How educator grants make an impact in SAISD
Bright Idea Grants
“It's going to impact us a lot because when we go to competitions, this is the standard of what every other high school has and we didn’t.We just want to be competitive and have that chance to make area top ten, so it's going to give us that boost of confidence and ability to compete with the big boys.”

“I think it's going to help the kids reach their goals and show them there is a reward when they're practicing to do better and to be better. We look forward to [the book vending machine] and I can't wait to get started.”

2025 Bright Idea Grant Winners

Balance Bikes
Dina Toland and Tomeka Brown
ALA Euclid

Ballet Folklorico de YWLA
Nadia Balderas
YWLA

"Bee" the Change
Colleen Quirk
CAST Imagine

Book Vending Machine
Cassandra Mora
Hawthorne Academy

Book Vending Machine
Karyl Moctezuma
JT Brackenridge Elementary

Book Vending Machine
Marissa Marchan
Highland Hills

Band Subwoofers
Federico Cardenas
Burbank High School

Chicken Coops
Gabrielle Garcia
Washington Elementary

Clinical Skills Equipment
Nicole Delgado
Edison High School

FIRST LEGO League
Elizabeth Phipps
YWLA Primary

Interactive STEM Simulations to Advance Scientific Thinking
Cord Carter
YMLA

Mariachi Equipment
Luz Perez
YWLA

Mariachi Expansion
Luz Perez
YWLA

Outdoor Learning
Christina Psencik
Arnold Elementary

Outdoor Learning
Cari Richter and Jennifer Emerson
Briscoe Elementary

Outdoor Learning
Dawn Silva and Natalie Avitua
Margil Elementary

Outdoor Learning
Brandi Castro-Tagle
Mission Academy

Playground Communication Board
Deanna Blacconeri
Green at Riverside Academy

Raspberry Pi STEAM Lab
Nathaniel Rodriguez
Fenwick Academy

Robotics Club
Elizabeth Melendez
Collins Garden

Robotics Club
David Guadiano Jr and Sandra McClure
CAST Tech

Simulated Apartment Living
Mary Garcia
Cooper Learning Center

Uniforms for the Fenwick Dance Team
Jasmine Davis
Fenwick Academy

VEX Robotics
Abigail Lee and Tony Villarreal
Burbank High School
2024 Bright Idea Grant Winners

Archery for the Tech Campuses
Jeremiah Birmingham
ALA/Fox Tech/CAST Tech

Audio Recording Studio
Stephen Cox & Robert Packer
ALA/Fox Tech/CAST Tech

Book Vending Machine
Evelyn Cruz
Ball Elementary

Book Vending Machine
Gabrielle Garcia & Gabriela Castaneda
Washington Elementary

Buddy Bench
Laura Gonzalez Vasquez & Leslie Uresti
Ball Elementary

Conjunto Expansion
Jose Villanueva
Edison High School

Fly Fishing
Frank Mascorro
CAST Med

Folklorico Dance Uniforms
Blanca Quezada & Chris Malacara
Kelly at Lowell Academy

Mariachi Instruments
David Zamarripa & Alicia Covarrubias
ALA/Fox Tech/CAST Tech

Outdoor Classroom
Grace Marengo Sanchez
Bonham Academy

Outdoor Learning for Students 3-6 years old
Cari Richter & Veronica Alavardo
Briscoe Elementary

Percussion Equipment
Joseph Menditto
Brackenridge High School

Outdoor Learning
Marc Harrison
CAST Med High School

Pug Mill
Steffany Chadick
Edison High School

Recess: More than Just Play!
Bailey Collins
Ogden Elementary School

Self-Regulation Room
Stacey Self
Hillcrest Elementary

Sensory Pathways
Dan Mallette & Jennifer Barber
Advanced Learning Academy

STEAM Interactive Library
Sara Zapata
Hawthorne Academy

Visual Cues for Better Intonation
Jeffrey Vogtlin
Hawthorne Academy
Mini-Grants
"Thank you very much for your generous donation to my class and my students! We are thrilled to have your support. I value their hard work and progress and will continue to promote a positive learning environment. They get super excited when they are rewarded for their hard work! My students and I are very grateful!"
"On behalf of myself and the students, we want to thank the SAISD Foundation and their partners for their continued support. The funds we have received have provided our students with opportunities to learn about science and apply their knowledge and skills using a variety of student-centered and STEM-based activities."
“As a kinder teacher, it is hard to get the students engaged. When their mind and bodies are fully engaged, it helps me understand areas where they can grow faster than traditional whole-group learning. Thank you to the donors for this opportunity. It makes teaching fun and doable”
- Educational Subscription (Storyworks, Nearpod)
- Classroom Book Sets
- Calming Room Items
- Flex Seating
- Podcast Equipment
- Printing Press
- Book Publishing Equipment
- Math Manipulatives
- STEM Kits
- Classroom Organization Shelves
- Art Drying Racks