Hayes Center schools win $10,000 grant

HAYES CENTER, Nebraska -- Hayes Center, Nebraska Public Schools has received a $10,000 Monsanto Fund grant to help install a new hands-on learning system for students.

The Hayes Center Times-Republican newspaper reports that Monsanto's $2.3 million "America's Farmers Grow Rural Education" program supports rural public schools' efforts to enhance math and science education.

Hayes Center farmer/rancher and school board member Joe Anderjaska nominated Hayes Center for Monsanto's $10,000 and $25,000 grant awards. Finalists from among approximately 1,000 nominations were chosen by math and science instructors. The winners were selected by the program's advisory council of 26 prominent farmers from across America.

Hayes Center superintendent Ron Howard said the school plans to use the grant award to install a "G03 Monitoring System" to monitor air pollutants, ground level ozone, carbon dioxide and black carbon levels. Howard told the Times-Republican this is the first program of its kind in Nebraska, allowing students to link with other schools to research and study the environment throughout the U.S. and the world.