RESERVE — St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools educators recently secured grants to continue their education initiatives.

St. John Child Development Center teacher Alecia Johnson won the $1,000 first-place grant for Loving Louisiana 2, a continuation of her program for parent, family and community involvement for which she was also awarded a grant last year.

Loving Louisiana provides a month of activities for prekindergarten students to learn about their state and culminates with a mini-festival for parents and the community celebrating Louisiana.

West St. John Elementary School Principal Chantell accepted the second-place award on behalf of teacher Angela Farnell, whose program will introduce basic coding to students and parents.

Following a coding workshop, parents and students can continue to be involved by attending weekly STEM meetings and competitions. She is also planning a community technology showcase where parents and students can share what they’ve learned.