Teaching Grants Support Innovation, Agriculture Education in California Schools

Students in California’s table-grape growing regions will take part in new hands-on educational projects this year thanks to a series of Innovation in Teaching grants funded by the state’s table grape growers.

The California Table Grape Commission announced that 25 grants of $1,000 each have been awarded to teachers across Fresno, Kern, Madera, Riverside and Tulare counties. In total, the funded projects are expected to reach more than 3,500 students ranging from transitional kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as adult learners in special education programs.

The grants are designed to support classroom initiatives in math, science, agriculture, California history, art and health—subjects closely tied to the region’s identity and economy. This year’s funded projects showcase a broad mix of creativity and applied learning.

Several schools will establish or expand campus gardens, giving students an opportunity to plant, grow and harvest produce while learning firsthand about agriculture’s lifecycle. Other projects emphasize storytelling and the visual arts, with students creating multimedia installations, photography collections and videos that highlight the history and impact of California’s table grape industry.

Technology-focused initiatives also earned support, including a project in which students will program a robotic arm to perform tasks relevant to agricultural production. These programs aim to expose students to emerging fields—particularly automation and robotics—that are increasingly shaping modern farming.

Ian LeMay, president of the California Table Grape Commission, said the program reflects growers’ deep ties to the communities where they work.

“The Innovation in Teaching grant program reflects the commitment California table grape growers have to the communities where they live and work,” he said. “By supporting creative classroom projects, these grants help teachers engage students of all ages in memorable experiences that extend learning beyond the traditional classroom.”

LeMay noted that education and innovation go hand-in-hand in an industry that continues to evolve. Labor remains one of the most significant costs in table grape production, he said, and the sector is actively exploring new technologies to improve efficiency.

“Labor continues to be the most costly aspect of growing grapes anywhere in the world, and so you’re definitely seeing a lot of research and investment in trying to create efficiencies throughout the growing and harvesting process for table grapes,” LeMay said. “It’s not about a full-scale swap of labor need or employees in the vineyard—it’s really about efficiencies.”

He added that the commission’s automation and mechanization committee regularly evaluates new tools and equipment that could support growers. That focus on innovation, he said, makes its way back into the classroom through programs like the teaching grants, which expose students to the science, technology and creativity behind agriculture.

“What might work for one vineyard or one area may not for others,” LeMay said. “But if we can find technologies that offer even a 10, 15, or 20 percent cost reduction, that can make a transformational change across the industry.”

For the commission and the teachers awarded funding, the hope is that these classroom projects not only strengthen student learning today but also spark interest in the agricultural careers and innovations that will shape the industry tomorrow.