GAR Foundation is proud to support 47 teams of Summit County educators with $350,000 in funding through its Educator Initiative Grant (EIG) program. These grants support classroom-based projects that strengthen essential skills, deepen student engagement, and respond to the evolving needs of today’s learners.
This year’s funded projects reflect educators’ growing focus on social‑emotional learning and student well‑being, alongside continued investments in literacy and communication. Many initiatives also prioritize hands‑on, in‑person, screen-free learning, often incorporating art, music, and other creative elements to foster meaningful connection among students.
“This year’s Educator Initiative Grant recipients show how thoughtfully designed classroom experiences can help students build confidence, curiosity, and a sense of belonging,” said Christine Amer Mayer, President of GAR Foundation. “We are continually inspired by educators who respond to changing student needs with care, intention, and imagination.”
The Educator Initiative Grant program supports K–12 educators in Summit County’s public and private schools who propose innovative classroom projects that enhance teaching and learning. Individual educators may request up to $5,000 for a single classroom, while collaborative projects spanning multiple classrooms, grade levels, or departments may request up to $10,000.
“We are seeing educators take a more intentional approach to how students connect with content, peers, and their learning environments,” said EIG Liaison Karen Hodge. “These projects reflect a deep understanding of what students need to feel supported, challenged, and motivated in today’s classrooms.”
Since launching the Educator Initiative Grant program in 2004, GAR Foundation has awarded $6.7 million to Summit County educators and their students. Grant recipients will be recognized at a celebratory reception in June.
The schools and projects receiving support this year include:
Akron Public Schools
- East CLC: ACTivating Artistry — $10,000
- East CLC: Banding Together at East – Part 2 — $10,000
- East CLC: East Empowering Emotional Wellness Year 2 — $7,750
- East CLC: Recovery Reengagement Resources the East Way Year 2 — $7,750
- Ellet CLC: Media Literacy Makers: Equipping Students to Think, Create, and Communicate for Themselves — $7,390
- Firestone CLC: Create. Innovate. Decide: A Makerspace for Career Pathways — $10,000
- Garfield CLC: On Our Way to Zero Waste — $10,000
- Hatton CLC: Hatton Zen Den for Students and Staff — $6,000
- Hatton CLC: Regulate and Create: Social Emotional Learning through Arts Integrated STEAM — $4,300
- Hyre CLC: Hyre eSports Improvement Program Year 2 — $7,800
- I Promise School: Project STEEL: Students Thriving, Engaged, Empowered, Learning — $4,250
- Innes CLC: Jaguar Nation — $9,950
- NIHF STEM High School: Circuits: A Collaborative PBL with STEM Exploration Center — $4,980
- NIHF STEM High School: Guitar Class Project — $5,700
- North High School: AVID Explorers 3: Connecting to Culture and Community — $10,000
- North High School: Empowerment Through Immersion: Completing Our VR Student Studio (Equity in Esports Cycle 3) — $8,900
- North High School: The 3 Bs: Belonging, Behavior Skills, and Better Choices (PBIS + Trauma-Informed) — $6,000
- Office of Special Education: Community Based Recreation Programming — $7,030
- Judith A. Resnik CLC: Take It Outside + Bring It In! — $8,220
- Seiberling, Hatton, Glover, Findley, Case, Leggett, Voris, McEbright, NIHF STEM, Innes, Jennings, Hyre, North, & Buchtel: Building Math Thinkers: Empowering Students to Reason, Remember, Reflect Year 2 — $10,000
- Summit County Juvenile Detention Center: Strings of Restoration: Cello, Mindfulness, and Social Emotional Growth in Juvenile Detention — $7,600
Archbishop Hoban High School
- History in Motion: Student-Designed Interactive Museum Exhibits — $7,000
- Hoban Live: Student-Driven Broadcasting & Media Year 2 — $9,800
- KnightWorks – Unlocking Innovation Through 3D Digital Sculpture — $9,890
- KnightRider Restorations — $1,220
Chapel Hill Christian Schools
- Morning News Digital Video Production Initiative — $9,950
Copley-Fairlawn City Schools
- Fort Island Primary School: The Literacy Link — $3,300
Cuyahoga Falls City Schools
- Cuyahoga Falls High School: Project Respawn — $8,970
- Cuyahoga Falls Middle School & High School: Making It Happen—Engagement through Maker-Centered Learning — $10,000
- Elizabeth Price Elementary School: EdVentures in Music Therapy — $5,000
- Gordon DeWitt Elementary School: Dewitt Lego Learning Lab — $9,640
- Richardson Elementary School: If You Give a Kid a Ball! — $10,000
- Richardson Elementary School: Our Stories, Our Voices — $9,370
Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy
- Innovative Portable Drum Booth — $4,500
- CVCA Racing Club – Year 2 — $9,950
- Legite! Empowering Students with Choice and Confidence — $5,000
- What Does It Mean to Be Creative in an AI Generation? — $5,000
Emmanuel Christian Academy
- The Digital Distinction Project — $6,700
Hudson City Schools
- Hudson High School: Career Pathway Exploration Day – Connecting Learning to Life — $9,860
- Hudson High School: CONNECT Year 2: Collaborative Networks for Emerging Technologies — $3,500
- Hudson High School: New Kid for the New Kids—New Student Connection and Support — $1,900
Seton Catholic School
- The Western Reserve: A Living Timeline — $9,130
Springfield Local Schools
- Springfield High School & Junior High: From Page to Frame: Bringing Literature to Life Through Animation — $4,980
Summit Academy Akron Elementary School
- Summit Voices: Student News Project — $9,020
Twinsburg City School District
- Twinsburg High School: Growing Stories: The Liberation Garden — $7,960
- Twinsburg High School: Twinsburg High School Transition Program — $9,740
Woodridge Local Schools
- Woodridge Middle School: Compassion Cafe — $5,000