Gene Jones celebrates Arlington ISD art students at AT&T Stadium and caps the evening with a suprise! view article

Cleveland High School students pursuing an education in nursing and other medical fields will enjoy upgrades in the health science lab and classroom next school year thanks to a $5,474 grant from the Cleveland ISD Education Foundation. On Wednesday, May 23, Cherie Watts, R.N. and director of the CHS Health Science Technology Department, accepted the check from school and education foundation administrators. “The Cleveland High School Health Science Technology program is grateful for all the support that the Foundation has given. This is our third award in three years from the Foundation,” Watts said. “In total, the HST program has been awarded close to $20,000 for the educational tools needed to provide a quality educational experience for the students.” view article

The Dallas Cowboys Art Collection is the pride and joy of Gene Jones. While the actual art pieces are quite expensive, the opportunities they create are priceless. For the third straight year, the Jones family and Arlington ISD have teamed up to give fifth graders one of those priceless opportunities. On Wednesday, students got a tour of the world-renowned art collection, then had the opportunity to create their own artwork inspired by what they saw. These pieces were then put on display inside AT&T Stadium at the annual reception. view article

Orangefield Elementary and High School libraries received a $12,200 grant from the Lowe’s Charitable Foundation. This money will be used to refurnish the libraries after the devastation of Harvey.  view article

Highland Park ISD received a $10 million grant Tuesday — the largest donation in the district's 104-year history — to support the long-term needs of its teachers. The Clements Foundation, named for the late former Texas Gov. Bill Clements, awarded the gift to the Highland Park Education Foundation, which raises private funds that cannot be diverted through state recapture legislation.  view article

The Highland Park Education Foundation (HPEF) announced Tuesday afternoon that it has received an unprecedented $10 million gift from Clements Foundation to establish the William P. Clements, Jr. Fund designated to meet the needs of teachers in the Highland Park Independent School District. The gift is the largest in the history of the Education Foundation and the district. "This gift recognizes our teachers' skill and dedication, and shows our appreciation of their commitment to our students," Nancy Seay said. Seay is the daughter of Governor Bill Clements and a board member of the Clements Foundation. "The goal of this gift to the Highland Park Education Foundation is to help the school district support our teachers." view article

Ensuring students have equal access to technology is something Godley ISD officials always work towards. The district was recently awarded a $50,000 grant to help them achieve that goal. The Texas Education Agency announced recently that GISD and 147 other Texas school districts and charter schools were awarded a 2018-19 Technology Lending grant aimed at ensuring equitable access to qualify digital resources and courses for all students.  Technology Lending grants provide school systems funds to purchase technology devices that are loaned to students for access to digital instruction materials off campus, according to the TEA. The grant also provides personal student learning devices and internet access for students who would not otherwise have access to digital instructional materials off campus. view article

Four local nonprofits received a big surprise on Thursday. They received nearly $1 million in donations from philanthropist Kym Rapier. The charity leaders thought they were just meeting for coffee at Nicha's Mexican Restaurant Thursday morning. Instead, they were each gifted with checks ranging from $100,000 to $350,000. view article

Chapel Hill High School senior Caroline Onwuzu is working to help people in third world countries with their eyesight. She recently won thousands of dollars in scholarship money from the Taco Bell Foundation to further her education. This money can be life-changing for anyone, but Onwuzu plans to use it to change other people's lives. view article

Thanks to a generous donation from Gemini, Inc. of Taylor, the Taylor Educational Enrichment (TEE) Foundation will now be able to fund a Robotics Academy at Legacy Early College High School, a 3D printer at Taylor High School for printing prosthetic hands for children born with amniotic band syndrome, and a CNC Router at Taylor High School for the development of skills and creativity in manufacturing. The local sign products company presented a check to the TEE Foundation on Wednesday for $30,268 to invest in Taylor’s future. “We appreciate the fact that Gemini has stepped up and done this for us,” said Thomas Martinez, TEE Foundation board member and Vice President of Development. “We hope this is a long partnership and we will be able to put programs in place that will benefit them as well as our students as they graduate and become employees in the work force.” view article

The Education Foundation for Lockhart ISD invites the public to an evening of Performing Arts from its students. The first annual Performing Arts showcase on Friday, May 18 at the Gerry Ohlendorf Performing Arts Center at Lockhart High School at 906 Center St. The Foundation hosts different events each year to raise money which we donate to Lockhart ISD teachers through grants.  view article

Marshall ISD Education Foundation recognized the top 10 percent Marshall High School seniors of the 2018 graduating class, as well as the teachers who influenced them, during the third annual Top 10 Percent Banquet Dinner on Tuesday at First United Methodist Church in Marshall.  view article

The Texas Education Agency announced that the Van Independent School District has been awarded a 2018-‘19 Technology Lending grant aimed at ensuring equitable access to quality digital resources and courses for all students. view article

Duncanville High School instructor Marissa Alsabrook was happy to share some good news about the successful Architectural Design classes she has taught the past seven years. Alsabrook said her students have been doing exceptional work, with several winning state honors in the recent SkillsUSA competition. Duncanville High School is also able to increase capacity of the in-demand Architectural Design program with a $260,000 “P-TECH” (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) grant awarded the district. view article

San Benito High School graduating senior Mathew Reyna was recently awarded a $1,000 Jon H. Poteat Scholarship from the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS). Reyna was one of 225 outstanding NTHS members to receive the prestigious scholarship named in honor and memory of NTHS co-founder Jon H. Poteat. view article

The Moody Foundation approved a $12,955,472 commitment in Generation Moody grants today to seven grant recipients, the second and largest round of grants to date. Generation Moody launched earlier this year with the vision of creating "cradle-to-career" support by providing exceptional resources and opportunities to guide Galveston Island students through their entire educational journey. Together, the two rounds of grants total more than $21 million. "Galveston will always be special to the Moody family, and Generation Moody is a long-term investment in the Galveston community," said Ross R. Moody, trustee of the Moody Foundation and CEO of National Western Life Group. view article

Thanks to the generosity of the Taylor Community, Taylor ISD has awarded 59 local scholarships totaling $101,000 to 66 seniors from Taylor High School and Legacy Early College High School. The scholarships were presented in a ceremony on Tuesday evening in the event center auditorium. Taylor counselors noted that for a community the size of Taylor, the number of families and companies that provide scholarships for local students is impressive and remarkable. Retired Taylor ISD counselor Naomi Pasemann believes the number of local scholarships available for Taylor students says a lot about the community. view article

Today, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation announced the award of nearly $525,000 in literacy grants to Texas nonprofit organizations, libraries and schools. These funds are aimed at supporting adult, family and summer literacy programs within a 20-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center across the 44 states Dollar General serves. The grants awarded to Texas organizations are expected to positively impact the lives of more than 53,000 Texans. view article

Three elementary schools in Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD were surprised with grants from H-E-B and Dole Foods after winning the second ‘Let’s Get Growing Educational Program’ competition on Friday, May 11. Raul Longoria Elementary in Pharr earned 1st place, Santos Livas Elementary in Alamo earned 2nd place, and Sgt. Leonel Treviño in San Juan earned 3nd place for their tremendous efforts during the competition. As part of a continuing partnership between H-E-B, Dole, and PSJA ISD, the ‘Let’s Get Growing’ educational program kicked off at all 25 elementary schools within the district earlier this year. view article

Thanks to the Dallas Cowboys, students here will soon feel more refreshed. The Lyford school district will use a $3,000 grant from the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Foundation to fund two water bottle refilling stations at the high school. “It will increase accessibility to water every day,” Bibiana Bernal, the school nurse who applied for the grant, said yesterday. “It’s going to increase hydration of students and staff.” view article

Hugs and sometimes tears were shed as the top 25 Henderson High School graduates and their most influential teachers were honored during the Henderson ISD Education Foundation Tradition of Excellence Banquet Monday at the civic center. This year's top 10 percent, 25 students this year, took time during the evening to share memories and moments of why those teachers were deemed their most influential. The teachers also spoke to and about the students. view article

Evan Hannon has always evaluated his life choices through a long-term lens. The senior at Sam Houston State University took a special interest in German culture after his first language course at Hendrickson High School, and made a commitment to himself to one day visit the country. Five years later, Hannon is one of 75 American students chosen to participate in the 2018-19 Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals, a year-long fellowship funded by the U.S. Department of State for students to study and work in Germany. view article

A Whitehouse ISD volunteer has earned a huge donation for the district’s Education Foundation as recognition of his hard work. Al Flanagan, a financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual — Tyler, has been selected as a recipient of the company’s 2018 Community Service Award, and received a $15,000 grant for the Whitehouse ISD Education Foundation. view article

The McGregor ISD Education Foundation awarded more than $32,000 in grant funds to support innovative teaching initiatives. The following teachers received funding for their projects: view article

The following applicants have been preliminarily selected to receive a grant for the 2018–2019 Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) and Industry Cluster Innovative Academies (ICIA) Planning Grant program. view article

On May 1, Jefferson Independent School District was awarded a $49,752 grant through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Community Outdoor Outreach (CO-OP) program for the Pollinator Pals project. The grant will enable students to engage in hands-on activities that increase conservation stewardship through native plant seed collection, greenhouse propagation of seedling plugs and installation of Monarch Butterfly and other pollinator habitat at the Caddo Lake State Park and Wildlife Management Area (WMA), campus gardens and other selected areas. view article

Seguin ISD is seeking a new grant as an opportunity to help the district’s at-risk youth. The district is applying for a $1.5 million Texas 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Cycle 10 grant in an effort to establish an after-school program for at-risk students and their families at all of the elementary campuses. The SISD board of trustees showed their support by unanimously approving and signing the grant application, presented by SISD physical education coordinator Pete Silvius at a school board meeting on Tuesday, April 24. view article

Baytown was abuzz with excitement Wednesday after J.J. Watt was spotted in town. The Houston Texans' star traded the pigskin for a basketball during a visit to Horace Mann Junior High in Goose Creek CISD. The Gators were all smiles as Watt stopped by to shoot some hoops with the school's basketball team. He also stopped to take photos with students and staff.   view article

When Conroe ISD Superintendent Dr. Don Stockton announced his retirement in August 2017, scores of people and organizations sought to honor his service to Conroe ISD. But, only one organization will have that opportunity, and it is one that truly embodies Dr. Stockton’s legacy more than any other. “The Conroe ISD Education Foundation was a tremendous idea which had not been developed to its full advantage when Dr. Stockton decided it needed an overhaul. He envisioned the Foundation as a source for meeting the needs of a growing Conroe ISD, from student scholarships to teacher recruiting tools. His ideas are what fuel the imaginations of the Foundation Board as it continually seeks to meet the ever-changing needs of Conroe ISD,” explained Nelda Luce Blair, Chair of the CEF. view article

Springtown Independent School District is building more interest in the teaching profession and providing support to first-year teachers through a newly announced Texas Education Agency ‘Grow Your Own’ grant. view article

High school math and engineering teacher Barbie Hicks teared up Friday as she thanked Danbury ISD’s Education Foundation for a $10,000 grant. Hicks was one of 15 teachers receiving $45,000 total in grants from the foundation’s Prize Patrol, which included foundation board members, Superintendent Greg Anderson and the Danbury Panther Band drum line. Hicks said she was not expecting to win the grant, which she will use to fund Google Classroom for her students. view article

Music from the 1950s filled the El Campo Civic Center Saturday as the Hispanic Education Project awarded 48 high school seniors a total of $20,000 during its annual scholarship banquet. “It makes me feel great that they chose me, and it’s helping me take another step further towards my goal. I wasn’t always a hard working student, but I changed that, and now when I work hard and do what I need to, it makes me feel happy,” El Campo High School senior Justin Rivera said. He plans on studying business at Texas State University and chose AVID teacher Meagan Hogg as the teacher who most impacted him. view article

 A big yellow school bus made its way around La Vega ISD schools today, but it was dropping off checks rather than students. Members of the La Vega Pirates Education Foundation rode the bus to all five campuses to award 13 different grants totaling more than $36,000.  view article

Johnston-McQueen Elementary School fifth-grader Riley McGrede knew where to go to get his daily dose of “superhero juice.” Riley honored retired Johnston-McQueen Elementary counselor Lynn Bearden on Thursday at the annual Longview ISD Foundation Lamplighter Awards. Riley said Bearden used a kind spirit to “flip (students’) frowns upside down and make a sad time into a bright, joyful time.” view article

Erica De Hoyos is a reading specialist instructor at Heritage Elementary in Southside ISD. She says that her love of reading began at a very young age. “I would always see my mom reading and I would want to real also, yeah,” she said. When KENS 5 visited her class, she was sharing her love of reading with her students at Heritage Elementary, and said that one-on-one time with each child is a big priority for her. view article