Tyson Foods to invest $1 million in community school projects
by July 17, 2019 8:02 am 1,169 views
Tyson Foods announced plans Tuesday (July 17) to invest $1 million in 46 school districts in 37 communities where the meat giant operates. The grants are part of the DonorsChoose.org projects for schools teaching Pre-K-12 in Tyson Foods districts.
The investment will bring much-needed resources to schools and introduce teachers to a source of potential support for future projects, the company noted in a news release.
Between Aug. 1, 2019, and Jan. 29, 2020, Tyson Foods will fully fund projects posted by teachers in qualifying school districts who request up to $1,000 in classroom resources. Funding will be applied towards projects the first Monday of every month, up to $26,388 for each plant community. Tyson Foods said $50,000 has been allocated for the Springdale School District, where the company’s headquarters is located.
“We have a responsibility to support our communities in a variety of ways, including equipping our teachers with the resources they need as an effective way to support education,” said Debra Vernon, senior director, corporate social responsibility, Tyson Foods. “Through the DonorsChoose.org model teachers can focus on the individual needs of their classrooms and students can experience new or better ways to learn.”
To qualify for full funding, projects will need to be $1,000 or less and for schools located in the designated areas where Tyson Foods operates. School districts are eligible to request funding for projects through DonorsChoose.org beginning August 1.
“We’re so grateful for the generosity of Tyson Foods,” said DonorsChoose founder Charles Best. “As teachers across Tyson communities gear up for the school year ahead and use DonorsChoose.org to request resources for their classroom, this support will help bring those classroom dreams to life.”
Tyson Foods said it first collaborated with DonorsChoose.org in 2018 by giving $150,000 to teachers in Gibson County, Tenn., the site of a new Tyson Foods chicken processing facility. The company said teachers in that community responded in full force and all the funds were awarded in just 45 days.
Company officials said that was a strong indicator to expand the program across all the markets where it operates.
“The grant I received for my classroom will help teach students for multiple years and I’m just so thankful to Tyson Foods,” said Jessica Roehs, a fifth-grade math teacher at South Gibson County Middle School. “The website was very easy to use, and I highly recommend any teacher that is eligible to apply for a grant to do so.”
The complete list of districts can be be found here.