WINTER HAVEN — Teachers in Florida were asked to submit their innovative teaching ideas the week of Jan. 11 for an opportunity to win (st8.fm/sftaFL) State Farm ® Teacher Assist grants. In less than two hours, two hundred entry forms were submitted by Florida teachers!

State Farm is proud to award $100,000 to teachers across Florida. Forty teachers will each receive a $2,500 grant to implement or support their classroom projects. Two of the teachers are from Okeechobee.

They are:

Marialejandra Zapata Ramirez from South Elementary School. The grant funding will be used to help acquire materials and tools in order to adapt various small spaces in the school where native Florida plants can grow. This will help the students with their social and emotional development while introducing agriculture and creating community involvement, pride and a sense of respect.

Jennifer Hughes from Okeechobee High School Freshman Campus. This grant funds would go towards school beautification projects around campus including transforming the bathrooms with inspirational quotes and updating the courtyard wall with a mural that represents the diversity of the students in our community.

For the complete list of winners, visit the (st8.fm/sftaFL) State Farm ® Teacher Assist website.

Nationwide, State Farm is awarding $500,000 in grants to teachers. Two hundred teachers, 40 each in Florida, California, Michigan, New York and Texas will each be receiving $2,500 State Farm® Teacher Assist grants. The money will help them meet the challenges of teaching during the pandemic.