Rural Schools Collaborative Announces 2026 Grants In Place Awardees

Article Presented By Tomlinson Insurance…

Rural Schools Collaborative has announced awardees for their 2026 Grants in Place, with two of the winners being from Pike County, Ohio.

Each year, the Grants In Place program awards rural educators from across the country with grants to foster Place-Based Education projects that connect their classrooms to their local communities. Grants in Place is facilitated through Rural Schools Collaborative’s Regional Hubs; whenever possible, RSC awards one grant per partner in our network. In addition to supporting teachers from within each hub, RSC awards a small number of national selections to educators from outside of our Regional Hub Network.

This year, thanks to a generous three-year grant from the Bezos Family Foundation to expand the Grants in Place program, RSC is honored to be able to support more teachers than ever before. This grant will support 100 innovative Place-Based Education (PBE) projects over the next three years to connect rural classrooms to their communities. Moreover, several of RSC’s partners have provided further support to make more projects within their regions possible– in total, they have contributed over $15,000 going to over ten additional educators.

Desiree Beekman and Jennifer Buckler will use the Place-Based Education projects to engage their students and communities this spring.

Desiree Beekman is a Gifted Instructional Specialist employed by the Ross-Pike Educational Service District with instructional placement in Scioto Valley Local Schools. With 24 years of experience, she brings deep knowledge of gifted education and Appalachian culture to her work. Outside of school, she co-owns and operates Napier Family Farms, where she raises Nigerian Dwarf, Pygmy, and Pygora Fiber goats. Desiree is excited to support students’ growth while guiding their understanding of Appalachia through this project.

Desiree’s project, Voices of Appalachia: A Student Podcast, will be a place-based podcast series developed to foster a relationship and tell stories between the present and the past as students engage with community members. The goal of the podcast series is to produce a product that provides insight and perspective into the positive cultural differences that foster successful Appalachian communities, and to serve as a resource that can be used to overcome stereotypes. Students will research, plan, and produce a podcast series exploring topics related to their Appalachian heritage, community life, and the environment. They’ll engage in interviews, research oral history, analyze local issues, and publish their episodes on a shared platform or school website.

Jennifer Buckler is the STEAM and Career Development teacher at Western Local Schools in Latham, Ohio, with more than 20 years dedicated to supporting rural education in Pike County. She is passionate about grant writing, organizing community-connected learning events, and creating innovative, hands-on experiences for her students. Outside the classroom, she operates a Boer goat farm, runs her own photography business and loves spending time with her family.

Jennifer and her students will be creating STEM to Stem: The Cut Flower Collective. This project will bring together STEAM students in grades K-6 with the 7-12 Vocational Agriculture program to design, grow, and manage a school-based fresh cut flower business. Younger students will begin by exploring plant science through hands-on investigations, seed starting, and hydroponic systems, while the older students will guide and mentor them in greenhouse management, raised bed gardening, and sustainable growing practices. Together, these cross-grade partnerships will provide authentic opportunities for collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving. They will track plant growth data, create artistic signage, and apply math skills to calculate production costs and profits. As the flowers bloom, students will design and market bouquets, sell them at local events and the school farmers market, and donate arrangements to community organizations such as nursing homes and hospitals.