Grant Applications Accepted Now Through October 17, 2025
Tomball Education Foundation Innovative Learning Grants are designed to encourage and facilitate creative educational projects within the Tomball Independent School District. Valerie Petrzelka, TEF Vice President of Programs, says last year TEF received 99 applications. “We were able to award over $150,000, and we look forward to another exciting year as we continue to support Tomball ISD,” says Petrezelka.
What Are Innovative Learning Grants?
Tomball Education Foundation offers TISD teachers, administrators, and support staff the opportunity to apply for grants that can provide academic incentives to Tomball students. The grants must enhance student academic performance and support the objectives and initiatives of the TISD District/Campus Improvement Plan.
The 2026 grant applications will be studied and approved by TEF program committee members, the grant application committee, and TEF volunteers. Applications are also reviewed by Tomball Independent School District principals, content and program directors, and 6 assistant superintendents. The TEF Grant Committee then makes recommendations for grant approvals.
In February 2026, the grant recipients will be announced and celebrated during the exciting eTrain, a spirited ceremony in which TEF volunteers travel from school to school, awarding prize-winning grant dollars.
Educators and support staff applicants must comprehensively describe their ideas and learning goals. Their unique projects should involve and creatively challenge students with new programs or innovatively update traditional programs. Questions must be answered: How will the project be implemented in the classroom? What criteria constitute a successful project?
$2,768 TEF Grant Provides ‘Roots of Knowledge’
Betteanne Purcell, a Tomball Memorial High School (TMHS) agriscience educator and FFA advisor, says the Tomball Education Foundation Innovative Teaching Grant she received this year will be used to fund an outdoor laboratory/garden for students.
The garden will support two classes for the 2025-2026 school year: Horticulture and Advanced Plant and Soil Science. “There were no existing instructional strategies in place to meet the needs of these new courses,” said Purcell. “Our school’s greenhouse was removed during campus expansion, leaving behind only unused outdoor space. This grant allows us to transform that space into a thriving learning environment.”
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards emphasize the importance of hands-on learning in horticulture. “Students are expected to manage plant production environments, grow and propagate plants, design landscapes, and understand food production processes,” says Purcell. Additionally, the Advanced Plant and Soil Science curriculum required 40% of the instruction to consist of labs and fieldwork. Without additional funding, this would have been difficult to achieve.
Ms. Purcell’s grant request detailed how students would utilize more than 30 gardening materials, tools, and seeds, including a walk-in greenhouse. The $2,768 TEF funding will now help the students develop a dedicated outdoor space for plants. Students will develop knowledge in hands-on plant cultivation, food production, and teamwork. Later, classes will develop student-based enterprises, allowing students to learn the basics of running a business.
“Our outdoor lab days will put the students in charge of watering, pruning, soil testing, and pest management. We rotate duties, and the hands-on upkeep gives the students a sense of ownership and responsibility,” said Purcell. The garden also offers the opportunity for students to develop critical problem-solving skills. When issues arise; pest infestations, nutritional issues, or poor plant growth, the students must evaluate, collaborate, and find solutions. The classes can help them develop real-world skills in addition to supporting students’ agricultural or environmental science career paths.
Educator Betteanne Purcell hopes student interest will generate increased enrollment for this new agricultural program at TMHS. Thanks to the vision and imagination of one teacher, this year’s TEF grant-funded project may serve as the flagship for future programs.
FAQs
Three frequently asked questions about TEF grants are:
Individuals can volunteer their time or donate money. Businesses can help by sponsoring a fundraising event. We welcome questions, so contact Tomball Education Foundation today!
It’s not difficult, but the grant applications thoroughly examine proposed projects, expenses, and educational benefits. Grants are not limited to teachers; all Tomball ISD staff employees are eligible. Also, grants that include software or hardware programs must include approval from the TISD Technology Dept.; grants that may require building/campus modifications must be approved by the Director of Maintenance.
Individuals and teams can request up to $5,000, but no matter what the amount of money is, all applications are prioritized equally.
Many of the materials and tools purchased for this year’s class (garden hoses, pots, shovels, rakes, etc.) can be used for future courses.
Assembly required: The first outdoor lab was August 28. Four teams from 1 class of juniors and seniors constructed their 17″ raised garden beds that will hold fifty varieties of herbs, flowers, and vegetables.
Learning about soils and soil environments is just one of many educational benefits this hands-on horticulture course will provide Tomball Memorial High School students.
TMHS Agriscience teacher Betteanne Purcell helps a student prepare the raised garden bed kit.
