is excited to bring further infrastructure to Lodi’s School Forest. These improvements will aid in the District Forest Team's goal of every student learning in the outdoor classroom at least once a year.

Paula’s Place-Based Education project, School Forest Accessibility, centers around continuing to make the School District of Lodi Forest an accessible and valuable resource for students within their community. The Lodi School Forest is a living classroom where students connect academic content to the land, and have engaged in projects to remove invasive species, conduct teambuilding and social-emotional learning exercises, practice outdoor skills, and engage in natural play. By building permanent bathrooms and an informational kiosk on the property, students will continue to see themselves as caretakers of the land and ambassadors for their own learning.

Illinois: Pam Schneider

Pam Schneider is a middle school science and math teacher at Tonica Grade School in Tonica, IL. This is Pam’s 10th year of teaching. Outside of school, Pam enjoys gardening, reading and spending time with her children and grandson. Pam is looking forward to building and maintaining a garden with her students where the surplus can be shared with the community.

Pam’s Community Garden project will engage Tonica’s K-8 students to create a vegetable and flower garden at their school. The vegetable garden will provide food for those in need, and community members will also be welcomed to help in the garden. Additionally, students will create a pathway flower garden, where community and business members could donate benches in remembrance of a loved one. In addition to helping plant, weed, and harvest the produce, students will research soil, climate, and other factors to help choose the best selections to plant. In a small rural farming community, the project will relate to students’ backgrounds while giving them valuable skills that they can take into their adult life.

Illinois: Dr. Ruth Owusu-Ansah

Dr. Ruth Owusu-Ansah (EdD) is a dedicated high school special education teacher in the Bushnell Prairie-City Community Unit School District #170. Before relocating to the United States, she spent 16 years teaching in her home country of Ghana, West Africa, where she developed a strong foundation in instructional practices, student support, and inclusive education. She currently teaches Pre-Algebra, Practical Math, and Science to high school students receiving special education services. This is her first time receiving a student-centered award, and she views it as an opportunity to celebrate student voice and strengthen her connection with the school community.

Ruth’s project, Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurship Through Math, will engage high school special education students in a hands-on experience where they will research local needs and create a small business or service while integrating mathematics, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. Students will learn to apply key math concepts– such as budgeting, pricing, profit/loss, and percentages– through the creation and operation of a small student-run business that serves the local community, connecting students to local businesses, artisans, and markets. By connecting classroom math instruction to tangible, local applications, students will see how their skills contribute to community well-being and personal independence.

Indiana: Andrea Duncan

Andrea Duncan serves as a second grade Instructional Assistant at MSD of Shakamak and brings five years of experience fostering foundational literacy and math skills in young learners. As a member of Friends of Shakamak State Park, she is deeply connected to local conservation efforts. She enjoys exploring the park’s trails and sharing her passion for giving back to our community. Andrea is excited to help students take on real-world stewardship roles through this project.

Through Lakers in the Park: Education, Engagement, and Environmental Stewardship, Andrea’s project will blend STEM learning with environmental stewardship and community engagement. Rooted in the unique natural and cultural resources of Shakamak State Park, a central feature of the project is the construction of a new accessible boardwalk that will protect sensitive wetland areas and improve visitor access. Moreover, students will design, update and install informational signage that educates visitors about the park’s ecology, wildlife, and history. Students will research content, design visuals, and collaborate with park staff to ensure that signage is accurate, engaging, and accessible, and they will also restore the community book libraries located in the park. In addition to direct service, students will design and lead community engagement opportunities such as guided nature walks, seasonal festivals, and “student showcase days” where they share their projects with the public.

Iowa: Matthew Beatty

Matthew Beatty is a 4th grade teacher at Edgewood-Colesburg Elementary. He has worked a total of ten years in elementary education, split between 4th grade and ELL. Throughout his time in education, Matthew is always looking for ways to connect students’ learning with the world around them. A few years ago, Matthew gained interest in starting a podcast, but wasn't quite sure where to start. After he started having his 4th graders reach out to local businesses to interview them about change and continuity last year, he knew that would be a great opportunity to start a podcast around the same topic! Matthew looks forward to allowing students to take part in a project that will capture our local voices and stories for years to come!

Matthew’s students will use the Roots & Voices: Exploring Change and Continuity in Our Community project to connect with the people, businesses, and traditions that shape their rural community. Using a lens of change and continuity over time, the students will research, conduct interviews, script episodes, and produce a podcast series that shares local stories and preserves them for future generations. The podcast series will include interviews with community members, business owners, and local leaders to create digital stories that highlight our shared history. An outdoor learning space will serve as both a recording studio and a classroom that connects learning to the natural world. This dual focus– technology and environment– will foster creativity, curiosity, and civic pride as students gain a deeper appreciation for where they live and the people who make it thrive.

Kansas: Chelsy Champlin

Chelsy Champlin is an Agricultural Teacher and FFA Advisor at Dexter High School. She has taught agriculture for 13 years in south-central Kansas and launched Dexter’s ag program in 2019. Chelsy and her family raise beef cattle, poultry, and enjoy gardening, while staying active in the local community and 4-H. She looks forward to implementing this student-led project and its lasting impact on Dexter students.

Chelsy’s project, Farm to Fork– Chickens, will immerse students in the world of raising poultry and connect them to local food systems. With a focus on animal science and sustainable farming practices, the project will encourage significant research on animal care requirements, agricultural suppliers, and will engage students directly in the care and maintenance of growing chickens as students monitor chick growth, behavior, and health. Farm to Fork– Chickens will build skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork, while fostering a deeper understanding of where food comes from and the responsibilities of animal caretakers as students form authentic connections between classroom learning and the local agricultural community.

Mississippi: Melanie Davis-Hardy

Melanie Davis-Hardy is a sixth-grade science and mathematics instructor at Yazoo County Middle School in Yazoo City, MS. With thirty-one years of experience, Mrs. Hardy earned both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Elementary Education from Mississippi College. She has advanced her education through participation in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum's Teacher Innovator Institute, Western Kentucky University’s STEM Scholars Program, and the University of Mississippi’s Science Leadership Academy. A proponent of inquiry-based, hands-on learning, Mrs. Hardy is enthusiastic about engaging her sixth-grade students in studying the Mississippi River through various data-driven, art-based projects.

Through Warriors of the Mississippi River, Melanie and her 6th grade students will integrate art, history, language arts, and science as they explore the nearby Mississippi River. Collaborating with federal, state, and county agencies, students will explore the river’s history, assess water quality, and become advocates for its preservation. The project will include visits to the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum and the Vicksburg National Military Park. In addition to traditional metrics of data reporting, they will also share their learning through art, such as pour paintings and weaving, which will be displayed throughout the school as they foster pride, environmental stewardship, and civic engagement.

Missouri: Laura Latham

Laura Latham serves as a dedicated staff member at Moniteau County R-V, bringing four years of experience to her role. She has been instrumental in helping spearhead the program and curriculum for this project, contributing both leadership and insight. Laura’s passion for gardening and farming fuels her commitment to hands-on, meaningful learning experiences. She is excited to expand hands-on learning even further through this project.

In creating School Farmstead, Laura’s K-8 students will design and establish a hands-on agricultural learning space. The student-managed field will prioritize crops, which students will plant, help grow, and harvest, providing a platform for students to learn about agriculture, sustainability, and food systems. Their produce will go directly towards supporting Moniteau County R-V’s summer community produce stand, which provides free, nutritional, local food to those who need it within the community. Moreover, when possible the harvests will be utilized in school meals, fostering pride for their hard work and local agricultural heritage while developing a lasting understanding of sustainability, community service, and the importance of caring for the land.

Missouri: Nathan Hensley

Nathan Hensley is a first year agriculture education teacher at Crane High School. He teaches a variety of agriculture-related classes such as natural resources, vet science, agriculture construction, landscaping, and so much more! Mr. Hensley is passionate about educating students on the field of agriculture and its importance in today’s society. Outside of school he enjoys working with his hands, being outside, and being around his wife and family. Nathan is excited to introduce this project this upcoming spring to his students and see where they take this opportunity to.

Designed to identify and address a vital issue, Learning by doing: finding the solution to food insecurity will empower students to learn more about the food system and actively produce healthy foods to share with community members in need. Students will build raised beds to grow fall and summer vegetables, construct a poultry coop for egg and meat production, and design fencing and stalls for larger farm animals. Moreover, students will interview community members and explore what nutritional gaps those in the community are facing, and will select crops to reflect those needs. The hopeful end result is a community food drive, where students can prepare meal baskets, make meals directly, and distribute those as they are able to.

Missouri: Kim Walter

Kim Walter is an early education teacher at Bishop Hogan Memorial School. She has been teaching at BHMS for six years and brings her passion for early childhood learning to every lesson. As a master gardener herself, Kim hopes to nurture that same love of growth in her students—showing them the wonder of watching tiny seeds take root, thrive, and flourish. Through exploration and discovery students learn best, and the outdoor classroom provides the ideal setting to immerse these kiddos in the natural world, while deepening their understanding of the surrounding ecosystem, bringing families and the community together in growth.

Kim’s KinderGarden Seeds of Curiosity: Little Explorers Outdoor Classroom & Nature Play Project will create a permanent outdoor learning environment, specially designed for preschool and kindergarten students, transforming an unused outdoor area into a vibrant, hands-on classroom that encourages exploration, discovery, and environmental stewardship. The project will install raised bed gardens, plant pollinator habitats, construct nature play materials, creating a space for young learners to engage with the natural world and integrate science, literacy, and math into their time outside. The space will also foster family and community involvement, including a year-end ‘Nature Fair,’ connecting classroom experiences to the broader community and giving all a tangible appreciation for stewardship, sustainability, and belonging.

Montana: Billie Eppinger

Billie Eppinger is the lead teacher at Evergreen Kids Corner with over a decade of experience in early childhood education. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in PreK–3rd Grade Education and is passionate about place-based learning. Outside of teaching, she enjoys paddle boarding Montana’s lakes, identifying plants on forest strolls, and exploring the Bitterroot Valley with her family. Her current classroom focus is helping children understand the importance of giving back to their community through acts of service, including making and delivering pies for nonprofit fundraisers.

Through her project, From Garden to Table: Little Chefs of the Bitterroot, Billie and her students will explore the food cycle rooted in their rural Montana community. These young learners will practice planting, growing, and harvesting food, keep journals, and learn skills in safe food preparation. Acting as active participants, they will help design the garden layout, choose which vegetables to plant, and take responsibility for caring for their plants through daily watering, weeding, and observation. Students will also visit local farms, fostering connections to the local agricultural community. The project will culminate in a harvest celebration, where families and community members will be invited to share in a meal prepared by the students, view their garden journals, and celebrate the bounty of the Bitterroot valley.

New England: Megan Phillips

Megan Phillips is the Grades 3/4 Teacher at Brightfield School for Place-Based Education in Bath, Maine. Her teaching over the past 20 years has been grounded in classrooms, on farms in Maine, and in wilderness-based contexts. As a long-time horsepower farmer/logger and an avid fiber artist and carpenter, her interest in traditional tool use is both personally relevant and a unique lens through which to explore regional history alongside her students.

Tools Through Time is an immersive project where 3rd and 4th grade students will use the lens of tools to explore the history of their region. First, students will construct their own pack baskets, and explore how the pack basket serves as an important part of the indigenous history in the area. As the unit progresses, students will study forces and motion through tools, investigating simple machines. Moreover, the project will facilitate visits to museums and maker-spaces to see tools in past and present uses, highlighted by spending a day in a preserved one-room school house. Finally, students will read historical books set in the 1800s to see how historical literature features tools as students write their own stories. Throughout the unit, students will engage in a hands-on and practical study of Maine’s past and present, fostering connections between themselves and the cultural heritage and assets of their community.

North Dakota: Sarah Morin

Sarah Morin is a 6th-grade teacher at Solen Public School District, where she has taught for 14 years. She integrates culture, creativity, and hands-on learning into her classroom and has experience leading STEM and arts-based projects through Sunday Academy and school initiatives. Outside of teaching, she enjoys crafting and designing student-centered activities. Sarah is excited to launch a place-based Craft Club that celebrates community, culture, and creativity.

By creating Craft Club, Sarah seeks to connect students with the culture, history, and natural resources of south-central North Dakota through hands-on making. The club will serve as both an artistic outlet and an educational opportunity by weaving together traditional crafts, modern creative expression, and place-based learning. Students will explore crafts rooted in the region– such as beadwork, textile design, woodworking, and recycled-material art– while learning about the local stories, values, and environments that inspire these practices. That learning will be built upon community partnerships with local artisans, elders, and artists. Students will culminate the project by creating murals, decorative items, and community displays that will strengthen their sense of belonging, creativity, and pride of place.

Northern California: Logan Silva

Logan Silva has taught for fifteen years in middle school, high school, and colleges in Northern California. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his children, read, and travel. For the last eleven years he has taught at a small rural school in Potter Valley, CA. Go Bearcats!

Logan’s 12th grade students will spend the spring semester engaging in Native American Art Exploration, investigating drawing, painting, basket making, beadwork, and sculpture. Through hands-on projects, students will explore various artistic techniques and materials, culminating in the creation of a Pomo-inspired basket with guidance from local Pomo artists. Students will also examine the sociopolitical, cultural, and historical contexts of Native American art. The project will integrate field trips, guest speakers, and experiential learning, with materials drawn from books, academic articles, websites, and oral histories. Native American Art Exploration will provide a deep, immersive experience in Native American art, blending traditional and contemporary perspectives while engaging with local artists and community leaders, giving students a greater appreciation for Indigenous artistic expressions and their historical significance.

Northern Rockies: Bre Cretser

Bre Cretser is a 4th and 5th grade teacher at a rural public charter school in Donnelly, ID. This is her 4th year at the Mountain Community School, and 7th year in education. Ms. Bre has a passion for bringing place-based inquiry projects to the classroom. She believes in giving students autonomy over their learning and that there is no idea too big. When not in the classroom, you can find Ms. Bre guiding educational rafting trips on the Salmon River, playing in the mountains with her husband Josh and dog Rio, or relaxing with a good book.

Bre’s project, Salmon at School, will be an immersive deep-dive into the Chinook Salmon. Students will serve as aquatic-culturists and hatchery technicians, raising 50 salmon eggs in their classroom, taking responsibility for the care and development of the fish. Nez Perce Tribe members will visit the school to teach about their cultural connection to salmon through storytelling, and biologists will provide in-class presentations on salmon anatomy, life cycles, and the many environmental challenges salmon face. The unit will also explore Idaho history through the lens of the Nez Perce and how westward expansion affected their ability to harvest salmon today. To finish the project, the class will travel to the Salmon River and take part in a salmon release ceremony with the Nez Perce Tribe, part of a camping trip learning about the region’s ecology and cultural history.

Oregon: Stacy Durych

Stacy Durych is the head teacher at Seneca Elementary School, where she teaches kindergarten through sixth grade in a rural multi-age setting. She holds a Bachelor of Administration with an emphasis in Accounting, a Waldorf Teaching Certificate, and an Administrative Leadership Certificate, and is completing her Master’s in Education. Stacy is leading Seneca’s 2000–2025 Historical Timeline project, integrating student artwork, community history, and Paiute language.

Through The Seneca Story Walk: Art, Language, and Living History, Stacy and her K-6 students will expand the school’s long-standing historical timeline art project to include the years 2000–2025, while adding a new layer of cultural and linguistic integration with the Burns Paiute Tribe. Students will research events from the past 25 years, paint new canvases, and write updated historical placards. Additionally, students will incorporate Paiute language and cultural elements into the project, selecting Paiute words connected to each painting, practice pronunciation, and collaborate with Paiute elders and language keepers to ensure authenticity and respect. Bilingual placards will feature both English and Paiute, while QR codes will link to recordings of Paiute speakers and short student-created videos, allowing visitors to see, hear, and engage with the language in context. This project seeks not only to honor Seneca’s past but also to strengthen present-day cultural connections, inspire pride in students, and leave a lasting educational and cultural resource for years to come.

Oregon: Jocelyn Paris

Jocelyn Paris is the Deeper Learning Projects TOSA at Chenowith Elementary School. She has been in education for almost 3 decades and loves seeing kids learning through hands-on projects. Outside work she can be found hiking with her wife and three dogs, climbing up rock faces, or enjoying a relaxing sit on her deck. Jocelyn is so excited for her new role in bringing students and teachers into the world of deeper learning through projects.

Jocelyn’s Pollinator Garden project focuses on investigating and supporting the monarch butterfly, empowering her 5th grade students to learn more about their local environment while helping a species in need. The students will study all aspects of the monarch’s life cycle and needs, and assess how changes to the ecosystem from wildfire and development have threatened the milkweed and other native perennial plants that the monarch relies upon for food and reproduction. After planting a garden with milkweed, the students will collaborate with the pottery teacher to produce informational clay signage, and they will help teach the younger grades about the plants and butterflies that populate the school grounds. To extend the project beyond school grounds, the unit will also include visits to local natural areas to allow students to assess and study species in the Columbia River Gorge area.

Oregon: Ashlie Sorestad

Ms. Ashlie Sorestad teaches science, social studies, and art to grades 6–8 at Mosier K–8 Community School. She has 15 years of middle‑level teaching experience and specializes in hands-on, place‑based projects that combine science, engineering, and community collaboration. This is her first year teaching science at Mosier, and she is thrilled to journey alongside students as they explore sustainability through the Mosier School Compost & Soil Health Project. Grateful for the grant, Ms. Sorestad is focused on guiding students to turn cafeteria waste into nutrient‑rich soil to feed the K–5 community garden and help close the loop of sustainability, and she welcomes community partners and families to join and support the project.

In her project From Lunch to Life: The Mosier School Compost & Soil Health Project, Ashlie hopes to make science tangible and real for her students by building lessons around the Mosier Community School’s food system. First, students will study and measure the food thrown away at lunch every day in school, and then design a compost system that fits the school’s needs. Students will monitor the composting process, test soil samples, and use what they learn to teach others about sustainability and the science of decomposition. Ashlie plans to connect with local waste management, farmers, and Oregon State Extension staff as students engage experientially by measuring, building, testing, and refining a composting system that directly impacts their school. Overall, the project fosters civic engagement by reducing waste and modeling sustainability practices that benefit the broader Mosier community.

Rural Schools Collaborative is deeply appreciative of The Roundhouse Foundation, which provided support for two additional place-based grants this spring in our Oregon Hub.

Ohio: Desiree Beekman

Desiree Beekman is a Gifted Instructional Specialist employed by the Ross-Pike Educational Service District with instructional placement in Scioto Valley Local Schools. With 24 years of experience, she brings deep knowledge of gifted education and Appalachian culture to her work. Outside of school, she co-owns and operates Napier Family Farms, where she raises Nigerian Dwarf, Pygmy, and Pygora Fiber goats. Desiree is excited to support students’ growth while guiding their understanding of Appalachia through this project.

Desiree’s project, Voices of Appalachia: A Student Podcast, will be a place-based podcast series developed to foster a relationship and tell stories between the present and the past as students engage with community members. The goal of the podcast series is to produce a product that provides insight and perspective into the positive cultural differences that foster successful Appalachian communities, and to serve as a resource that can be used to overcome stereotypes. Students will research, plan, and produce a podcast series exploring topics related to their Appalachian heritage, community life, and the environment. They’ll engage in interviews, research oral history, analyze local issues, and publish their episodes on a shared platform or school website.

Ohio: Jennifer Buckler

Jennifer Buckler is the STEAM and Career Development teacher at Western Local Schools in Latham, Ohio, with more than 20 years dedicated to supporting rural education in Pike County. She is passionate about grant writing, organizing community-connected learning events, and creating innovative, hands-on experiences for her students. Outside the classroom, she operates a Boer goat farm, runs her own photography business and loves spending time with her family.

Jennifer and her students will be creating STEM to Stem: The Cut Flower Collective. This project will bring together STEAM students in grades K-6 with the 7-12 Vocational Agriculture program to design, grow, and manage a school-based fresh cut flower business. Younger students will begin by exploring plant science through hands-on investigations, seed starting, and hydroponic systems, while the older students will guide and mentor them in greenhouse management, raised bed gardening, and sustainable growing practices. Together, these cross-grade partnerships will provide authentic opportunities for collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving. They will track plant growth data, create artistic signage, and apply math skills to calculate production costs and profits. As the flowers bloom, students will design and market bouquets, sell them at local events and the school farmers market, and donate arrangements to community organizations such as nursing homes and hospitals.

Southeast: Yesica Díaz

Yesica Díaz is a Spanish middle school teacher at Bertie County Middle School. Originally from Colombia, she previously taught English to primary students there and still keeps in touch with some of them. This is her fifth year teaching but the second year sharing her culture in the US with her students. She is excited to reconnect with her former students through a project that allows her current and former students to mentor and practice Spanish and English together.

Yesica and her students at rural Bertie Middle School will engage in a cross-cultural exchange with students in Colombia during their project, From My Classroom to Yours. Students will exchange letters, videos, and engage in virtual meetings to share aspects of their daily lives, traditions, schools, and communities, both developing students' own understanding of place while fostering empathy, global awareness, and appreciation for diversity. Students will compare agriculture, music, food, and traditions in both regions, discovering common values and unique identities. Using the Spanish language as a bridge, they will work collaboratively on a final project that highlights what they have learned about each other’s culture and identity.

This year, Rural Schools Collaborative was able to support three additional Grants in Place awards to teachers outside of our Regional Hubs.

Michigan: Susan Nielsen

Susan Nielsen is executive director of CAPE and lead teacher of the HIVE (Hub for Innovative Ventures in Education). She believes that an inspiring environment fosters new ideas, collaborations, and energy necessary for success. She regularly inspires hundreds of students and families to think and act creatively in pursuit of their passions and dreams. Launching the Human Library project with her students will be one of the ways she fulfills this belief and she cannot wait to get started! Outside of work, you can find Susan spending time with her son, her three cats, and taking thoughtful walks in the great outdoors.

Susan’s project will grow an existing project, Human Libraries: Crossing the Divide, to build upon the essential foundation of connecting students with elders within the community. For an hour, without phones or screens, high school students prepare and ask questions to learn more about their local community through the rich experiences and perspectives of elders who are excited to share. The conversations are built around certain themes, including local history, geography, and career exploration. This process builds interpersonal skills around meeting new people, active listening, and asking questions while fostering better understanding of the world around them. The project will culminate in a time capsule, where the students preserve their own experiences and moment in time for future generations to explore.

Nebraska: Abby Jones

Abby Jones is a Spanish and Pathways to Success teacher at Gibbon High School. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish, translation and interpretation, psychology, and secondary Spanish education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and a master’s in curriculum and instruction from Black Hills State University. With over 20 years of experience guiding students, including more than 100 first-generation seniors, she enjoys traveling and connecting learning to the community. Abby is excited to lead The Compass Project, helping seniors chart their future paths.

The Compass Project: Finding Our Future Direction is a self-guided initiative that helps seniors as they take intentional steps toward their futures while staying connected to their community. Students complete the points on the compass and find waypoints, such as job shadowing, service projects, visit a post-secondary campus, or earn a job certification. The Compass Project is a community-connected experience, where students engage with local leaders, organizations, and alumni, making it both preparation for the future and a celebration of place. The opportunities provided ensure everyone, including first-generation and high-poverty students, gain meaningful experiences and level the playing field by making sure every senior graduates with both exposure to wider opportunities and a deeper sense of belonging in their rural community.

Utah: Maggie Grindstaff

Maggie Grindstaff teaches Eighth Grade Science and ELL at Ephraim Middle School in Central Utah. After two decades teaching bilingual and middle school classes in Texas and New Orleans, she returned home, inspired by the local mountains and forests. Maggie is passionate about sharing her love for native desert ecosystem plants and hopes to spark that same appreciation in her students.

Maggie’s project, Growing Native, is designed to invite 8th grade science students to investigate the local ecosystem and native plant communities in central Utah. Students will grow and propagate native plants, plant and develop a site just outside of the Manti-La Sal National Forest, and learn directly from experts in the U.S. Forest Service and local watershed councils. They will take on rotating roles, such as analyzing data while monitoring growth and planting success, liaising with the local community, disseminating communications, ensuring safety, and much more. Overall, the project will develop leadership, collaboration, accountability, and a sense of shared ownership over both the scientific process and stewardship of local ecosystems.