The Liberty ISD Education Foundation has awarded more than $115,000 in Innovative Teaching Grants for the 2026 school year, marking a record-breaking year with 48 teacher grant applications and four campus grant applications submitted across the district.
Following a competitive review process, the Foundation awarded 30 teacher grants and four campus grants benefiting students at San Jacinto Elementary, Liberty Elementary, Liberty Middle School, and Liberty High School. The funded projects support a wide range of programs including special education, literacy, STEM, fine arts, career and technical education, athletics, and student enrichment.
“This was a truly inspiring year for the LISD Education Foundation,” said Allie Smart, Executive Director. “With a record number of applications and more than $115,000 awarded, we are seeing firsthand the incredible creativity, passion, and dedication of our teachers. These grants impact students at every level, supporting special needs, literacy, STEM, fine arts, CTE, and more, and will touch every campus in our district.”
To continue supporting innovative classroom programs, the LISD Education Foundation’s 4th Annual Casino Night will take place Feb. 28. Tickets are on sale now at libertyeducationfoundation.net.
2026 Grant Recipients
San Jacinto Elementary School
- Mandy Cormier, Deanne Alexander, Stacy Neal — AAC for Whole Class Modeling
- Jessie Smith — Big Drums for Little Hands
- Lauren Tristan — Foundational Literacy Manipulative Kits
- Kayla Harman & Carissa Drake — Print to Learn: A 3D Literacy and Life Skills Lab
- Campus Grant: Lindsay Matlock — Where Learning Grows
Liberty Elementary School
- Stephany Pentecost — Bridging Communication Gaps Through Translation Devices
- Marijo Hergemueller — TORO STAAR Pep Rally
- Brenda Thompson & Sommer Beck — Book Taco
- Aerial West — From Caterpillar to Comprehension
- Laura D’Camp — Contrabass Bars to Keep the Beat
- Marijo Hergemueller, Sarahi Correa, Pamela Bond — Bringing the Bluebonnet Curriculum to Life
- Tonya Freeman — Students Just Want to Be Heard
- Aerial West — Bringing the Universe to Third Grade
- Vicky Russell — Math Manipulatives
- Kirbie Nugent, Bonnie Portier, Becky Franke, Erica Howze, Ma Morfin — Fostering Fluent Mathematicians
- Campus Grant: Joanne Knepper — From Cafeteria to Classroom
Liberty Middle School
- Kristin Mearns — Supporting Inclusive Athletics Through Unified Sports Equipment
- Reagan Mayo — Enhancing Student Performance Through Theatrical Makeup Resources
- Elisha Lemelle — Calculate the Future
- Sylvia Phillips — Future of Food: The Living Lab Indoor STEM Ecosystem
- Justin Armstrong — Digital Chess Board, Pieces and Clock
- Sylvia Phillips — Science Center Stage: High-Impact Physics & Chemistry
- Sarah Clarke — Code in Their Hands: Bringing Micro:bit Robotics to Life
- Kirsti McCarty — Crazy Circuits – Circuits 101
- Ryan McKinney — Keys to Learning: Interactive Piano Technology
- Campus Grant: Lisa Goodwin, Kayla Roy, Kade Goodwin — LMS Spirit Box – PBIS & CTE Entrepreneurship Project
Liberty High School
- Richard Ewing — Creating a Professional Audio Recording Environment
- Sarah Hughes — Switch It Up! Interactive Modeling Across the Curriculum
- Gradee Davis — Aging & Sensory Simulation Lab for Patient-Centered Care
- Julie Newman — Panther Paw News: Student Journalism in Action
- Ross Meche — Virtual Reality Based Mural & Digital Arts Project
- Lauren Key — Dance Curriculum and Videos
- Lauren Key & Emily Edwards — Performance and Class Mirrors
- Campus Grant: Karen Slack — From Concrete to Canopy: Reimagining Outdoor Learning Spaces
Photos from the presentations courtesy of Nick Dennis Photography:
