Fiesta Bowl Charities has granted 500 teachers – including 26 Glendale teachers – with $2,500 each during the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers Draft Day presented by SRP, for a total of $1.25 million.

In its eighth year, the program increased its giving by 25% to Arizona K-12 public and charter schoolteachers. The funding will positively impact more than 220,000 students across 73 cities and towns statewide, with 368 different schools receiving grant awards.

This season’s 500 granted wishes will fulfill requests from teachers in the areas of agricultural studies, arts, math, physical education and wellness, science and special needs. The grants will provide needed resources such as new reading materials, classroom makeovers, educational events and programs and much more.

Through the program, here are the classroom wishes being granted to Glendale teachers:

• Katrina Arredondo, a second-grade teacher at Sunburst Elementary School in Glendale, will purchase science and STEM kits for their students.
• Julie Brezinski, a third-fourth grade special education teacher at Sunburst Elementary School in Glendale, will provide sensory tools for their students.
• Estevan Carreon, a film and TV teacher at Independence High School in Glendale, will purchase video and video editing equipment for their classroom.
• Elizabeth Clarkson, a physical education teacher at Mirage Elementary in Glendale, will purchase new equipment for their physical education class.
• Megan Cobbs, a third-grade English development learning teacher at Glendale American Elementary School in Glendale, will purchase equipment to enhance their performing arts program.
• Christin Fleming, a third-grade teacher at Sweetwater School in Glendale, will purchase headphones and science materials for their students.
• Bobby Green, an economics teacher at Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, will purchase resources focused on personal finance and economics for their students.
• Arielle Larance, a 12th-grade English teacher at Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, will purchase new books for their classroom.
• Junice Marino-Spencer, a special education teacher at Heritage Elementary School-Glendale, will purchase assistive technology for their students.
• Maureen McDougall, a second-grade teacher at Marshall Ranch Elementary School in Glendale, will purchase prizes for their class shop to reward students for positive behavior.
• Brigette McKee, an eighth-grade physical education teacher at Highland Lakes School in Glendale, will upgrade the physical education and weightlifting equipment for their students.
• Benjamin Nelson, a seventh-grade science teacher at Highland Lakes School in Glendale, will purchase new technology and sporting equipment for their students.
• Caitlyn Pena, a fourth-grade English language arts and social studies teacher at Arroyo School in Glendale, will provide flexible seating options and desks for their students.
• Jennifer Perry, a ninth to 12th-grade special education teacher at Independence High School in Glendale, will provide new seating for their students.
• Jesse Pierce, a reading specialist at Greenbrier School in Glendale, will purchase books and intervention materials for their students.
• Deb Plogman, a third to sixth-grade special education teacher at Park Meadows Elementary School in Glendale, will purchase interactive games for their students.
• Amanda Pruett, a fourth-grade teacher at Legacy Traditional School-Glendale, will purchase book sets for the library and science materials for their students.
• Kaelynn Restifo, a fourth-grade teacher at Sunburst Elementary School in Glendale, will create a reading space in their classroom with new books and flexible seating.
• Candice Roa, a government and economics teacher at Mountain Ridge High School, will purchase government and economics books for their library.
• Christy Scofield, a science and STEAM teacher at Sierra Verde STEAM Academy in Glendale, will purchase recording equipment for their students to create a school podcast.
• Alysia Simpson, a K-sixth grade English learners teacher at Sunburst Elementary School in Glendale, will upgrade their room, purchase wellness items, and a speaker for their students.
• Audrey Sweeden, a kindergarten teacher at Barcelona Elementary School in Glendale, will update the tables and purchase new organization resources for their classroom.
• Claudine Tellez, a special education teacher at Hillcrest Middle School in Glendale, will provide reward incentives for students exhibiting positive behavior.
• Benny Thomas, a seventh-eighth-grade teacher at Arroyo School in Glendale, will create a “Calming Corner” for their classroom.
• Christina Tormollan, a technology teacher at Luke Elementary School in Glendale, will build an e-sport arena in their school library.
• Julie Trent, a band and orchestra teacher at Glendale High School, will upgrade accessories for the band and orchestra instruments for their students.

“Educating the next generation is a responsibility shared by our entire community and spearheaded by our teachers and other educational professionals,” Fiesta Bowl Executive Director and CEO Erik Moses shared in a press release.

Over the eight years of the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers, the program has awarded approximately $7 million to more than 2,100 educators, impacting over 920,000 students statewide.