The Montgomery ISD Education Foundation awarded 20 grants totaling $43,298 to educators across the district Jan. 5, a press release from the district said. The grant program was designed to encourage and reward innovative educational approaches, according to the release.

Some of the projects funded by the grants include a ceramics program at Montgomery High School, bringing a portable discovery dome from the Museum of Natural Science to Lincoln Elementary School, flexible seating and fine arts proposals.

“Support from our Education Foundation is instrumental to enhancing innovative learning in our district,” Superintendent Heath Morrison said in the release. “The creativity of our teachers and staff and the generosity of our foundation to fund the dreams our educators have for students is an enormous benefit.”

A total of 40 grant proposals were submitted in the fall for review, the release said. Members of the MISD Education Foundation board of directors, district leadership and individuals with children in the district or local businesses active in the district reviewed the proposals and selected the final 20.

“The foundation is extremely grateful to the members of the grant subcommittee who helped us with our final selections,” said Tiffany Ortiz, MISD Education Foundation executive director, in the release. “Their knowledge and support ensured that all grants are beneficial and in the scope of Montgomery ISD’s curriculum as well as campus and district improvement plans.”