Monsanto's Grow Rural Schools Program

It is time again for farmers to be nominating their rural school districts, if eligible, for Monsanto's Grow Rural Schools Program which awards grants for math or science projects.

Monsanto Customer Advocacy Manager Heather Wolfe shares more about this program's purpose.

Wolfe: "It's our way of investing in the next generation and helping to keep rural schools growing. The program provides grants to fund a variety of math and science initiatives in rural school districts. From now until April 6th farmers can nominate their local school districts so that they have the opportunity to apply for a grant of either $10,000 or $25,000."

Wolfe shares how the process of nominating works.

Wolfe: "Once a school district gets nominated, it is up to them to decide how they structure their program. Really we try not to put any restrictions on that. We want them to be creative and really put a program together that addresses the needs that they may have. The only requirement we have is that it is math or science related."

At this point there are 12 eligible counties in the Pacific Northwest but as Wolfe explains they are continually looking at ways to expand.

Wolfe: "We did add 18 new counties this year because they fell in that 30,000 acres of corn, beans, cotton or open field vegetables. We do look every year to try and figure out how we can expand the program."

To learn whether your rural school district is located in an eligible county for the 2014 program, go to growruraleducation.com.