Calera Elementary and Middle Schools will use a $600,000 grant to enrich their academic programs.

The grant will be awarded in $200,000 installments over the next three years. The schools won the competitive award from the State Department of Education.

The money will be used to implement Project S.O.A.R. (Seeing Our Achievements Reached) 21st Century Community Learning Centers at both schools.

The grant will expand the existing After School Care Program at Calera Elementary. The program will now offer more tutoring, remediation, literacy and parenting programs. The grant will also fund a new summer-long camp.

&8220;We are extremely excited,&8221; said Linda Chessler, principal at Calera Elementary. &8220;The grant will allow us offer things to the community and our children that we haven&8217;t offered before.&8221;

At Calera Middle School, the money will pay for new after school tutoring and remediation programs. Additionally, students in grades sixth through eighth will be offered other enrichment opportunities through a Saturday School program.

The grant will also be used for a joint service project between the two schools and the Calera Fire Department. The project will honor Calera Firefighter Christopher Roy, who was killed in the line of duty last year when a fire truck he was driving collided with an 18-wheeler. He was the grandson of long-time Calera Mayor George Roy.

According to Public Relations and Community Education Supervisor Cindy Warner, the project will seek to preserve a lasting memory of Roy and his life of public service.

Students will construct and plant a &8220;Christopher Roy Memorial Garden&8221; at Calera Elementary. The garden will then be used for students to explore the different types of plants, flowers and soils used in the garden and to study the various types of bugs, insects and birds that visit it.

The students will also make a memory quilt for Roy that will be donated and displayed at the Calera Fire Department.

Students will learn about the art of quilting and sewing from local senior citizens.

The fire department will also visit the school to provide fire safety instruction, to answer questions regarding public service careers and demonstrate how the various pieces of fire fighting equipment work. The firefighters will also encourage students to have good physical fitness.

Firemen will also donate several of their favorite &8220;firehouse recipes&8221; for the students to practice their culinary skills and learn about health and nutrition.

&8220;We wanted the children to see the tie between them and the community in which they live,&8221; said Chessler.

Shelby County has previously implemented 21st Century grants at Elvin Hill Elementary and Columbiana Middle schools and Vincent Elementary and Vincent Middle schools.