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Scottsdale’s Fiesta Bowl Charities provides 400 grants to Arizona teachers

Posted 11/7/22

Continuing the Fiesta Bowl Organization’s annual tradition of honoring, supporting and celebrating educators throughout Arizona, Scottsdale-based Fiesta Bowl Charities granted 400 teachers — including 85 Phoenix teachers — with $2,500 each through the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Draft Day presented by SRP.

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Grants

Scottsdale’s Fiesta Bowl Charities provides 400 grants to Arizona teachers

Posted

Continuing the Fiesta Bowl Organization’s annual tradition of honoring, supporting and celebrating educators throughout Arizona, Scottsdale-based Fiesta Bowl Charities granted 400 teachers — including 85 Phoenix teachers — with $2,500 each through the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Draft Day presented by SRP.

The wishes were spread throughout the state this year with 72 cities and towns represented among the 400 teachers selected. Nearly 212,000 students across 321 schools and 95 districts will be positively impacted by their teachers’ wishes. In total, according to a press release from Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes, this year’s group of educators have more than 2,300 years of experience in classrooms.

The 400 wishes granted will benefit teachers who aim to enrich the lives of their students through technological improvements, the addition of educational programs, fitness equipment and much more.

A full list of teachers who received a Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers grant can be found at www.fiestabowl.org.

Through the program, below is a sampling of the classroom wishes being granted to Phoenix teachers:

  • Arthur Batallones, a math teacher at Vista Verde Middle School in Phoenix, will purchase a graphing white board and general education supplies for their classroom.
  • Davina Caddell, a history teacher at AAEC South Mountain in Phoenix, will purchase meaningful prizes for students showcasing the school’s core values.
  • Martha Clark, a Spanish teacher at Clarendon Elementary School in Phoenix, will provide additional Spanish resources and flexible seating for their classroom.
  • Dario Davila, a music teacher at Espiritu NFL YET in Phoenix, will purchase wind musical instruments for their students.
  • Emily Deck, a fourth grade teacher at Hopi Elementary School in Phoenix, will purchase supplies for service projects at their school.
  • Megan Gerard, a third grade teacher at Hidden Hills Elementary School in Phoenix, will provide shade structures for their school garden.
  • Tiffany Grass, a kindergarten teacher at Sahuaro Elementary School in Phoenix, will build a community garden at their school.
  • Mikaela Humphreys, a first grade teacher at Alta E. Butler Elementary in Phoenix, will have a classroom makeover with a new rug and blinds to promote a positive learning environment.
  • Jennifer Illsley, general of music at Painted Rock Academy in Phoenix, will purchase new drums for their classroom.
  • Daniel Jordan, a STEM teacher at Altadena Middle School in Phoenix, will create a makerspace with robots, 3D printer and new tools
  • Rodney King, a match teacher at Metro Tech High School in Phoenix, will purchase new weightlifting equipment for their students.
  • Jennifer Kubo, an English and freshman academy coordinator at Trevor G. Browne High School in Phoenix, will purchase a software program to track success and general educational supplies.

“Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers is one of the most impactful teacher support programs in Arizona, donating $1 million to benefit thousands of Arizona students,” noted Randal Norton, Fiesta Bowl board chair, in the release, “Teachers are truly selfless individuals who help shape the futures of our students here in Arizona and we are proud to play a part in supporting our teachers to do more in the classroom for the leaders of tomorrow.”

This year’s $1 million donation brings the Wishes for Teachers’ seven-year cumulative grant total to $5.7 million awarded to 1,600 teachers, impacting more than 700,000 students across Arizona.

“Palo Verde is excited and humbled to be part of such an incredible program that invests in teachers who are inspiring tomorrow’s leaders both inside and outside of the classroom,” stated Kory Raftery, manager of external affairs at Palo Verde. “One of our principles at Palo Verde is putting people first and Wishes for Teachers allows us to partner with an organization that supports some of the most important people in our communities.”

Created in 2016, the Fiesta Bowl Wishes for Teachers program grants classroom wishes to Arizona teachers. Public and charter school K-12 teachers across the state are invited to apply each fall with the recipients verified and selected by a random drawing during the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Draft Day presented by Salt River Project.

“Providing teachers with the tools and resources they need benefits Arizona’s children,” stated Andrea Moreno, program manager of SRP Community Stewardship. “I’m honored to share that from 2021 to 2022, SRP provided $1.4 million in classroom grants, teacher workshops and materials. Our future workforce relies on the support that we provide to educators and nonprofit organizations today.”