Connie Rardon (center) with Dr. Dan Wiebers, Ed Douglas, Susan Fairm a student, Dr. Abby Smith and SRO Andy Clark.

Educational Foundation awards over $10,000 in mini-grants to Chillicothe R-II Staff

Laura Schuler

November 2, 2026

The Chillicothe Education Foundation is helping bring new learning opportunities to classrooms across the district through its 2026 Fall Mini Grants. This fall, the Foundation awarded a total of $10,481.78 in grant funding to support 15 innovative projects that enhance instruction, student engagement, and hands-on learning.

The selected projects cover a range of learning opportunities, including mathematics, bilingual learning, art, science, career exploration and independent living skills. Recipients represent CHS, CMS, CES, Grand River Technical School and the district’s K-12 gifted program.

Connie Rardon’s CMS project, “The ‘Write’ Stuff,” was designated the Patty Palmer Winner.

The winning projects and their listed funding requests are:

Chillicothe Middle School

  • Marissa Cowan: “Magnetic Mathematicians: Engineering 3-D Nets and Surface Area Foundations” - $450.00.Marissa Cowan stands with students and members of the Chillicothe Education Founation after learning she had won a mini grant.

  • Connie Rardon: “The ‘Write’ Stuff” - $494.88, designated the Patty Palmer Winner.Connie Rardon stands with students and members of the Chillicothe Education Founation after learning she had won a mini grant.

  • Brook Kreatz: “The LURE of STEM: From Cast to Craft -Teaching Real-World Science Through Fishing” - $718.54.Brook Kreatz stands with students and members of the Chillicothe Education Founation after learning she had won a mini grant.

  • Rebecca Gilliland: “MindCraft: Cognitive Skill Building and Spatial Reasoning Through Puzzles” - $850.00.Rebecca Gilliland stands with students and members of the Chillicothe Education Founation after learning she had won a mini grant.

  • Adrienne Allen: “Safety and Hornet Fame in a Window Pane” - $3,065.00.Adrienne Allen stands with members of the Chillicothe Education Founation after learning she had won a mini grant.

Chillicothe High School

  • Bekah Anderson: “Slice, Slice, Baby: Safe 3D Sculpting for CHS Artists” - $498.00.

    Bekah Anderson stands with students and members of the Chillicothe Education Founation after learning she had won a mini grant.

  • Steven Parks: “Hornets in Motion: Speed & Strength Development” - $399.94.

    Steven parks stands with students and members of the Chillicothe Education Founation after learning he had won a mini grant.

  • Samantha Yoko: “Not Enough Irons in the Fire” - $634.35.

    Samantha Yoko stands with students and members of the Chillicothe Education Founation after learning she had won a mini grant.

  • Lisa Rule: “Don’t Let the Shutter Stop Us!” - $320.00.Lisa Rule stands with students and members of the Chillicothe Education Founation after learning she had won a mini grant.

  • Stephanie Rickert: “Operation: Cart Rescue – CHS Needs New Wheels!” - $555.12.Members of the CHS Cafeteria staffstand with members of the Chillicothe Education Founation after learning they had won a mini grant.

  • Amy Adams: “Glow Big or Go Home -An Illuminating Stoichiometry Experience” - $370.98.

    Amy Adams stands with members of the Chillicothe Education Founation after learning she had won a mini grant.

  • Brooke Horton: “Sizzle & Serve: Cooking Up Real-World Independence at Hornet Cafe” - $249.98.

    Brooke Horton stands with students and members of the Chillicothe Education Founation after learning she had won a mini grant.

K-12 Gifted

  • Sophie Chambers: “Paso a Paso: Building Bilingual Bridges in Our Schools” - $700.00.

    Sophie Chambers stands with students and members of the Chillicothe Education Founation after learning she had won a mini grant.

Grand River Technical School

  • Sandra Roberts: “Project V.I.S.I.O.N. [Virtual Industry Simulations for Industry-Focused Occupational Navigation]” - $649.99.

Sandra Roberts stands with students and members of the Chillicothe Education Founation after learning she had won a mini grant.

Chillicothe Elementary School

  • Brandi Ellis and Emily Bell: “Autism Little Learners – Turning Chaos into Learning and Regulation” - $525.00.

    Brandi Ellis and Emily Bell stand with students and members of the Chillicothe Education Founation after learning they had won a mini grant.