Innovative Teaching Grants

Innovative Teaching Grants is sponsored by Stafford Education Foundation (in partnership with Amazon). These grants are designed to provide teachers with the opportunity to improve student achievement and learning through innovative and creative practices, specifically within Stafford County Public Schools.

Innovative Teaching Grants — The Stafford Education Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant Empowering Stafford Schools to Build a Sustainable Future. In a landmark three-year partnership with Amazon , the Stafford Education Foundation is investing over a half-million dollars into our community.

The Amazon Innovative Teaching Grant is more than just funding; it is an invitation for our educators to pioneer new solutions in sustainability, STEM, and student engagement. We aren't just funding projects—we are powering the ideas that will shape our community's future. The 2026-2027 Application Window is Now CLOSED.

Thank you to all Stafford Schools educators who submitted proposals! Our review committee is currently evaluating all submissions. Notifications regarding application statuses will be sent out on or before October 1.

If your application is selected, you will receive an official notification detailing the award and the next steps to complete the process. The 2026-2027 Innovation Mandate Innovation is the process of bringing about new ideas, methods, products, or solutions that have a significant positive impact. For this grant cycle, 100% of awarded projects must integrate at least one of our five Sustainability Pillars.

We offer four tiers of funding to support everything from a single classroom spark to a division-wide collaboration. Individual or Classroom Grant Designed for projects focused on a single classroom. Grade Level or Department Grant For collaborative efforts within a specific grade or academic department.

School-Wide Grant For large-scale initiatives that impact the entire school community. Cross-School or Collaborative Grant For innovative projects spanning multiple schools or locations. Our Innovative Learning Coaches (ILCs) are your building-level Grant Champions.

We recognize the incredible work these leaders do year-round; they are available to partner with you as mentors to help refine your sustainability components and vet your project ideas.

Frequently Asked Questions Transparency & Impact: To celebrate our success with the community and our partners, grant recipients are required to provide quarterly feedback, including high-resolution photos of the project in action, financial receipts, and a brief narrative of student impact.

Celebrating Our Past Winners These projects represent the foundation of excellence in Stafford Schools that we continue to build upon as we transition to the Amazon Innovative Teaching Grant framework.

2025-2026 Innovative Teaching Grant Recipients Pre-school Sensory Room – North Star Early Childhood Education Center Pre-schoolers with sensory sensitivities will use a specially designed sensory room to practice emotional regulation, focus, and social skills. The space should improve engagement and classroom readiness while supporting inclusive instruction.

Curiosity Totes: STEM Discovery for Virginia’s Littlest Learners – Rising Star Early Childhood Education Center Students will engage with portable science stations exploring melting, floating, magnifying, and mixing. This hands-on approach should promote inquiry, conversation, and curiosity, laying a foundation for lifelong STEM learning. Wednesday Cooking Club: Learning English Through Shared Experiences – Anne E.

Moncure Elementary School English Learners will participate in weekly cooking lessons that integrate vocabulary, math, science, and writing. Students will plan, prepare, and share meals, should strengthen English language skills, and will build confidence in communication.

Burnie Break: Beverage and Snack Cart led by Level 2 Students – Anthony Burns Elementary School Level 2 Special Education students will run a weekly student-led coffee and snack cart to practice communication, vocational, and math skills. The project will build confidence, independence, and inclusion while giving students real-world learning experiences.

The KINDness Crew: Putting the “I” in Kind – Anthony Burns Elementary School Fifth-grade students will design and lead school-wide kindness initiatives such as message boards, recognition days, and service projects. These activities should promote leadership, social-emotional growth, and a culture of empathy and inclusion.

Growing Minds: A 3rd Grade Learning Garden – Hampton Oaks Elementary School Third graders will cultivate a learning garden to explore science, math, and literacy standards. This hands-on approach should enhance comprehension, retention, and real-world problem-solving skills. Growing Minds, Growing Meals – Winding Creek Elementary School First grade students will use a hydroponics system to explore plant growth and nutrition.

Students will investigate life science concepts, measure growth, and should strengthen math, literacy, and teamwork skills while connecting to farm-to-table lessons. STEM Club Takes Flight! – A.

G. Wright Middle School Middle school students will explore drone technology to learn coding, physics, and engineering. Students will design flight paths, collect and analyze data, and should develop problem-solving, teamwork, and STEM skills.

Think On Your Feet – Dixon-Smith Middle School Students will use movable magnetic whiteboards to collaborate, share ideas visually, and engage kinesthetically, while teachers will provide immediate feedback and personalized instruction. This hands-on approach should increase engagement, deepen understanding, and promote ownership of learning. STEAM Club: Creative Innovation and Accessible Design – H.

H. Poole Middle School Middle school students will build paper-circuit robots, adaptive 3D-printed solutions, and accessible websites. The club will integrate engineering, design thinking, and digital citizenship while should inspire innovation and problem-solving.

Project Plant Power – Shirley Heim Middle School Students will grow indoor and outdoor plants while improving English literacy and scientific observation. The project should provide experiential learning opportunities and encourage environmental awareness. Student Design Lab: From Concept to Creation – Stafford Middle School Students will create wearable art by designing tote bags and t-shirts.

The project should build digital art, graphic design, and entrepreneurial skills while encouraging creativity and innovation. Conectados: Building Bridges Through Language and Culture – Brooke Point High School Level 4 Spanish students at Stafford High School and Brooke Point High School will participate in a yearlong pen pal exchange to practice authentic Spanish and explore cultural identity.

Students will exchange letters, digital messages, and multimedia, culminating in a joint field trip to strengthen language proficiency, empathy, and collaboration. 3rd Annual Stafford Schools HOSA-Future Health Professionals Symposium – Colonial Forge High School High school students from across Stafford County will participate in hands-on healthcare workshops, tours, and professional networking.

This immersive experience will connect classroom instruction to real-world healthcare careers and should expand knowledge of advanced medical topics. En la Cocina de mi Abuela: Cultura y Conversación – Mountain View High School Level 3 students will prepare traditional Spanish recipes and role-play restaurant scenarios to practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

This hands-on experience should deepen language skills and cultural understanding. Generations Collaborative Art – North Stafford High School Students will create large-scale canvases with local assisted living residents, combining painting, gems, and collaborative art-making. This intergenerational project should foster creativity, social-emotional growth, and community connection.

Exploring Latino Heritage: A Cultural Journey – Stafford High School Spanish for Fluent Speakers students will visit the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. The experience will connect classroom learning to real-world culture and history, should enhance language skills, and will foster critical thinking and cultural awareness.

Virtual Reality (VR) Simulators for Air Force JROTC Learning – North Stafford High School Air Force JROTC cadets will use Meta Quest 3 headsets and Microsoft Flight Simulator to experience immersive flight simulations. This project will increase engagement, inspire interest in aerospace careers, and enhance STEM learning.

Cinematography in Content Creation – Mountain View High School Students will build gimbals and jib arms to explore camera movement and storytelling. The project should improve technical skills, elevate content creation quality, and enhance understanding of visual media.

Students Serving Seniors: Triple S Club – Mountain View High School Students will provide one-on-one tech support to senior citizens, mentoring community members while building communication and problem-solving skills. The project should foster intergenerational relationships and digital literacy.