Area teachers may now apply for a McDonald's MAC Grant, which offers financial support to help teachers Make Activities Count for their students.

Local McDonald's Owner, Jerry Lewis, is offering this educational initiative to assist area elementary and middle school teachers.

Recognizing that lessons often become more meaningful when demonstrated with hands-on experiences, McDonald's supplements regular classroom curriculum by supporting activities that the school's budget may not allow.

Kindergarten through eighth grade teachers may apply for grants of up to $400 for interesting and educational projects in their classrooms. Teachers can use grant money to energize a science lesson by building a weather station or make history come to life by recreating pioneer life with butter churning and candle dipping.

Because McDonald's is soliciting ideas from teachers, project ideas are limitless.

Teachers may call 419-225-5916 for more information or they may also apply online at a new website this year: www.jerrylewismcdonalds.com/macgrants.

In order to award grant money earlier in the school year for teachers to use the entire year the application deadline has been moved up to July 31, 2010. A limited number of grant recipients will be chosen on or before Sept. 1, 2010.

Since the MAC Grant program was started in 2004, Jerry Lewis' McDonald's Restaurants has given more than $94,000 to more than 260 local teachers.