Melody Clymer, who teaches computer science/STEM at West Lauderdale Elementary School, turned to the Junior Auxiliary of Meridian when she was looking for a way to fund age-appropriate robots for her students.

For more than two decades, the JA of Meridian has awarded teacher mini grants to local educators to help them fund things for their classroom that are educational, innovative and beneficial to students, but are outside a classroom budget.

Last year, Clymer was awarded a $660 grant to purchase various types of robots that are appropriate for her elementary students, which range in age from kindergarten through fourth grade. The grant has allowed her to bring more STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — into her classes.

“It has really helped my students by giving them experience with programming a variety of types of robots during their weekly computer science activity period,” she said. “They first learn simple coding and then can apply it to robotics on their level.”

Clymer was one of 30 teachers who received a grant from JA of Meridian in 2022. Altogether, the organization awarded more than $25,000 to educators last year.

Applications opened last week for this year’s mini grants, and JA of Meridian members are encouraging educators to take advantage of the opportunity. Applications can be submitted through Friday, Sept. 15.

“We are so excited to once again have the opportunity to award deserving teachers in our community with over $25,000 worth of grants for their classrooms,” said Ashley Gayden, president of JA of Meridian. “Teachers truly make a difference in the life of a child, and we encourage anyone who could use the extra funding to apply.”

The mini grants are available in amounts ranging from $250 up to $1,000. All teachers, counselors, librarians and school nurses in Meridian and Lauderdale County public schools, private schools and community institutions, including homeschool associations, are eligible to apply for the grants.

“We are here to help all students in Lauderdale County,” said Hannah Carpenter, constitution and yearbook chair for JA of Meridian, which has been awarding the teacher mini grants since 2001.

The grants have funded everything from furnishings for a sensory classroom to device pencils for classroom iPads to books to drones to science kits to hands-on manipulatives used to reinforce lessons.

“We recognize the importance of education as an essential building block for a strong and thriving community,” Carpenter said. “We want to support and nurture teacher projects.”

Recipients will be notified in early October that they will be awarded a grant, Carpenter said. A reception to award the grants is planned for Oct. 17 at the Mississippi Children’s Museum-Meridian.

JA of Meridian gives a special thanks to Community of Hope and the Charles L. Young Sr. Foundation for providing funding for the teacher mini grants project, Gayden said.

Anyone interested in applying for a mini grant can visit the jameridian.com website and click on the projects tab to find the teacher mini grant link. Or, you can follow the links through the JA of Meridian’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.