HOMECROFT, Ind. -- A Perry Township teacher says it's a great honor to be nominated for a $100,000 grant and be announced as one of 15 finalists in the Dream Big Teacher Challenge.
Homecroft Kindergarten Academy's Susan Thomas is the only Indiana teacher to be named a finalist in this year's competition.
The Dream Big Teacher Challenge is part of the Thank America's Teacher initiative sponsored by Farmers Insurance.
The company says it's their way of saying thanks for the great work that teachers do daily.
Thomas, who has been a teacher for 22 years, says it's not for her but for the kids.
"What I'm focusing on is what this will mean for our township and community" said Thomas.
If she wins, Thomas says she'll split the grant evenly between all four of Perry Township's new kindergarten academies that opened in July. The new academies will have over 50 kindergarten sections and about 1,400 kindergartners.
The money will go toward books for family literacy bags, EL and refugee families, and also reading groups.
Public voting for the grant finalists will begin September 29th. The winner be announced in December.
For more information about the initiative, click here.
