The MPAEF funded Jeanie Ritchie Innovation Grants enable teachers to pursue innovative teaching programs in their classroom and provide educational experiences that students would otherwise not be able to have. The grant program began in 1984 to honor Jeanie Ritchie, one of MPAEF's founders.  The Jeanie Ritchie Innovation Grants  are a part of the annual grant provided by MPAEF to the school district and are an important part of the Foundation’s motto, "Investing in Education. Together."

Annually, teachers with unique teaching concepts prepare a comprehensive proposal for the Jeanie Ritchie Grant committee to review and determine if it meets the program's three key qualities of innovation, curriculum enhancement and sustainability.  

MPCSD teachers have been applying for Jeanie Ritchie Innovation Grants for 40 years, and each year, the program grows. In the first grant cycle during the 1984-1985 school year, 8 projects were funded with a total of $2,200. Most recently, in Fall 2025 , 23 grant projects were approved with $32,701 in funding! See the list ofthis year’s grant awardees below.

2025-2026 Grant Awardees:

Below is a full list of this year’s awardees and the projects that will be implemented during the 2025-2026 school year. Grants with an * are those that were funded with the MPAEF Fund-a-Need, “Students as Mathematicians.”