A handful of area teachers are going to be able to think outside the box and utilize unique teaching methods thanks to the Learning Ventures grants program.

Five teachers from Surry County and Mount Airy City schools received a portion, up to $500, of the $2,500 allocated for the grants by the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce, CenturyLink and Duke Energy Carolinas.

This is the 10th year the grant program, which is open to all educators with Millennium Charter Academy, Mount Airy City and Surry County schools, has been in place. It was started as a way to enable educators to utilize unique teaching methods and ideas that would otherwise go unfunded.

“We get very excited when we can give teachers the opportunity to do something outside the box,” said Lottie Ryans, vice president of CenturyLink, which was previously known as Embarq. “You do make a difference in our community. You make a difference one life at a time.”

Kevin Spainhour from Mount Airy High School received a grant this year for his Nintendo Wii Fitness Program idea. The funds will be used to purchase two Nintendo Wii gaming stations and two Wii Fit Plus bundle packs. The school’s physical education department plans to pioneer the county’s first high school Nintendo Wii program.

Jodi Southern from Franklin Elementary received a grant for the Bulldog Broadcast program. Using Skype, students in grades three through five will develop a weekly morning broadcast to model, demonstrate or perform different skills they have mastered in the classroom. The program will help promote collaboration and communication among students.

Kathy Brintle from Gentry Middle received a grant for Living Color. The program she has created will allow students to take digital photographs, create digital videos and print their work in color to demonstrate their content learning and computer skills as video producers, cinematographers, graphic artists/designers and marketing professionals.

Steve Hall at Gentry Middle received the school’s second Learning Ventures grant for the school’s Crime Scene Investigation Club. Club members will learn to identify and collect evidence and analyze the data collected in order to solve given scenarios.

Melissa Hamlin from Meadowview Middle School received a grant to help students learn about water quality. Eighth-grade students will use hand-held Global Positioning System units to test water samples from behind the school to determine changes in long-term data throughout the year.

“Magic happens in their classrooms and magic happens in this room,” said Pat Widdowson, assistant superintendent for Surry County Schools. “With our partners, we have the opportunity to let teachers show their talents and ingenuities.”

“We’re on a journey to educate our children. I can’t say enough about what teachers do each and every day,” said Vickie Cameron, executive director of instruction for Mount Airy City Schools.

The grant winners are chosen each year by the Education Support Committee of the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce, which also coordinates the Youth Leadership Surry program, is active in Project Youth Entrepreneurship Surry and awards the Business in Education annual award.

Contact Morgan Wall at mwall@mtairynews.com or 719-1929.