MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- The Indiana Department of Education announced the recipients of the K-12 Robotics Competition Grants, with15 Penn-Harris-Madison robotics teams from eight P-H-M schools being awarded a total grant of $53,600.

For the teams, existing and new, the grant pays for coaching stipends, team registration, competition registration, game specific materials, and supplies for building competition robots.

Funds may also be used for transportation to events.

Existing teams will have most of their supplies updated, used parts replaced, tools, storage, and new parts needed for the new game.

New teams’ supplies will be start-up kits, tools, storage, and game specific parts.

School officials say P-H-M's proposal was selected from over 145 grant proposals submitted for this funding opportunity.

Of those, 137 school corporations and non-profit groups were chosen.

Officials say the IDOE review team was impressed with P-H-M’s plan to design, construct, program, and participate in competitions with the goal of increasing Indiana student interest in STEM.

P-H-M Schools receiving grant funds include:

• Penn High School (two existing teams) - $14,000
• Grissom Middle School (two existing teams) - $5,000
• Bittersweet Elementary School (one new team) - $3,175
• Elm Road Elementary School (two existing teams) - $6,137.50
• Horizon Elementary School (two existing teams) -$6,137.50
• Meadows Edge Elementary School (one new team) - $3,175
• Northpoint Elementary School (four new teams) - $12,800
• Walt Disney Elementary School (one new team) - $3,175