Salt River Project announced Thursday it was granting 55 Valley teachers with a combined $200,000 for innovative classroom projects.

The announcement, made during Teacher Appreciation Week, is part of the utility and water provider's ongoing efforts to support various education efforts across the Valley.

“Community support is one of SRP’s core values,” said Anita Tarango, SRP manager of community engagement strategy. “Making these investments in Valley schools helps educators fund innovative programming that helps students think creatively and inspire them to become lifelong learners.”

The grants went to programs ranging from science, technology, engineering and math to history. Grants are focused on projects geared toward state-mandated competencies, officials said.

Shannon Arroyo, a sixth- through eighth-grade teacher, said she was excited to receive a $5,000 grant for a robot project in her gifted education classes at Shamley Elementary School.

"The robots that I am planning on getting with this grant have an AI component, so they will learn as the students are learning," she said in a press release. "I just think it is a really cool way for my students to be educated on how to use AI appropriately and for the potential that it has." 

SRP offers up to $5,000 grants for STEM programs and up to $2,500 for history and social sciences. It has given more than $2 million to support educational initiatives throughout the state.

For information on applying for teacher grants, click here.