Southwest Georgia schools among winners of McDonald’s grants

ATLANTA — McDonald’s owners and operators across the state of Georgia selected 30 deserving educators and individuals who represent programs and organizations that fuel the imagination, education, and growth of students, as recipients of a Golden Grant. $20,000 is being allocated to various teachers and organizations to positively impact the lives of thousands of students.

“The hard work of teachers and community leaders on behalf of our students is immensely appreciated. The Golden Grants program is a great opportunity to support educators that impact our next generation of leaders,” Andy Harrelson, president of Business Unit 37, said in a news release. “Our youth are vital to the pulse of our communities, and we recognize the importance of supporting education in our neighborhoods.”

This year, 30 Golden Grants will be awarded based on creativity, innovation, need, and hands-on application of projects in Georgia. The winners are:

● $1,000 – Erin Turner, Outdoor Classroom, Richmond Hill High School

● $1,000 – Brandy Trimm, Phonics in Action, McAllister Elementary School

● $1,000 – Rick Lemyre, Girl Scout Leadership Experience, Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia

● $1,000 – Sara Williams, Accessible Vision Screening for All Students, Marshpoint Elementary

● $1,000 – Kathy Schmidt, STEAM TinkerLab, Brock Elementary School

● $1,000 – Kelli Horton, Women In Music, Savannah Arts Academy

● $1,000 – Tamara Bartschi, Columbia County Dog Park STEM Project-Based Learning, Martinez Elementary School

● $1,000 –Errykka Dupass, Sporting Chance Program, Girls Inc. of Columbus & Phenix-Russell

● $1,000 – David Phillips, Habitat Hunters, Greenbrier Middle School

● $1,000 – Kason Cox, Middle School Math Club, Chattahoochee County Middle Schools

● $500 — Latila Slay, We are Loving SEL, JHC Butler Elementary

● $500 — Jessica Prosper, Read Woke Book Club, Coastal Middle School

● $500 — Janey Robideau, Relief Printmaking for Beginners, Gould Elementary

● $500 — Melanie Delancey, Coding with Robots, Lincoln County Elementary School

● $500 — Rachel Frisbie, 4-H County Council Club, Monroe County Extension/ 4-H

● $500 — Jacob Baxter, Southwest Middle HPE/ Weight Training, Southwest Middle School

● $500 — Louise Anderson, Ag in the Classroom, Rincon Elementary School

● $500 — Melissa Greene, Girls on the Run, Girls on the Run Nonprofit

● $500 — Stacey Abney, Making Our Way: STEM Cooperation Station, Monte Sano Elementary

● $500 — Dallas Martin, Alternative Seating for Differentiated Learning, Twin Oaks Elementary

● $500 — Shannon DeReus, The Giving Tree Closet, LCMSW

● $500 — Ethan Carey, Dream Factory Network Media Club, Dougherty County School

● $500 — Dawn Parrish, Give Us a Break, New Hampstead K-8

● $500 — Susan Culver, Aluminium Foil Sculptures & More, Windsor Forest Elementary

● $500 — Sandra Wolff, “Art Stars” Art Club, Bloomingdale Elementary

● $500 — Melissa Paul, The Book Lady, Lee County School System

● $500 — Sherry Turoski, Expanding the S in STEM, Kinchafoonee Primary School

● $500 — DeCara Brown, Thrive, Richmond County Juvenile Court

● $500 — Melanie West, The I AM Project, John W. Hubert Middle School

● $500 — Tamara Hicks, Dr. Betty Shabazz Delta Academy, Columbus Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc

Activities that qualified for a Golden Grant include arts and crafts programs, education initiatives, mentorship and empowerment programs, after-school programs, community service outreach, sporting programs, technology, and COVID-19 relief efforts. Winners were recognized during presentations by local owners and operators.