Dot Foods offering $150,000 in STEM grants to West Central Illinois schools; initial applications due May 1

April 21, 2025 | By Muddy River News

Aaron Llewellyn, STEM teacher at Brown County Middle School, attended last year's STEM session and shared how using drones in the classroom strengthens students' coding skills and enhances their understanding of geometry. "By maneuvering drones in three dimensions along three separate linear axes," Llewellyn explained, "students can better visualize abstract math concepts and the physical relationships between coordinates." | Photo courtesy of Dot Foods

MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — Dot Foods, Inc., has launched a new grant program to strengthen STEM education in West Central Illinois. Through its STEM Education Initiative, the company will award up to $150,000 in total funding, with individual grants up to $15,000 available for selected public and private schools.

During the past two years, Dot has worked with educators across the region to deliver teacher training and support hands-on STEM learning. This new grant program expands that effort by helping schools launch or grow projects that engage students in science, technology, engineering and math.

The program is open to schools in Brown, Adams, Schuyler, Cass, Pike, McDonough, Morgan, Fulton, Greene, Scott and Hancock counties. Schools serving students in any or all grades K–12 can apply.

Initial proposals are due by May 1 and may be submitted online at this link. Dot will notify selected schools by May 15 and invite them to submit a full application by May 30. Teachers or school leaders may submit the initial application. Teachers are encouraged to coordinate with their principal or administrator before applying.

Dot supports both traditional and innovative approaches to STEM education. The company aims to expand student access to real-world learning and help schools build programs that reflect local needs and resources.

“We’re proud to support schools in West Central Illinois as they explore new ways to build students’ STEM skills and spark curiosity in the classroom,” Suzy Parn, who manages the program for Dot’s Charitable Committee, said in a press release. “Over the past two years, we’ve worked closely with passionate, forward-thinking educators who are preparing their students for the future. Whether schools need robotics kits, teacher training, updated lab space or a community STEM fair, we want to help bring those ideas to life and give students skills they’ll carry beyond the classroom.”

Schools can use grant funding to purchase equipment or materials, upgrade lab space, provide professional development for educators, partner with consultants or host STEM-related events for students and the broader community.

Dot will announce final grant decisions by June 15. For more information, contact Parn at sparn@dotfoods.com.

Dot Foods STEM grant