Public Education Foundation of Charlottesville-Albemarle Announces 15 Teacher Innovation Grants

Note: The following news release was provided by the Public Education Foundation of Charlottesville-Albemarle (PEFCA). We are pleased to share it here to celebrate Albemarle County Public Schools educators who were recognized among this year’s teacher innovation grant recipients.

NEWS RELEASE

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(CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia) – The non-profit Public Education Foundation of Charlottesville-Albemarle (PEFCA) awarded teacher innovation grants for K through 12 classrooms in 2025 to support fifteen innovative projects in Albemarle County Public Schools and Charlottesville City Schools.

With funding ranging from a few hundred dollars to a top level of $2,000, these grants will impact more than 4,000 students in specific classrooms or programs.

“Our goal for the Teacher Innovation Grants is to inspire teachers to create and try new ideas and engage students. PEFCA offers funds outside the scope of current public school resources,” noted PEFCA Executive Director Penny Harrison. “Last year, one of our projects aimed to improve SOL middle-school test scores and was very successful.”

From projects that provide hands-on learning experiences in STEM, reading, financial literacy, and field research, these projects are tied to each school division’s strategic plans. A number of the projects specifically aim to bring resources to high-needs students such as English language learners or students with disabilities.

To apply for a grant, teachers had to demonstrate how the proposed project propelled innovative goals, methods, and outcomes, what students would take away from the experience, and how to share the project with other teachers in our region.

“We are honored to be able to fund another year of innovative projects,” Harrison said. “Students in our local schools deserve the best we can provide, and PEFCA is honored to be a part of making this happen.” She added, “We owe a debt of gratitude to our corporate partners, donors, board of directors, and volunteers who support PEFCA and public education.” PEFCA will announce a new grant initiative in the summer of this year.

Our Mission: We are a high-impact foundation committed to building programs that will transform education in our community and provide a model for school systems across the nation. Through our passion for public education, we support 18,437 students in Albemarle County and Charlottesville to grow and thrive in all academic disciplines by providing resources and opportunities with the help of the community and local businesses.

PEFCA 2025 Teacher Innovation Awards

Albemarle High School

Teacher: Michelle Banaszak
Pocketalk

Peer Tutoring Center uses technology to aid English Language Learners, allowing them to engage in academic and social settings. Pocketalk replaces cell phone translations often used in tutoring, which are now restricted in schools. Pocketalk bridges information gaps, instills confidence, encourages engagement, and results in student achievement, benefiting students, families, teachers, and the community. More than 90 students and 100 teachers will be involved in this project.

Buford Elementary School

Teacher: Cianna Washburg
SOL Game Ready Day

SOL Ready: Game Day! Project is a school-wide event impacting over 500 students attending Buford Middle School in Charlottesville, VA. Buford Middle School serves Charlottesville students in grades 7 and 8. This day of practice in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics will be an opportunity to review skills prior to the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessment. Using a game day as the catalyst for the event, students will rotate through interactive activity stations throughout the building with a focus on the power standards. The term power standards refers to a subset of learning standards that educators have determined to be the highest priority or most important for students to learn.

Burnley Moran Elementary School

Teacher: Jessica Scott
BME Earth Stewards

Students get to be part of the solution! BME Earth Stewards are Second, Third, and Fourth Graders learning composting and reducing compostable waste from our landfill. Using data, students see the measurable impact they are making when they compost food scraps at the school and witness the entire cycle of their impact. Math and data collection will be included in this project. 300 students will be impacted, and 2 teachers are involved in this project.

Charlottesville Middle School

Teacher: Kevin Paquette
Future Cville: A STEM Career Pathway Pilot

FutureCville would serve as Phase 1 of a broader STEM career-connected learning pathway. This fall, we will conduct a one-week, in-school STEM experience for 7th-grade math classes (and possibly 8th), co-developed and led by Kevin Paquette, our Instructional Coach for Math and Science. The experience would focus on real-world STEM applications through project-based learning and conclude with a visit from the Go TEC Mobile Lab, providing students with direct exposure to regional career pathways.

Henley Middle School

Teacher: Karen Ackerman
Henley First Lego League (FLL) Robotics Club

FIRST® LEGO® League introduces science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to children ages 4-16 through fun, exciting hands-on learning. Participants gain real-world problem-solving experience through a guided, global robotics program, helping today's students and teachers build a better future together. Our three divisions inspire youth to experiment and grow their critical thinking, coding, and design skills through hands-on STEM learning and robotics.

Jackson-Via Elementary School

Teacher: Jessica Pedersen
Equitable Access in Enrichment: Making Specials Inclusive for All

Jackson-Via will create a more inclusive environment for students with disabilities as they join their homeroom classes for Specials (Art, Music, Library, and ISTEM) with adaptive equipment. This project ensures equal access for students with disabilities across the curriculum. Imagine a grip-assist to help one hold a paintbrush or musical instrument. This enhancement allows for more participation by students who need the assistance. It also reinforces the philosophy that values every learner while cultivating social skills, teamwork, and respect among students. 370 students will be impacted, and 6 teachers will be involved in this project.

Jackson-Via Elementary School

Teacher: Ida Cummings
Writing Together: Strengthening Home-School Connections

This is a writing workshop for second-grade students and their parents. This partnership increases family involvement in writing activities that students can do at home. This workshop focuses on family involvement, which studies show improves student engagement, motivation, and academic achievement. Advancement in writing skills will benefit students in all subjects studied. 60 students were impacted, and 1 teacher was involved in this project.

Jackson-Via Elementary School

Teacher: Sabra Timmins
Crossing the Line: An After-School Soccer Club for Building Inclusive Communities

This project uses soccer as a social and emotional learning experience for students from all backgrounds, nationalities, and cultures. Team sports help children develop physical skills, get exercise, make friends, have fun, learn to play fair, spark curiosity, and improve self-esteem. Children gain character-building through teamwork. Bridging diverse backgrounds, the program intentionally caters to low-income and multilingual families, promoting inclusivity.

Monticello High School

Teacher: Jeannette Stott
Making Printmaking Accessible

Printmaking has been in existence for hundreds of years. Often, students learn about printed materials from early history. It's still a widely used art medium; however, most schools don't have the necessary materials. By acquiring linocut tools, ink, and soft kut linoleum, first and second-year art students at MHS can try their hands at printmaking by learning to carve a block, print a block, incorporate design elements, think in reverse, try out various color applications, and see their work printed. Using historical materials makes this a unique and innovative experience. 150 students and 2 teachers are involved in this project.

Monticello High School

Teacher: Bernice Brythorne
Authentic Field Research Experiences for Environmental Science Students

Today's students spend less time than their predecessors, rarely experiencing self-directed, open exploration. Meaningful outdoor time engagement is essential to one's scientific and social-emotional development. AP Environmental Science students engage in authentic and self-directed field research by creating kits. UVA biology graduate students, professors, and alumni will lead a two-day field research-intensive at Mountain Lake Biological Station. Students will develop a research question, design and collect data for open-inquiry research projects, and present findings to the school. 108 students and 2 teachers are involved in this project.

Stone-Robinson Elementary School

Teacher: Angie Foreman
Calming Spaces & Happy Faces

Enhancing students' emotional well-being with tools to manage emotions is a forward-thinking approach our schools need in the post-COVID environment. Feelings of being overwhelmed and stressed among students of all ages are increasing in our schools. This project will create a resource that helps students manage their emotions effectively with a calming kit. Calming kits are essential to help enhance learning, improve emotional development, support diverse needs, encourage stress-relief activities, reduce behavioral issues, inform and educate parents, and have lasting effects on a child's long-term health. Teachers will measure the success of this project through student focus groups and behavioral observations. 481 students and 9 teachers will be involved in this project.

Stone-Robinson Elementary School

Teacher: Angie Foreman
Libros en Espanol

Providing resources to students and families for the growing Spanish-speaking population. The availability of bilingual books is low. This project will bring award-winning, quality texts across various genres to the library. Students provided their suggestions for books. Enhancing the bilingual book selection will benefit families, the school community, and the community. 465 students and 3 teachers will be involved in this project.

Stone-Robinson Elementary School

Teacher: Angie Foreman
The Need to be Seen: Neurodivergent Representation in the Library

This project will provide high-quality, relevant books that explore or feature neurodivergent protagonists, such as those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other conditions. The collection will aim to educate neurotypical peers about neurodiversity and promote understanding and empathy. By incorporating neurodivergent voices and stories into school libraries, educators can create a more inclusive and engaging learning environment for all students. 490 students will be impacted and 8 teachers are involved in this project.

Walker Upper Elementary School

Teacher: Amy Wissekerke
Classroom Economics for 6th Grade

This class teaches fiscal responsibility, how to save and budget, and how to apply math skills to real-world decision-making, such as mortgaging, borrowing, paying interest, analyzing and investing in the stock market, and forming cooperatives. Students earn “class cash” for completing classroom jobs and meeting and/or exceeding school classroom expectations. They pay “rent” for their desks and save money for goods during class auctions. This project has become popular among students. It's fun and engaging while educational. 60 students and 1 teacher are involved in this project.

Walker Upper Elementary School

Teacher: Beth Bohannon
Positive Pathways: Incentivizing Growth & Engagement

This system, which supports a school store with raffled items and monthly reward events, fosters pride and ownership among students, goal setting, teamwork, and collaboration. This project leverages the “Class Cash” 6th-grade economics class to boost positive behaviors, motivate students, and enhance a sense of ownership and responsibility. 635 students and 67 teachers are involved in this project.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Penny Harrison
Executive Director
Public Education Foundation of Charlottesville-Albemarle (PEFCA)
penny.harrison@pefca.org