GAR Foundation is proud to announce the recent distribution of $350,000 in funding to 48 teams of educators through its annual Educator Initiative Grant (EIG) program. The major themes throughout this year’s approved grants include student achievement, the mental well-being of students and educators, outdoor education, finding joy and peace in reading, and utilizing virtual reality as a vehicle for the satisfaction of learning and creating.
"We are thrilled to see the incredible dedication and innovative spirit of our local educators reflected in this year’s EIG recipients," said Christine Amer Mayer, President of GAR Foundation. "This year’s grants are a testament to the creative ways our educators are transforming classrooms and enriching lives. We are proud to support these thoughtful initiatives and look forward to witnessing the positive outcomes they will bring."
The EIG program offers grants to K-12 educators in Summit County’s public and private schools who present classroom innovations that support high-quality teaching and engaged learning. Educators can request up to $5,000 to improve achievement in a single classroom or up to $10,000 for achievement in two or more classrooms, grade levels, or departments.
“It was such a pleasure working with all of the teams of educators this year,” said Lucille Esposito, GAR’s EIG Program Manager. “Through their research and drive to bring mental well-being, innovation, and engaged learning to their classroom, these educators have been such an inspiration and will do great things with their grant award.”
Since the inception of the Educator Initiative Grant program in 2004, 787 grants have been distributed, totaling over a $6 million investment in Summit County educators and their students. A reception will be held in June to honor and celebrate the educators and/or teams who were awarded the grants.
2025-2026 EIG Award Recipients
(School: Project Title, Amount Awarded)
Akron Public Schools
- Akron STEM HS: Future of Public Transport: A Hydrogen Fuel Cell PBL with Akron STEM HS and SARTA, $4,800
- Barber CLC and Glover CLC: Mad About Books, $7,980
- Buchtel CLC: Love for Literacy III, $9,890
- Case CLC: Sensory Opportunities for Students to Connect with Nature, $6,630
- East CLC: Recovery Re-engagement Resources the East Way, $10,000
- East CLC: Banding Together at East, $10,000
- East CLC: Eliminating Math Illiteracy as an Obstacle to the ASVAB, $4,890
- East CLC: East Empowering Emotional Wellness, $10,000
- Firestone CLC: Take Flight, $5,500
- Firestone CLC: Addressing Community Needs - Phase II: A Collaborative PBL with APS and Kent State University, $10,000
- Forest Hill CLC: Read Together, Grow Together: A Parent Partnership Program, $5,000
- Hatton CLC: It's Green Where You Water It II, $10,000
- Hatton, Findley, Innes, Hyre, Jennings, & North: Building Math Thinkers: Empowering Students to Reason, Remember, and Reflect, $9,900
- Hyre CLC & Hyre CLC: eSports Improvement Program, $9,990
- Innes CLC: Calm, Create, Collaborate—Phase Three–Media For All, $7,100
- Judith A. Resnik CLC: STEAMing Up the Kitchen with Kinder Chefs, $3,000
- Judith A. Resnik CLC: TAKE IT OUTSIDE!, $8,390
- NIHF STEM Middle School: Learning by playing - Chinese Shadow Puppet, $1,660
- North High School: AVID Explorers 2: Connecting to Culture and Community, $10,000
- North High School: From Esports to Education (Advancement in Equity through Esports part 2), $10,000
- North High School & Jennings CLC: From Whispers to Strength: Empowering Multilingual Learners by Sharing Their Voices, $10,000
- Office of Special Education: Community Based Recreation Programming, $9,080
- Rimer CLC: Sensory Space for Autistic Students, $1,530
- Summit County Juvenile Detention Center: A familiar melody: Learning history through music and writing in a juvenile detention facility #3, $10,000
Archbishop Hoban High School
- Hoban Live: Student-Driven Broadcasting & Media, $9,910
- Low Ropes: High Expectations, $10,000
- Trailblazers: Knight Life Adventures and Backpacking, $7,720
- Who Am I? A Knight's Journey Through Ohio's Underground Odyssey—Year 2, $4,800
Barberton City School District
- Barberton High School: Music as a Lifeline, $9,890
- Barberton Primary School: Creating Connections Through Rhythm, $9,880
Chapel Hill Christian Schools
- "Morning News" Video Class, $8,425
Cuyahoga Falls City Schools
- Cuyahoga Falls High School and Middle School: Service and Sustainability: Ecological and Economically Viable Agricultural Expansion, $10,000
- DeWitt Elementary School: Explore! Experience! Excite to Write!, $3,950
- DeWitt Elementary School: Turning Pages, Building Confidence: Empowering Struggling Readers Through Graphic Novels, $3,740
- Lincoln Elementary School: Unlocking STEM Potential: Engaging Learners in Science and Innovation, $8,180
- Richardson Elementary: Our Stories, Our Voices, $7,780
Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy
- Harmonizing Education: Fostering Musical Literacy through University Partnerships Year Two, $3,760
- Music Literacy Through Ukulele: A Cross-Cultural Choir Initiative, $4,530
Hudson City Schools
- Hudson High School: CONNECT: Collaborative Networks for Emerging Technologies, $4,150
- Hudson Middle School: AI Exploration Day: Empowering Students Through Artificial Intelligence, $4,000
Mogadore Local School District
- Mogadore Jr./Sr. High School: Wildcat Pride Podcast, $3,570
Norton City Schools
- Norton Middle School: Career Exploration: The Panther Way, $7,500
- Norton Middle School: Maker Monday, $5,000
- Norton Middle School: Panther Pour: Norton Students Learn A Latte, $5,750
Revere Local Schools
- Bath Elementary School: Scientists in the Schools through Community and Career Connections, $7,000
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
- The Leprechaun Network, $9,680
Tallmadge City Schools
- Tallmadge Elementary School: Johnny Appleseed 2.0, Phase II, $5,565
Twinsburg City School District
- Twinsburg High School: Brewing Abilities Café - Year 2 - $9,880
Since 2004, the Educator Initiative Grant (EIG) program has annually supported teacher-initiated, classroom-based projects in Summit County.