The Stafford Education Foundation, Amazon, and Stafford County Public Schools marked the first year of a teaching-grant partnership on Oct. 1, naming 24 projects. Sandra Osborn, the division’s chief communications officer, sent the announcement Thursday evening.
Teachers filed more than 90 applications, about $500,000 in proposed work. The release says the 24 projects should reach nearly 13,000 students. It does not say how much of Amazon’s three-year teaching-grant pool went to this first class. A Sept. 28 media alert said the partners would announce $100,000. The release instead cites the May figure: $360,000 for teaching grants over three years, inside a $560,000 Amazon investment that also includes $200,000 for food-access kiosks with the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank. The release’s food line reads “expand access to food access.”
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Full press release:
The Stafford Education Foundation (SEF), Amazon, and Stafford County Public Schools (Stafford Schools) celebrated the first year of their Sustainable Innovative Teaching Grants partnership on October 1, recognizing 24 projects that will bring new learning experiences to students across the division.
Educators submitted more than 90 applications representing approximately $500,000 in proposed projects. The 24 selected projects are expected to impact nearly 13,000 students through initiatives spanning STEM, literacy, the arts, career exploration, student support, and hands-on learning.
“Our educators saw this opportunity and responded with remarkable ideas,” said Jessica I. Marschall, President of the Stafford Education Foundation. “These grants give teachers the resources to turn those ideas into experiences their students can see, create, explore, and remember. We are grateful to Amazon for making this work possible.”
The grants are part of the $560,000 investment Amazon announced in May in collaboration with SEF, Stafford Schools, and the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank. Of that investment, $360,000 will support innovative teaching grants over three years, and $200,000 will expand access to food access through additional automated community kiosks.
“This partnership with the Stafford Education Foundation and Stafford County Public Schools puts resources directly into the hands of the educators who know their students best. The projects being celebrated this year reflect the creativity and dedication of Stafford’s teachers, and we’re honored to help bring these ideas to life. This is only the beginning of what we can accomplish together for the future of students in Stafford,” said Lisa Schooley, Amazon Regional Community Engagement Manager.
The selected projects include an inclusive mobility design challenge at A.G. Wright Middle School, a farm-to-table language learning lab at Anne E. Moncure Elementary School, tower gardens at Rockhill Elementary School, and a student storytelling initiative led by the Technology Department. Several projects will also support reading, student wellness, and creative expression.
“Every student deserves a classroom where bold ideas can become real opportunities,” said Dr. Daniel W. Smith, Superintendent of Stafford Schools. “Our educators have the vision and the commitment. This investment gives them the financial support to bring innovative projects to life, reaching nearly 13,000 students. We are grateful to Amazon and the Stafford Education Foundation for investing in our teachers’ ideas and, through them, in the future of our students.”
2026–2027 Innovative Teaching Grant Recipient Projects
- Engineering Mobility Through Inclusive Design — A.G. Wright Middle School
- ESOL Culinary Lab: Farm-to-Table Language Learning — Anne E. Moncure Elementary School
- Hope and Help for the BPHS Student Community — Brooke Point High School
- Developing Critical Thinking Skills with Board Games — Colonial Forge High School
- Hope Squad — Colonial Forge High School
- Sips Ahoy! Functional Skills on the Move — Crow’s Nest Elementary School
- Sustainable STEM Library — Crow’s Nest Elementary School
- Eco-Tech Solvers: Bridging Science SOLs & STEM Careers — Falmouth Elementary School
- Erase Waste, Spell Success — Grafton Village Elementary School
- Math in Motion: Creating Flexible, Collaborative Math Learning Labs — H.H. Poole Middle School
- Eco-Innovation Bins: Mobile Makerspace for K–5 — Kate Waller Barrett Elementary School
- Booked for Success: A Novel Approach to Building Readers — Kate Waller Barrett Elementary School
- Cruising to Success: Creating an Equitable, Active Reading and Research Environment in the Library — Margaret Brent Elementary School
- Shared Cat Path — Mountain View High School
- Park Ridge Elementary’s StoryBook Treasures School-to-Home Literacy Experience — Park Ridge Elementary School
- Capstone D.C. Civic & Sustainability Leadership Experience for Jobs for Virginia Graduates (JVG) Student Leaders — Phoenix Center for Innovative Learning
- Tower Gardens — Rockhill Elementary School
- Thinking Made Visible: Reusable Wipebook Flipcharts for Every Classroom — Rodney E. Thompson Middle School
- FLAG (Free Little Art Gallery) — T. Benton Gayle Middle School
- Stafford on the Air: Sustainable Storytelling — Technology Department
- Through Their Eyes: Empowering Young Artists Through Photography — Winding Creek Elementary School
- Storybook STEM Design Lab — Winding Creek Elementary School
- Creating Mosaics Through Pixelated Rubik’s Cube Design — Winding Creek Elementary School
- Outdoor Weather Station — Winding Creek Elementary School
For more information or to donate to SEF, please visit the Stafford Education Foundation website. Follow us on Facebook @StaffordEducationFoundation and Twitter @1SCPSFOUNDATION.
About the Stafford Education Foundation: The Stafford Education Foundation (SEF) is a non-profit, independent organization located in Stafford, Virginia. Stafford Education Foundation’s mission is to impact and advance education in Stafford County Public Schools through charitable activities that support sound educational programs and practices. The Stafford Education Foundation promotes, aids, and encourages educational and charitable purposes, activities, and endeavors of and for Stafford County Public Schools and their administrators, teachers, employees, and students, alone or in cooperation with governmental or other organizations.
