The Newton Education Foundation proudly announces the Fall 2025 Teacher Grant recipients, celebrating educators whose creativity and commitment bring innovative, hands‑on learning opportunities to students across Newton County Schools. These grants support projects in literacy, STEM/STEAM, music, social studies, visual arts, and student wellness — enriching classrooms from Pre‑K through high school.
Here are the most recent projects that were funded:
2nd Grade Georgia Study 2: Awarded $1,000
Juanita Stephens, Oak Hill Elementary School
Provides digital and print access to Georgia Studies Weekly so 100 second‑grade students can explore Georgia’s history and geography through hands‑on research and creative projects.
Lights, Camera, Learning!: Awarded $1,280
Crystal Harris, Porterdale Elementary School
Creates a mobile production studio for all 3rd‑grade students to plan, write, film, and edit cross‑curricular videos culminating in a schoolwide premiere event.
Band Equipment Update: Awarded $3,000
Brian Coates, Alcovy High School
Purchases 36 new music stands and a portable speaker to improve rehearsal efficiency and support 120 high‑school band students.
Ukulele Performance for All: Awarded $2,939
Joshua Howard, Heard‑Mixon Elementary School
Provides a class set of 24 ukuleles and storage racks to help 4th‑ and 5th‑grade students build musical skills, emotional expression, and ensemble performance experience.
Beating to Our Own Drum: Awarded $1,200
Katelynn Jackson, South Salem Elementary School
Establishes a non‑traditional percussion ensemble using bucket drums to give all students hands‑on rhythm instruction and collaborative performance opportunities.
Birthday Books: Celebrating Reading, One Token at a Time: Awarded $2,000
Teresa Sauls, East Newton Elementary School
Stocks the school’s book vending machine with diverse titles so every PreK–5 student receives a new book on their birthday, promoting literacy and equitable access.
Mobile STEAM Cart: Awarded $905
Audria Bunting, Newton County STEAM Academy
Builds a rotating STEAM cart that brings hands‑on, inquiry‑based learning directly into classrooms for more than 100 middle‑school students.
Bookin’ with Music (Media Center Showcase): Awarded $3,000
Jonathon P. Lawrence, Clements Middle School
Engages 6th–8th graders in creating music and video book trailers to boost reading interest and showcase student creativity.
Pre‑K Listening Center: Awarded $781
Kimberly Brewer, Heard‑Mixon Elementary School
Creates a modern listening center with a Tonie audio box and cozy seating to support early literacy and listening comprehension for Pre‑K students.
Spies, Socks, and the Spirit of 1776: A Novel Study Adventure: Awarded $500
Erin Deadwyler, East Newton Elementary School
Purchases a reusable class set of 100 novels to strengthen reading comprehension and support the 4th‑grade American Revolution unit.
Artificial Intelligence with Robots: Awarded $3000
Zachary Pitts, Newton College and Career Academy
Students will design, build, and program a robot that uses an AI‑powered vision system to make independent decisions, giving them hands‑on experience with how AI is used in modern industry.
English Literacy for ALL Learners: Awarded $1000
Olivia Adams, South Salem Elementary School
Purchases English Language Development activity cards and journals to strengthen grammar, writing, and communication skills for 40 English language learners.
Dynamic Library Shelving for Engagement, Literacy, and Circulation Growth: $3000
LaKeira Watkins, Livingston Elementary School
Adds dynamic, student‑friendly shelving to create a more inviting library environment and increase book circulation for all PreK–5 students.
Poetry Therapy for Special Need Kids/Singalong Book: Awarded $3,000
Elizabeth Awosanya, Districtwide Special Education
Funds the creation and printing of 200 bilingual poetry‑therapy books to support emotional expression and language development for more than 2,000 special needs students.