The Fort Bend Education Foundation awards $771,794 to Fort Bend ISD Teachers and Schools! | |
FBEF presents $20,245 to Shared Dreams Program!
This year, the Fort Bend Education Foundation had record-breaking success with its Gala Paddles Up fundraiser supporting the Fill the Gap, Fuel the Future campaign! The fundraiser brought in over $20,245 to support families through FBISD’s Shared Dreams Program. This is the highest amount raised during Paddles Up, with the second highest amount being $13,600 in 2018. FBEF Executive Director Hillary Dunn presented the Collaborative Communities team with the check, which will be used to restock the shelves at Shared Dreams with school supplies, clothing and food for families next school year.
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Congratulations to FBEF’s 2026 Top Donors and Volunteers!
Giving credit where credit is due! On May 14, the Fort Bend Education Foundation proudly honored its 2026 Top Donors and Volunteers, who have generously given their time and resources to ensure the Foundation’s success.
This year’s honorees are: Top Corporate Donors - Perdue Brandon Fielder Colling & Mott, The George Foundation, and SLB; Top Individual Donors - Dr. Sharon Hymes and Michael Schiff, Debra and Noordin Jhaver, and Marsha and Dr. Stanley Stein; Top In-Kind Donors - HTeaO, Big Frog Custom Shirts & More, and Sara Appliance & Electronics; FBISD Stars of the Year - Information Systems Analyst Nick McPherson, and Student Leadership 102 seniors Aden Solomon (Ridge Point HS), Caden Johnson (Crawford HS), Jocelyn Ponce (Willowridge HS) and Tresor Djikeng (Travis HS); Student Volunteer of the Year Audrey Dunn (Elkins HS); and Volunteer of the Year Joyce Kamla.
Because of the generosity of the honorees, and all donors and supporters, the Education Foundation was able to present Fort Bend ISD with $771,794 to support the Grants to Teachers and Schools Programs!
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Dr. Dennis Halford honored as FBEF Founding Director Emeritus!
In honor of his extraordinary service on the FBEF Board and lasting impact throughout the FBISD community, we are proud to recognize Dr. Dennis “Doc” Halford as Founding Director Emeritus.
In 2020, the Foundation was proud to honor Doc as Lifetime Founding Director, and we are equally proud to honor him once again. His history with the Foundation began in 1992 when he became a founding member of the Board of Directors. From the very beginning, and through every major milestone, Doc has been a steady presence. He has taken on various leadership roles, helping to shape the direction, growth, and success of the Foundation. His passion has fueled our mission, and his commitment has strengthened our work.
As Doc steps off the Board and will no longer be actively serving, we will forever honor his legacy and relationship with the Foundation.
| | | | FBEF salutes Outstanding Educators! | |
Whataburger and the Fort Bend Education Foundation honor 2026 District Teachers of the Year!
During Teacher Appreciation Week, the Fort Bend Education Foundation joined Whataburger in presenting 2026 What-A-Teacher Awards to Fort Bend ISD Teachers of the Year – Elementary TOY Fawzia Elsaadi of Sullivan Elementary School and Secondary TOY Shenoa Cramer of Sugar Land Middle School! Each honoree received a $1,000 grant, a Whataburger gift bag and a bouquet of flowers recognizing the positive impact they are making in the classroom and community. The grant award is presented through Whataburger’s Feeding Student Success Program.
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FBEF celebrates Exemplary Educators at FBISD's Annual Teacher of the Year Banquet!
FBEF Board President Crissy Nolen and Executive Director Hillary Dunn were also honored to join Fort Bend ISD in honoring the 2026 District Teachers of the Year, Secondary and Elementary Finalists, Rookies of the Year and Principals of the Year at the Annual Teacher of the Year Banquet. We congratulate these extraordinary educators and role models on a job well done!
| | Supporting Students in Leadership & Literature! | | |
This year, the Fort Bend Education Foundation received opportunities to support students in the classroom and community by collaborating with FBISD Student Leadership 102 seniors in presenting a community-wide event and participating in Read Across America as a classroom reader!
Guiding Student Leadership 102 Students in Capstone Project!
FBEF staff members were happy to work with four high school seniors as they completed their Capstone Project, finalizing their membership in the Student Leadership 102 Program. The students (Tresor Djikeng of Travis, Caden Johnson of Crawford, Jocelyn Ponce of Willowridge and Aden Solomon of Ridge Point) partnered with the Education Foundation to present the first-ever Bites for Bright Futures. The event invited the community to dine at select VIP Partner Restaurants for a day of fundraising for FBEF. Joining the partnership were: Missouri City restaurants Five Guys Burgers and Fries and Local Table; Sugar Land restaurants Gringo’s Tex-Mex, Parry’s Pizzeria & Taphouse, Shake Shack; and Gringo’s Tex-Mex in Stafford. With every meal purchased, the VIP Partner Restaurants donated 10% of the meal price back to the Education Foundation to support Grants to Teachers and Schools.
Promoting Reading at Palmer Elementary School
To help educators promote the importance of reading every day, FBEF Executive Director Hillary Dunn served as a volunteer classroom reader at Palmer Elementary School during Read Across America Week 2026! She visited four classrooms and read Watch Out for Wolf! by Anica Mrose Rissi to one group of students, The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson to another, Luke Goes to Bat by Rachel Isadora to the third group, and One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo to the final class. The students were attentive, fully absorbed and eager to share their thoughts about each story.
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GRANTS IN ACTION
spotlighting Oyster Creek ES, Palmer ES, Fort Settlement MS and the Reese Career and Technical Center
| | Oyster Creek Elementary art teacher, Susan Reyna, is making learning more interactive, memorable and meaningful for students. Given a $1,469 grant, she purchased art supplies to support her “Clay, Play, and Get Out of the Way: A Hands-on Tic-Tac-Toe Adventure” project. Students use paint, brushes, polymer gloss, Crayola air-dry clay packs and clay tools to create personalized tic-tac-toe boards. Throughout this creative process, Reyna is encouraging creativity and self-expression among students, while helping them develop fine motor skills, build patience and perseverance, and utilize problem-solving and critical thinking skills. | |  | Testing without distractions is the way to go! Just ask Palmer Elementary first grade teachers, whose students enjoy a quiet MAP Testing experience thanks to a $1,430 FBEF grant! Teacher Yvonne Castillo applied for the grant to support the reading skills and oral reading fluency among students as they are “Navigating With MAPS.” Given the funds, she purchased multiple sets of 10 heavy-duty, mobile-ready headphones with boom microphones and tangle-free fabric cords. The tools allow students to carefully listen to proctor instructions, respond and read without receiving distracting noise while taking the reading assessment. | | | The grant title and a current theme in Harsha Patel’s 6th grade AVID class is “Wobble While You Work.” With her $1,416 teacher grant, she purchased 18 NeoRok stools to offer her Fort Settlement Middle School students flexible seating choices. The ergonomic stools encourage active sitting in class to help increase students’ concentration and focus on their study. The stools also promote better posture, as well as a strengthened core and back – as students have plenty of space to move, fidget or stretch their arms and legs. Patel says the rocking stools have also aided in reduced anxiety and off-task talking among students, helping to enhance her instruction time. | | | English Language Arts students at the Reese Career and Technical Center are reaping the benefits of teacher Dana Moody’s FBEF grant, “Sensible Literature for Self-Awareness and Social Skills.” Moody received $1,492 to purchase classroom sets of young adult novels, memoirs and books for advanced readers for students to enjoy at home and discuss in class. By reading and presenting thorough discussions on the books, Moody is giving students opportunities to reflect on emotions, identities, relationships and different perspectives, while creating safe ways for students to explore real-life situations through story characters and narratives. | | | Check out the Fort Bend Education Foundation’s Community Discounts Program! | | |
Enjoy special offers on products and services while supporting local businesses through the Fort Bend Education Foundation’s Community Discounts Program. Visit the Foundation’s website at https://bit.ly/fbefcommunitydiscounts to find out how to access exclusive deals and discounts on mental health services, electronics/accessories, new vehicles, furniture and energy plans. Visit the site today and discover how rewarding local support can be for you and your family.
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