The nonprofit First Choice Power Fund awarded $50,000 to provide 23 Texas teachers additional tools for creative teaching.
"First Choice Power Classroom Innovation Grants allow Texas teachers to provide fascinating and challenging educational experiences for our students," said Diane Harrison Ogawa, executive director of the First Choice Power Fund, a division of the PNM Resources Foundation.
Applications for the annual grants were due in March. The awards are announced in spring, giving teachers the summer to prepare their programs.
Texas teachers in communities served by First Choice Power applied. Programs receiving funds for the coming school year are:
- $2,800 to Elizabeth Chapman of Westbrook Intermediate in Friendswood for "Tex-Fest: Bringing the History of Texas Alive": Seventh-graders will create a self-sustaining living history center. Each student will choose an aspect of Texas history and bring the character to life by acting as costumed interpreters, playing history games or demonstrating an aspect of life from that time period.
- $1,100 to Lucy Lara of Crockett Middle School in Pecos for "Going for Gold in the Classroom - Olympic style": Student teams will select the country they represent and compete in mathematical-solving games based on Olympic sporting venues.
- $2,700 to Carla Williams of Clifton High School in Clifton for "Technology - An Art Form as Well as a Career Path": Students will learn newsletter and Web site design as technology is integrated into the classroom.
- $1,750 to Debbie McColloch of Grace School in Houston for "Loving Literacy Bags": Literacy bags filled with books, activities, games, crafts, stuffed animals and journals will help children and their parents practice reading and writing on the weekends.
For a complete listing of First Choice Power Classroom Innovation Grant recipients, visit www.FirstChoicePower.com/innovation/.
About First Choice Power Fund
The First Choice Power Fund is a division of the PNM Resources Foundation, a nonprofit established in 1983 to improve the quality of life in communities where the company's customers and employees live and work. The PNM Resources Foundation is a separate nonprofit tax-exempt corporation and was originally endowed by a gift from earnings by shareholders of PNM Resources. No customer funds are part of the endowment. For more information, visit www.FirstChoicePower.com/community.
About First Choice Power
Based in Las Colinas, Texas, First Choice Power is one of Texas' largest retail electric providers. It is one of four subsidiaries of PNM Resources, an investor-owned energy holding company with more than $6.1 billion in total assets. First Choice Power is committed to Simply Better prices, programs, customer care and community involvement. For more information, visit www.FirstChoicePower.com.