Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness surprised four local teachers yesterday with more than $31,000 in funding as part of the City’s Educator Innovation Grant program, bringing the funding total to almost $385,000 since the program launched in 2024
The program strives to empower educators within HSE Schools with the financial resources to bring innovation to the classroom and inspire students to rethink learning. Since the program launched last year, 24 grants have been awarded across 13 schools in the HSE Schools system. Grants have been awarded at every grade level, helping to launch innovative makerspaces; supporting programming in STEM, virtual reality, film, media, and English as a New Language (ENL); and funding professional development opportunities for teachers.
The new round of grant recipients include:
Melanie Mullins (2nd Grade, Harrison Parkway Elementary): $8,590 to fund a K-4 STEM Lab Starter at the elementary school, including purchasing hardware for the lab and supporting “in district” professional development opportunities and collaboration among educators.
Shannon Foster (4th Grade, Lantern Road Elementary): $5,445.69 for the implementation of a LEGO Learning System to introduce students to foundational STEAM concepts related to creativity and problem solving.
Nicolle Symons (5-6th Grade, Fall Creek Intermediate): $10,548 to support the creation of a makerspace at the intermediate school where students can design, build, and explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, while providing meaningful career exploration.
Erin Gastineau (10th grade, Hamilton Southeastern High School): $11,700 for the purchase of Manikens® for the course, Human Body Systems, the second year of a four-year Project Lead the Way Biomedical Pathway. This course helps students prepare for a career in health care and challenges them to solve real-world problems.
Grants are awarded by a selection committee comprised of former educators from HSE Schools, community entrepreneurs, and HSE alumni.
The City of Fishers has allocated $50,000 from the 2026 budget for continued support of the Educator Innovation Grant program. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and there is no funding cap for project requests. The next round of grants will be awarded in spring 2026.
Learn more about the grant program and apply at FishersIN.gov/InnovationGrant.
