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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Two teachers at Verbena High School received a welcome surprise on Feb. 21 when the Chilton Education Foundation presented them grants.

Beth Ann Pope and David Sneed both applied for and received funds for equipment to use in their classrooms.

“I’m so excited,” Pope said.

Pope received $500 and will be purchasing breakout kits with locks similar to those seen in popular escape rooms.

She said she had two sets but this meant half the class were all trying to solve the same puzzles.

“They have clues, and they have to figure out how to break the codes,” Pope said.

She said the kits help students work on their math, problem solving and teamwork skills.

Sneed received $1,000 for home repair tools for his agriscience construction class.

“I want to teach them how to fix things around their own homes,” Sneed said.

His hope is that students will be able to fix some simple things that many people have to contact a company to fix.

Sneed said he was “shocked” to receive the grant, and it was “awesome” to receive the funding.

Application to the PEECh grant program is available to every teacher in Chilton County Schools. A committee decides what projects to fund based on the organization’s guidelines. Grants are awarded for items that can be used year after year. Applications for items used up in one year or field trips are denied funding.

This year the foundation awarded approximately $15,000 in 25 grants to schools throughout the county.