Congrats to the 2026 Cash For Classrooms Winners!
Navarrete Elementary, Cassie Itsell: Hands-on Multisensory Resources for Early Reading & Writing - $2,246
Total: 69 grants; $104,618 awarded.
Multiple CUSD Schools
Karen Hudak
Tandem Bikes — $2,000
Schools served: ACP High, Basha High, Chandler High, CTA Liberty, Hamilton High, Hartford Elementary, Navarrete Elementary, Perry High, Rice Elementary, and Santan Jr. High.
Tandem bicycles and adapted accessories will give students with visual impairments opportunities to ride alongside sighted peers or instructors, making outdoor recreation and physical activity more accessible.
Andersen Elementary
Ana Casillas
Spanish Class Supplies for Hands-on Enrichment Opportunities — $560
Students will explore Spanish language and culture through hands-on activities, including corn husk dolls, traditional foods, sugar skulls, and a Day of the Dead altar for the Mesa Arts Center contest.
Andersen Jr. High
Robyn Ericson
8th-grade Washington DC Trip — $3,000
Grant funds will provide scholarships for 8th graders with financial need to visit Washington, D.C., connecting lessons in U.S. history and civics to landmarks, museums, and government institutions.
Mary-Jo Okawa
Spring Musical — $2,000
Funding will help stage the spring musical by covering performance rights, scenery, props, and costumes. Students will take part in rehearsals, choreography, technical design, and performances.
Auxier Elementary
Kristine Carpenter
Auxier Aviators: Aviation Leaders STEM Program — $500
The Auxier Aviators Club will give 4th- through 6th-grade students hands-on aviation challenges, including building balloon-powered aircraft, parachutes, and helicopters to investigate force and motion.
Doreen Pasero
Constructing Careers: Equipping K–6 Innovators — $1,700
Building materials, Snap Circuits, career exploration books, and storage will create a hands-on learning hub for K–6 students to design prototypes, explore engineering, and connect projects to real-world careers.
Basha Accelerated Middle
Allison Ekren
Pressure Makes Progress! — $1,000
Three VEX pneumatics kits will help robotics teams build robots with faster, more precise movements. Students will explore engineering concepts such as pressure and force while designing for competition.
Bonnie Flores
Robotics Mentorship and Vertical Alignment Program — $3,000
This grant will help establish a CUSD Robotics Mentorship and Vertical Alignment Program, with funding for robotics materials, practice opportunities, and shared resources. Sixth-grade teams will work alongside experienced junior high robotics students, use competition-quality equipment, and participate in hands-on robotics activities.
Basha Elementary
Sherri Beck
The Bobcat Den — $250
The Bobcat Den gives students in grades 4–6 a comfortable place to reset their emotions during lunch recess. Funding will replenish supplies for calming activities such as art projects, puzzles, reading, and fidgets.
Basha High
Glenda Skalitzky
BBN's Operation Kick the Brick — $3,000
The Basha Bear Network will upgrade microphones, lighting kits, and post-production tools, giving broadcast and film students experience with professional equipment. Funding will also help students attend a national convention to showcase their work, and connect with industry professionals.
Bogle Jr. High
ABLE Classroom
Life Skills Kitchen Supplies — $500
Accessible kitchen equipment will help students in the ABLE Classroom practice everyday life skills, from safely preparing nutritious meals to cooking, and cleaning up independently.
Darlene DeNardis
Amplifying Literacy: Headsets for Success — $200
Headsets with noise-canceling microphones will allow students to practice reading aloud with speech-recognition software tailored to their reading needs.
Kristian Wostl
Adapted PE Equipment for All — $1,256
Adapted PE equipment will help students with and without disabilities participate in PE together. The equipment supports movement, balance, coordination, and inclusive team activities across CUSD.
Bologna Elementary
Jamie Ezolt
Growing Minds, Growing Community — $1,500
English language learners will grow plants, observe insects and investigate ecosystems using indoor growing systems and outdoor gardens. They'll also grow flowers to share at school and community events, combining science, language development, and service to their community.
Kara Lewis
The Spirit Squad Project — $1,780
Uniforms and cheer supplies will help launch a 4th - through 6th-grade cheer squad at Bologna Elementary, giving students opportunities to build confidence, develop leadership skills, and show school spirit.
Carlson Elementary
Beth Somers
Constructing Careers: Hands-on Tech and Teamwork for K-6 Innovators — $500
Hands-on building materials and problem-solving stations will help K–6 students design, test, and improve their creations while exploring technology and engineering careers.
Tina Thelen
Calm, Connect & Grow: Counseling Classroom & Wellness Project — $1,200
Sensory stools, a sequin wall board, and floor sensory pads will enhance the counseling classroom and school-wide calming area. Students will have tools to practice self-regulation, manage emotions, and stay focused.
Casteel Middle School
Geneva Baker
Bringing Precision to Middle School Science — $1,500
New digital scales will let middle school scientists measure with greater precision during experiments, including a Rainbow in a Straw density lab where students create colorful layers of liquids with different densities.
Chandler High
Patricia Bodroghy
International Baccalaureate Student Center — $2,000
Flexible furniture will transform the IB portable into a student center where students can work independently, collaborate, and complete long-term projects.
Kaitlyn Johnson
Scientific Calculators to Support Procedural Fluency in Mathematics — $3,000
With 175 new scientific calculators, students will have consistent access to essential tools during math instruction, practice, and assessments.
Courtney Kemp
IB Exam Scholarships — $1,260
Scholarships will cover 10 International Baccalaureate exam fees for students with financial need, helping remove a financial barrier to completing their IB coursework and examinations.
Jaclyn Robbins
Science is Fun in Biology and Environmental Science — $1,400
Animal skull “Bone Boxes” and stereo microscopes will give biology and environmental science students hands-on ways to explore animal diets, cells, and ecosystems. Chandler High’s Science is Fun Club will also use the materials during outreach to elementary and junior high students.
Conley Elementary
Bethany Halligan
Building Bright Minds: STEM Bins for Academic Success — $600
Reusable STEM bins filled with blocks, magnetic tiles, gears, and engineering tools will give 1st graders hands-on opportunities to create, problem-solve, and explore classroom concepts.
Julia Heath
4th-grade Colonial Trades Living History Experience — $1,000
Fourth graders will become apprentices in colonial trades, researching occupations such as blacksmithing, pottery, and weaving. They'll use tools and materials to create products and demonstrate their trades during the school's Colonial Day celebration.
Wendy Landis
Future Creators: Multimedia Career Exploration — $2,013
Makey Makey kits and prototyping supplies will help K–6 students design interactive games, models, and multimedia projects while exploring careers in coding, engineering, and digital design.
Victoria Meyn
If You Can See It, You Can Be It — $2,500
Students will step into real-world career roles through the Conley Kitchen, a student-run post office, gardening, and recycling projects, and community outreach activities. These hands-on experiences will introduce financial literacy, civic responsibility, and teamwork.
Jaime Pagliarulo
Balls for All — $800
Class sets of soft foam balls will make PE activities safer and more accessible for younger students and for Unified PE, where 6th graders participate alongside peers from specialized classrooms.
CTA Freedom
Sean Cederstrom
CTA Freedom's Musical: Annie and Broadway Bound — $1,500
Costumes, sets, and props will help bring Annie Kids and the Broadway Bound show choir performance to the stage. Students will sing, dance, play instruments, and take on speaking roles and solos in productions that showcase their musical talents.
Kristin Webster
Butterfly Life Cycle — $275
First graders get the chance to observe as butterflies develop through their life cycle, making science lessons on metamorphosis, observation, and prediction a hands-on experience.
CTA Goodman
Liana Clareson
Goodman Gator Guitars! — $2,500
A classroom set of 32 guitars will introduce 5th- and 6th-grade students to guitar instruction, expanding their hands-on music experiences and preparing them for future music courses.
CTA Humphrey; Elite Performance Academy
Olivia Klonowski
Strum Up Success: Building Confidence, Creativity, and Community through Music — $2,000
Classroom ukuleles will give students hands-on opportunities to learn rhythm, chords, strumming patterns, and musical notation. By learning and performing songs, they’ll also build confidence, creativity, and collaboration.
CTA Independence
Megan Maxwell
Building Future-ready Thinkers through Sphero indi Robotics — $3,000
Students will use Sphero indi robots and color tiles to learn screen-free coding, creating sequences, testing routes, and troubleshooting their designs while developing problem-solving skills.
CTA Liberty
Holli Cagle
Interactive Furnishings for the CTA Village Wellness Room AKA The Village Hub — $1,586
Whiteboard tables and student chairs will give students in the Village Hub space to express feelings through drawing and writing, practice coping strategies and participate in small-group counseling.
Frye Elementary
Angelica Abbey
Empowering Student Voice through Participatory Budgeting — $2,000
Through Frye’s student participatory budgeting program, students will identify campus needs, research solutions, develop proposals and campaign videos, then vote on a school improvement project.
Galveston Elementary
Stephanie Casoli
Life Cycle of Ladybugs — $285
Third-grade students will watch ladybug larvae develop into adults, recording observations and exploring life cycles through hands-on science activities and models.
Sara Evans
No Screen, No Limits: Driving Toward Future Careers — $3,000
Using Sphero indi robots, students will explore careers as engineers, city planners, and programmers through screen-free challenges — designing roads, planning delivery routes, and creating automated systems.
Sandra Jaime
Little Taps, Big Voices — $3,000
TouchChat communication apps give non-verbal students another way to express themselves, answer questions, and participate more fully in classroom activities.
Tana Miller
The 3rd-grade Changemaker Float Parade and Wax Museum — $700
Materials for floats and displays will help 3rd graders research Arizona changemakers, create parade floats, and bring their subjects to life in a student-led wax museum.
Saira Urbina
Jungle Jill's Animal Encounters — $700
Kindergarten students will meet live animals during a visit from Jungle Jill’s Animal Encounters, ask questions about their habitats and survival, and use what they learn to create animal habitats.
Haley Elementary
Jean Carlson
Making Math Matter- Building First Grade Mathematicians — $800
Dice, dominoes, number games, and place-value boards will give 1st graders hands-on ways to practice addition, subtraction, and number sense in small-group math activities.
Hamilton High
Monica Garcia
Materials for Multilingual Minds — $1,750
Flexible seating, headsets with microphones, magazines, books, and writing materials will support multilingual students as they practice English through small groups and learning stations.
Elizabeth Schnackenberg
The Self-Directed Student Initiative — $1,500
A classroom rewards system, planners, and organizational tools will help students set daily goals, track progress, practice self-regulation, and develop greater independence.
Hancock Elementary
Hari Diddigi
Little Coders, Big Thinkers! — $775
Pre-K students will explore early coding without screens, using hands-on toys to practice sequencing, patterns, and problem-solving while taking turns and working with classmates.
Hartford Elementary
Kathleen Villaorduna
Building Opportunities: Expanding STEM Access Through VEX IQ Robotics — $2,025
New VEX IQ competition kits and batteries will allow more students to design, build, test, and improve robots while preparing for robotics competitions, scrimmages, and showcases.
Hill Learning Academy
Amy Ring
Thriving in an Alternative Setting: Meeting the Needs of the Whole Student — $3,000
Snacks, water cups, calming activities, fidgets, and hands-on science materials will help students meet basic needs, stay focused, and engage in learning as they work toward graduation.
Hull Elementary
Jaime Breedlove
1st-grade Life Cycles — $760
First graders will observe caterpillars and ladybugs changing through their life cycles, record findings in science journals, research insects, and share what they learn through presentations and a “BugZ” play.
Ashley Hosten
Heroes Are Inclusive! — $1,250
Adapted PE equipment will support balance, coordination, and sensory needs while helping students in specialized and general education classes participate together. Disability-awareness activities will also build understanding and empathy.
Amy Perry
SPARQing Creativity — $1,500
In Hull’s SPARQ multimedia career awareness program, students will explore careers from pastry chefs to urban planners as they brainstorm, design, build, and revise hands-on projects.
Jacobson Elementary
Nicole Estevez and Michelle Merillat
Seeds to Careers: Hands-on Agricultural Literacy for Young Minds — $2,600
Two on-campus greenhouses will give students hands-on experience growing plants, managing soil and irrigation, and exploring careers in horticulture, agriculture, and environmental science.
Knox Gifted
Katelyn Studioso
ChompSaws for Project Based Learning — $2,000
Kid-safe ChompSaw cardboard cutters will let students turn designs into three-dimensional projects, including science models, magnet mazes, and social studies artifacts.
Navarrete Elementary
Cassie Itsell
Laying the Foundation — $2,246
Reusable hands-on phonics materials will help kindergarten students practice rhyming, matching letters and sounds, blending words, and building early reading and writing skills.
Payne Jr. High
Jonathan Groover
Media Pathways Digital Cameras — $2,000
Three digital camera kits and rechargeable batteries will give media students more time behind the camera to practice photography, video production, and visual storytelling.
Rice Elementary
Diana Perez
Bringing History to Life: Hands-on Social Science for 6th Grade — $2,000
Sixth graders will explore ancient civilizations by creating artifacts such as Greek-inspired pottery and plaster masks, then share their work in a school mask parade.
Ryan Elementary
Sarah Durel
1st-grade STEAM Room — $600
A LEGO building wall, construction materials, and math and science tools will give 1st graders a STEAM space to build models, measure, test designs, and explain their thinking.
San Marcos Elementary
Andrea Parkison
STEM in Kinder — $400
Blocks, magnetic tiles, and other building materials will create a kindergarten STEM center where students can ask questions, make predictions, explore shapes, and test their ideas.
Alma Rodriguez
Quest for Student Success via Coping Skills — $1,500
Through classroom lessons, wellness videos, and small groups, students will explore coping strategies and use calming tools like journals, thinking putty, and fidget stones to manage overwhelming emotions, build resilience, and stay focused and ready to learn.
Sanborn Elementary
Andrea Vanlandingham
MCA Build Up — $660
LEGO, straw builders, Makedo screws, and cardboard construction tools will help students design and build community-helper buildings, shade structures, dream rooms, board games, and greenhouses. These cross-curricular projects bring science, career exploration, media, and technology to our Multimedia Career Awareness classes.
Santan Jr. High
Jennifer Gardner
Drive the Future- Solar Car Challenge — $2,200
Engineering students will design, 3D-print, build, and race miniature solar-powered cars, testing how weight, aerodynamics, and solar panel angles affect speed and efficiency.
Dana Hansen
Eye-D-ing the Storm — $210
A heat press and iron-on vinyl will allow robotics students to add team names and numbers to their shirts, helping alliance partners recognize and remember their teams during competitions.
Jessica Lauterbach
RealCare: From Cradle to Classroom — $2,000
A RealCare infant simulator will give Family and Consumer Sciences students hands-on experience with the responsibilities of caring for a baby, including feeding, changing, and comforting.
Shumway Leadership
Monique Moreno
Empowering English Learners Through Language & Literacy — $1,500
Hands-on English language development materials will help multilingual students strengthen academic vocabulary and practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
DeAnn Royster
Indoor Recess Heat Days — $2,000
Games, LEGO, and building materials will give students more opportunities to play, create, and connect with classmates during indoor recess on extreme-heat days.
Tarwater Elementary
Nikole Bohn
Books and Breakfast with 3rd-grade Authors — $500
Third graders will become authors as they write, revise, illustrate, and publish hardcover books, then share their work at a Books and Breakfast celebration.
Jamie Droeg
Lights, Camera, Careers! K–6 Digital Media & Career Awareness Lab — $300
Green-screen and digital media tools will let students explore different careers by stepping into professional roles and creating their own multimedia projects.
Weinberg Gifted
Pamela Durham
Trashion Fashion — $700
Fifth graders will turn discarded and recycled materials into wearable art for their Trashion Fashion Show, using fashion to share messages about environmental responsibility.
Cara Jones
Clear Voices, Focused Minds — $1,600
Portable audio systems will help students hear instruction and each other, while tennis-ball chair-leg covers reduce background noise. These improvements optimize the acoustics in our large, open-concept classroom to support literacy instruction, communication, and focus.
Colleen Roberts
Catching Every Voice — $1,800
A soft, throwable Catchbox microphone will help students pass the microphone, share their ideas, and be heard during classroom discussions and group presentations.
Willis Jr. High
Taryn Bobko
Collaborative, Inquiry-based Science Classroom Redesign — $3,000
Flexible furnishings and classroom supplies will support 7th graders as they investigate science questions, share ideas, and build explanations together.
Julia Busby
Supporting Literacy Growth for Vulnerable Learners — $877
High-interest books, reading games, and repeated-reading activities will help students in Essential Skills classrooms build fluency and foundational literacy skills.
Thank you to everyone who donated to and supported our Cash For Classrooms fundraiser. Please be sure to follow us on social media (links in footer) to see these grants in action across our schools!
