As part of Tyson Foods’ commitment to support its plant communities, the company announced that it will fund $1 million in DonorsChoose.org projects for 46 school districts in 37 Tyson communities. The investment will bring much-needed resources to schools in Tyson communities and introduce teachers to a source of potential support for future projects, the company said.

Between Aug. 1, 2019, and Jan. 29, 2020, Tyson will fully fund projects posted by teachers in qualifying Tyson school districts who request up to $1,000 in classroom resources. Funding will be applied towards projects the first Monday of every month, with up to $26,388 available for each plant community. Tyson already has allocated $50,000 for the Springdale, Ark., school district, where its headquarters is located.

“We have a responsibility to support our communities in a variety of ways, including equipping our teachers with the resources they need as an effective way to support education,” said Debra Vernon, senior director of corporate social responsibility at Tyson. “Through the DonorsChoose.org model, teachers can focus on the individual needs of their classrooms, and students can experience new or better ways to learn.”

To qualify for full funding, projects will need to be $1,000 or less for grades pre-K through 12 in Tyson districts.

"We're so grateful for the generosity of Tyson Foods," DonorsChoose.org founder Charles Best said. "As teachers across Tyson communities gear up for the school year ahead and use DonorsChoose.org to request resources for their classroom, this support will help bring those classroom dreams to life."

The company’s first collaboration with DonorsChoose.org came in 2018 with a $150,000 award to teachers in Gibson County, Tenn., where Tyson broke ground last year on a new chicken processing facility. The response by teachers was so strong that the full funding was awarded in only 45 days.

“The grant I received for my classroom will help teach students for multiple years, and I’m just so thankful to Tyson Foods,” said Jessica Roehs, a fifth-grade math teacher at South Gibson County Middle School. “The website was very easy to use, and I highly recommend any teacher that is eligible to apply for a grant to do so.”