Compeer Financial Awards Rural Schools Innovation Grants

Wisconsin Ag Connection - The Sun Prairie-based Compeer Financial has awarded nearly two dozen Rural Schools Collaborative Grant awards totaling more than $150,000 to applicants that plan to developed exemplary innovative programs during the pandemic. The program allows schools to share what they started doing during the pandemic, and how it worked. The funding will continue to advance these vital programs so more students can benefit from outside-the-box thinking.

"Even when faced with the unprecedented hardships of COVID-19, rural schools and communities persevered and turned their innovative ideas into reality," said John Monson, chief marketing officer at Compeer Financial. "By awarding the top innovations with funding, we’re ensuring longevity for these programs and promoting new ways of thinking."

Grants of up to $10,000 per school district were available through this one-time program.

Wisconsin receipients of the grants included:

** Ellsworth Elementary School, Ellsworth - adding warm, waterproof gear for students to wear while engaged in outdoor learning year round

** Iowa-Grant, Livingston - constructing an outdoor space for learning

** Lodi High School - developing and purchasing equipment for new publication class to produce newscasts, announcements and editorials

** Luck High School, Luck - supporting school and FFA program to purchase food from local farmers and grow in the school green house

** Mellen School, Mellen - adding an outdoor structure, tables and benches for outdoor learning

** Mineral Point High School, Mineral Point - expand opportunities to better meet the production and programming needs of students, staff and community; and adding a class focused on multi-media productions

** North Crawford Elementary, Soldiers Grove - providing books for students of all grade levels to keep at home

** Potosi Elementary School, Potosi - creating permanent sensory paths on playground and adding a sensory path in the hallway. These paths allow students to move, which helps them focus on learning

** School District of Turtle Lake, Turtle Lake - adding a pavilion and tables to school forest

** Wauzeka-Steuben Schools, Wauzeka - providing books for students of all grade levels to keep at home

[Return to Headlines]