The Monsanto Fund has announced the finalists for this year’s America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education grants. From January through March, farmers across the country nominated their local public school districts for the grants. Once nominated, these districts were eligible to submit completed grant applications in April.

Over the past month, a panel of educators from ineligible counties reviewed all of the grant applications. The strongest submissions were selected as finalists and will be sent to the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Advisory Council for final review. Composed of farmer-leaders from across the U.S. with a vested interest in both agriculture and education, the Advisory Council will select the winning school districts.

These local school districts are in the running for grants of up to $25,000:

• Fairfield Community Schools
• Lakeland School Corporation
• Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation
• Union-North United School Corporation

The winning grant recipients will be announced in early August.

Last year, Grow Rural Education invested $160,000 in public school districts across Indiana to improve math and science curriculum. Since 2012, Indiana school districts have received $290,000 through the program.

Grow Rural Education grants have allowed rural schools to invest in the enhancement of student learning in math and science. Past grant recipients used funding for projects such as technology and scientific lab equipment upgrades, greenhouses and outdoor classroom learning environments, teacher and curriculum development and other math and science related initiatives.

For a complete list of the 2014 America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education finalists and past winners, please visit www.AmericasFarmers.com.