Fourteen Benicia and Vallejo teachers are among the 59 winners of the Solano Community Foundation's 2009 Education Plus! mini-grants.
More than $27,000 was awarded to the winners, including $6,300 for the Vallejo and Benicia teachers.
"You sort of feel like you're valued as a teacher when somebody wants to give you money to help your classroom," said Glen Cove Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Mallory Kopple, who won $500 to take her students to Crab Cove in Alameda.
The grant program is open to Solano County public school teachers with innovative learning project ideas.
Foundation President and CEO Stephanie Wolf said this year's 99 applicants differed from past years' by more often requesting funds for books and materials rather than field trips.
"We correlated that with the cuts in education for the state this year and the teachers' desire to be able to provide that kind of information," Wolf said.
The impact of the cuts was evident just last week in Vallejo when the district's teachers union handed out nearly 2,000 free school supplies kits
Steffan Manor Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Ron West, who participated in the giveaways, also won a $260 grant to purchase supplies for clay projects.
West said using clay and allowing kids to work with their hands can help those whose learning style isn't best suited to the traditional pencil and paper. "It really offers something to the other kids," she said.
Wolf cited grant-winning projects by Benicia Middle School teachers Megan Schooley and Kim Stiewag as standouts for their creative takes on teaching math.
Stiewag's project, for example, is called "Reading in Math Class," which Wolf said was interesting for its concept of combining two disciplines to teach children to think critically.
As Wolf said, many teachers during this grant cycle requested funds for materials, such as Glen Cove Elementary School third-grade teacher Amy Cook. She won $500, which she said will go toward class sets of ocean and solar system books.
Cook is a repeat grant-winner, as are several other of this year's winners, like West.
Wolf said grant winners must submit a simple report explaining how they used the money in order to be eligible to reapply.
For more information on the grant, visit www.solanocf.org.