The Beverly Hills Education Foundation is holding a second year of its Innovative Teacher Mini-Grant Program.

BHEF introduced the program last year, dedicating $20,000 for a district-wide initiative for teachers seeking to bring visionary projects to their classrooms. It provides teachers and staff with resources needed to impact student achievement throughout the Beverly Hills Unified School District. BHEF directly supports teachers who wish to develop creative and original projects that enhance student engagement through innovative education.

Grants have been provided to educators at Hawthorne and Horace Mann elementary schools, as well as Beverly Vista Middle School and Beverly Hills High School. At Hawthorne Elementary, Special Education Preschool Teacher Jason C. Reyes received funds for a program titled Dramatic Play Center Evolution.

Lisa Bieler, technology coach at Horace Mann Elementary School, receive a grant for the Physical Computing Connects Computer Science with Hands-On Learning program..

A team from Beverly Vista Middle School comprised of assistant principal Richard Waters, social studies teacher Marissa Long, instrumental music teacher Katina Vallens and counselor Rachel LeGrand received a grant for WEB (Where Everybody Belongs). At Beverly Hills High School, biology engineering and robotics teacher John Castle II received a grant for the Robotics Competition: Build a Competitive Robot program, and English teacher Gaby Doyle, who is also advisor for Highlights News and the Watchtower Yearbook, received a grant for the Backpack storytelling initiative.

All certificated personnel in the Beverly Hills Unified School District can apply for the grant through Sept. 16. Proposals may be submitted by individual teachers, teams of teachers or certificated district personnel serving TK-12th grade students in the district. Awardees will be selected by Sept. 23 and will be announced on Sept. 30.

The Beverly Hills Education Foundation is the only nonprofit fundraising entity dedicated to raising money for Beverly Hills public schools. For information, visit bhef.org/teachergrant.