Berryville, VA — The Clarke County Education Foundation (CCEF) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2026–2027 Classroom Impact Grants, awarding $13,950 to Clarke County Public Schools educators to bring innovative ideas and meaningful learning experiences to life for students.
Classroom Impact Grants are designed to support creative projects that directly enhance student learning across Clarke County Public Schools. Each year, CCPS educators are invited to submit proposals for classroom needs, innovative instructional ideas, and hands on learning opportunities that extend beyond what is typically possible within the school division’s regular budget.
This year, 12 projects totaling $13,950 were selected for funding across all four Clarke County Public Schools. The funded projects will support opportunities in accessible art, inclusion, literacy, science, technology, theatre, student wellness, physical education, civics, and more.
“These grants are one of my favorite ways we are able to put our mission into action,” said Beth Williams, Executive Director of the Clarke County Education Foundation. “Our educators know their students best, and they continually bring us creative ideas for making learning more engaging, accessible, and meaningful. We are incredibly grateful to the donors and community partners who make it possible for CCEF to say yes to these ideas and put resources directly into the hands of our teachers and students.”
2026–2027 Classroom Impact Grant Recipients
Boyce Elementary School
Pam Murphy — The “Sensory Expressions” Accessible Art Studio — $400
This project will expand opportunities for students to participate in meaningful, creative art experiences through an accessible studio environment. Sensory friendly materials and adaptive approaches will help ensure students of varying abilities can explore, create, and express themselves through art.
Pam Seekford — Alex’s Lemonade Stand — $450
Second grade students will put classroom learning into action by planning and operating an Alex’s Lemonade Stand fundraiser to support childhood cancer research. Students will prepare and sell lemonade to the Boyce Elementary School community while applying lessons from their economics unit, including what it means to be a producer and seller, and practicing money counting skills. With a goal of raising $300, the project will also help students experience firsthand the importance of community service, generosity, and empathy.
Boyce Elementary & D.G. Cooley Elementary Schools
Victoria Fowler, Liz Bergstrom, Danielle Wallace, Brian Davies, Cherylynn Shiley, Marnie Morrissett, Michele Cox, Rebecca McCarthy, Christina Collings, Pam Murphy, and Leanna Zimmerman — Our Differences Make Us Magical Assemblies — $5,000
Inspired by a fourth grade student who wanted classmates to better understand autism and show greater kindness, this grant funded four “Our Differences Make Us Magical” assemblies at Boyce and Cooley Elementary Schools, reaching approximately 800 students. Autistic speaker and magician Cody Clark used magic and storytelling to help students explore autism, empathy, inclusion, self regulation, understanding differences, and ways to support one another. Follow up lessons provided to teachers extended these important conversations beyond the assemblies and into the classroom.
Clarke County High School
Christine Brewer — “I Love a Piano” — $550
This grant will provide the CCHS theatre program with a digital keyboard and case for use in musicals, plays, theatre classes, and choir rehearsals. The portable keyboard will allow students to rehearse with the instrument used in the musical pit, experiment with additional sounds, practice independently with headphones, and incorporate more live music into productions without relying on the school’s grand piano. The resource will support approximately 50 students involved in each musical while also benefiting theatre and choir students throughout the school year.
Katie Roles — Learning Science and Citizenship Through Graphic Novels, Comics and Film — $600
This grant will bring graphic novels, comics, and film into CCHS Bio II Ecology classrooms to help students explore complex environmental issues in engaging and accessible ways. Students will examine topics including climate change, ocean pollution, water scarcity, energy and food demands, and sustainability while considering their own roles as responsible global citizens. Through discussion, writing, creative projects, and personal sustainability challenges, students will build scientific understanding while learning how individual and community choices can impact the environment. The resources can also be used in Academic, Honors, and IB Chemistry courses, extending the project’s reach beyond Bio II Ecology.
Christina Burge — The School Production Hub: Bridging Digital Design and Community Impact — $2,100
Supported through CCEF’s STEM funding, this project will provide students with hands on opportunities to use digital design and production skills to create materials with real world applications. Students will gain experience with the design and production process while using their skills to support their school and community.
Rebecca Sien, McKenzie Baker, and Melissa Rutherford — The Care Closet — $1,500
Supported with at least $1,500 from the Helper Fund, the CCHS Care Closet will provide students with private and discreet access to hygiene products, feminine care items, clothing, and other basic necessities. By helping meet essential needs that can affect confidence, attendance, well being, and classroom engagement, the Care Closet will remove barriers that may prevent students from focusing fully on their education. Available to all CCHS students as needed, the program will also connect students with caring staff and support systems while fostering a schoolwide culture of compassion, dignity, and community.
D.G. Cooley Elementary School
Emily Vigneault and Rhonda Holcomb — Words Come Alive — $1,000
“Words Come Alive” is a weekly after school program for third, fourth, and fifth grade students designed to strengthen reading fluency, comprehension, oral interpretation, public speaking, and confidence. Through vocal inflection, character development, and performance, students will discover new ways to make reading come alive while building a deeper connection to the texts they read. The program will culminate in a dessert theater night where students will perform scenes and short plays for their families and community, giving them an opportunity to showcase their growth and celebrate their accomplishments.
Kylie Whitaker, Kim Baker, and Elizabeth Burgess — Learning in Motion: Elkonin Boxes for Building Phonemic Awareness — $650
This grant will provide each kindergarten classroom at D.G. Cooley Elementary School with six sets of movement based Elkonin box kits, combining literacy instruction with the play and movement that are so important for young learners. Used in small groups, the oversized boxes will help students physically engage with sounds as they build phonemic awareness and strengthen the foundational skills needed for reading and writing. Grounded in the science of reading and the Virginia Literacy Act, these reusable kits will support kindergarten phonics instruction for years to come, benefiting both current students and future classes.
Johnson-Williams Middle School
Daryl Bell — Constitution Escape Room — $300
The Constitution Escape Room will transform eighth grade civics instruction into an interactive, hands on experience where students work in teams to solve challenges involving the Bill of Rights, branches of government, checks and balances, federalism, and Supreme Court cases. Students will decode messages, analyze real world scenarios, solve puzzles, and unlock clues while strengthening their critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and understanding of constitutional concepts. Grant funding will provide reusable locks, lock boxes, laminated resources, educational props, and other materials that can be used with all eighth grade civics students for years to come.
Sarah Casey and Shane Markward — Middle School Pickleball — $800
This grant will replace and refresh equipment for J-WMS’s popular pickleball program, which CCEF first helped fund in 2021. All sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students participate in pickleball during physical education, learning the fundamentals of a lifetime sport while developing skills they can continue using with friends and family outside of school. The equipment is also used for badminton and other net games, recess, field day, and school activities throughout the year. After five years of enthusiastic student participation, this grant will help keep the program going strong for the next generation of J-WMS students.
Amelia Erickson — Adapted Art Supplies: No More Crying Over Spilt Paint — $600
This grant will provide adapted art supplies for the seven students in J-WMS’s multiple disabilities program, making hands on learning more accessible for students with fine and gross motor challenges, weak grips, limited motor control, vision needs, and other barriers to using traditional art materials. Art is regularly woven into academics in the program, helping students explore concepts in science, history, and reading while creating projects they can proudly share with others. The adapted materials will give students greater independence and opportunities for success while supporting learning, creativity, confidence, and meaningful connections with the broader J-WMS community.
Since its founding in 1991, the Clarke County Education Foundation has worked alongside Clarke County Public Schools and the greater community to expand educational opportunities for local students. In 2026, CCEF celebrates 35 years of investing in Clarke County students, educators, and schools, with more than $4 million invested in educational opportunities since the Foundation’s founding.
Classroom Impact Grants remain an important part of that work, putting community support directly into classrooms and empowering educators to create engaging, innovative experiences for their students.
For more information about the Classroom Impact Grant program or to learn how you can support the Clarke County Education Foundation, visit ccefinc.org.