PITTSBURGH - For the 19th consecutive year, local McDonald's restaurants are offering MAC Grants to help area middle school teachers "Make Activities Count" for their students.
The MAC Grants program provides financial support so teachers can supplement regular classroom curriculums with activities that the school's budget may not allow, especially during hard economic times. Since the program's inception, McDonald's restaurants have awarded more than $1 million to local teachers to support hands-on learning activities in their classrooms.
Fifth-, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade teachers may apply for grants of up to $500 for interesting and educational projects. Teachers can use grant money for funding their creative learning ideas, such as to energize a science lesson by building robots to test the earth's soil, construct greenhouses to learn about the life cycle of indigenous plants or solve mysteries in their very own crime lab. Because McDonald's is soliciting ideas from teachers, project ideas are limitless. Applications are available at mcdtoday.com/mac.php.
"The MAC Grants program demonstrates McDonald's commitment to excellence in education and active support in the community," explained Rick Rehak, regional marketing director for McDonald's. "MAC Grants allow teachers to revitalize their classes with fresh and innovative teaching methods."
Completed applications must be submitted by Aug. 2, and a limited number of grant recipients will be chosen on or before Sept. 15.