A Special Note from President and CEO of The NEA Foundation Sara A. Sneed
Dear educators and supporters of public education:
While ideological and political struggles over education are not new, the current assault on students’ rights, educators’ professional autonomy, U.S. Department of Education, and the nonprofit sector marks an intensification that recalls the systemic injustices of the Jim Crow era, and the civil rights struggles of the 1960s. We have witnessed an alarming escalation in efforts to dismantle the foundational promise of public education—to provide every child, irrespective of background, with an excellent and equitable education. The preceding proliferation of curriculum restrictions, book bans, and punitive measures targeting educators who seek to provide honest and inclusive instruction, also reflect an orchestrated effort to constrain intellectual freedom and distort historical truths. Efforts to silence discussions on race, gender, and systemic inequities threaten pedagogical integrity and undermine students’ capacity to engage critically with their own histories and identities.
Simultaneously, a planned expansion of school voucher programs and charter school initiatives will likely continue to divert essential public resources, disproportionately harming students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, and those with disabilities. Policies restricting protections for LGBTQ+ students, immigrant youth, and other vulnerable populations not only jeopardize their safety and dignity but also compromise their ability to thrive academically. A climate of fear—fueled by the threat of deportation, employment precarity for educators, and punitive political rhetoric—has created a chilling effect, deterring many from engaging in truth-telling about our nation’s past and present inequities.
In the face of these challenges, The NEA Foundation remains resolute. We hold fast to the foundational promise of public education: to provide every child, irrespective of background, with access to a high quality public education.
As a nonprofit and philanthropic institution rooted in education justice, we are committed to advancing opportunity in public education by investing in the people and practices that make it possible.
Our Commitment to You:
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Our pillar programs — Grants to Educators, the Global Learning Fellowship, and the Awards for Teaching Excellence — remain unchanged. We are committed to celebrating, empowering, and supporting educators nationwide who strive to expand opportunities for all through excellent and equitable teaching practices.
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The Community Schools Initiative, which launched in the Deep South in 2019, will continue to provide a range of supports, from financial and technical support to peer-to-peer and community support, to community schools in one of the most underprivileged regions in the country. Through this initiative, we will continue to support and empower programs and educators advancing equity in education through a Whole-Child approach that honors each and every student’s potential to thrive.
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Beyond these direct investments, we will support advocacy and organizing efforts that safeguard students’ rights to learn in affirming and inclusive spaces. This includes strategic engagement with organizational partners, leveraging storytelling and public education campaigns to counter disinformation, and amplifying the indispensable role of public education in fostering social cohesion, economic mobility, and democratic participation.
At the heart of our approach is a deep and unwavering commitment to strategic action—leveraging every dollar invested by the Foundation, our sponsors, and our funders to generate an exponential return in the service of students, educators, and communities. Through disciplined partnership, data-driven decision-making, and a clear-eyed assessment of both opportunities and threats, we will continue to resist efforts that undermine public education while advancing a vision that places justice at the center of our work.
We are deeply grateful to our partners and supporters whose collective strength drives this work forward. The challenges are real, but so is our resolve.
With solidarity,
President and CEO of The NEA Foundation
Sara A. Sneed
How One Grant Opened the Door to Track and Field for Taylorsville High Students
At Taylorsville High School in Utah, competitive track and field was once a dream beyond reach for many students. The high costs of traveling as a team to competitive meets meant that athletes full of potential too often were unable to participate in meets where they could interact with other athletes, gain experience competing on a large scale, and get inspired for their futures and their potential.
With the help of a $4,000 Student Success grant from The NEA Foundation, coach Chad Farnes was able to change that reality for his track and field team, opening doors for student athletes to compete and grow.
“Getting to the meet would have been financially impossible for my athletes without that support. Running clubs exist throughout Utah, but they are financially unattainable for most students in our community. I want to change that.” – Chad Farnes
How an Education Support Professional Is Transforming Health Education in Rural Illinois
At Lincoln Elementary School in Canton, Illinois, Education Support Professional (ESP) Amy Evans is making science come to life for students throughout the school. Alongside library clerk Erin Allen, Evans is leading a hands-on, innovative health and anatomy project designed to help elementary students better understand how their bodies work and why health and anatomy matter.
The initiative began when the district purchased a single skeleton and torso model to support health education. After seeing how positively students responded, Evans and Allen decided to grow the effort with the help of an NEA Foundation Student Success grant. Now, thanks to their leadership, new anatomical models of the heart, eyes, ears, and brain are giving students across grade levels access to new high-quality, hands-on learning experiences.
“I want ESPs to know that just because you’re an ESP doesn’t mean you can’t apply for these grants. The process was really user-friendly, and it’s all about coming up with an idea that enhances student learning.” – Amy Evans
Global Learning EdCamp Gathers Educators from Across the World
Over 120 educators and education experts from around the world attended The NEA Foundation’s third annual Global Learning EdCamp, which took place on April 5. The EdCamp is a free, online professional learning and collaboration opportunity for anyone interested in learning about global competency in education and how to advocate for global classroom experiences.
Held in the style of an “unconference,” the participants themselves select the topics to discuss and shape the conversations with their own expertise and interests. In addition to being a forum to explore the importance of global learning, the event also had breakout rooms for alumni of the Global Learning Fellowship to reconnect with one another.
The Global Learning Fellowship is The NEA Foundation’s yearlong professional development experience centered on global competency. The current cohort, which consists of 47 educators from 35 states and a U.S. military installation in Japan, began the fourth and final module of their fellowship this month. On the horizon for these fellows is a 10-day field study in Costa Rica, where they will explore the local history, culture, and education system.
In Case You Missed It: The NEA Foundation’s Year In Review
Earlier this year, The NEA Foundation released its inaugural Year In Review, a 25-page journal that illustrates the impact of the Foundation’s programs and initiatives during the 2023-2024 fiscal year, and explores how the Foundation’s investment in public education and educators contributed to the public good. Importantly, it also highlights how supporters like you made a difference for educators, students, and communities around the country.
We invite you to flip through the Year In Review on our website, where you’ll find stories of resilience and innovation from schools and classrooms across the country, and hear firsthand from some of the educators, education leaders, and advocates with whom we have had the honor of working. You’ll also get a sneak peek at the road ahead for The NEA Foundation.
Thank you for being a part of our journey and for your dedication to public education.
Celebrating Educators Who Bring Shakespeare to Life
Calling all high school educators! The Parr Shakespeare Center has launched a new national award, the Parr Shakespeare Teaching Prize, on April 23, 2025. The Prize will recognize three high school educators per year who have demonstrated an outstanding ability to inspire students through the study of Shakespeare. Prize recipients will receive a $10,000 cash award and an all-expense-paid trip to attend the prize presentation celebration reception and dinner.
Founded on the belief that the study of Shakespeare can be a powerful tool to help young people better understand themselves and the world around them, the Prize is deisgned to uplift educators who excel in making Shakespeare’s work resonate.
“Great teachers make Shakespeare accessible, relevant, and unforgettable,” said Gary Parr, a founder of the Prize. “Through this award, we celebrate those educators whose passion and creativity make Shakespeare’s works a powerful force in their students’ lives.”
By recognizing educators for transformative teaching, the Prize founders also seek to spotlight the critical impact of individual educators’ work in the classroom and to elevate the role of the humanities in public education.
Learn more about the Parr Shakespeare Teaching Prize, including how to nominate an educator for it or how to apply, by visting www.ParrShakespeare.org. Nominations and applications are open through August 24, 2025.
Questions? Email info@ParrShakespeare.org.
Sponsor Spotlight: NEA Foundation Partners with The Spencer Foundation to Support New Teacher Action Research Projects
The NEA Foundation is honored to be partnering with The Spencer Foundation on a new initiative designed to empower educators in emerging community schools across the Deep South to explore and strengthen their leadership skills. Co-designed by The NEA Foundation in collaboration with educators and supported by The Spencer Foundation, this initiative focuses on new teacher action research projects that directly connect to the research-supported pillars of community schools. Educators involved will be receiving mini-grants to develop child, family, and community-centered programs that will bring local resources into the learning process, augment curricula, strengthen family engagement initiatives, and launch experiential learning projects that connect students to their communities through real-world learning opportunities.
Since its founding in 1962, The Spencer Foundation has been at the forefront of advancing education research to improve teaching, learning, and policy. Through a diverse range of grant programs and fellowships, The Spencer Foundation invests in transformative, methodologically rigorous research that enhances educational practice, expands the diversity of scholars in the field, and increases public access to research. By supporting innovative studies, the Foundation provides valuable insights that shape policies and ensure schools better serve all students and communities.
We deeply appreciate The Spencer Foundation’s partnership and are honored to join forces to advance educator leadership and foster school environments where innovative educational practices and community engagement converge to promote sustained academic excellence and justice.
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