2026 TEF Grants Encourage Transformational Education in Tomball, TX

February 20, 2026

Transformational education is an idea that we can and should move beyond traditional limitations in learning. One of the limitations many school districts face is a lack of funds. Additional income can give our teachers the freedom to move beyond budgetary limitations. The Tomball Education Foundation (TEF) annual grant program allows Tomball schools to transform traditional classrooms with effective, innovative projects.

TEF Grants & Advanced Learning Projects: Another Reason Tomball Schools Are Award-Winning

Tomball public schools have been recognized for their A-rated Texas Education Agency ratings and high academic performance. But education professionals often feel school-budget allotments don’t meet the need for more engaging classroom projects. TEF grants encourage and reward Tomball’s public school educators, administrators, and support staff with funding that falls outside traditional budget constraints. On January 16, winning grant applicants received a total of $159,812, as the TEF eTrain of cheerleading TEF volunteers joyfully wound its way to and through 20+ TISD campuses.

When Is Less More?

Last year, the Tomball Education Foundation awarded 46 grants to deserving teachers and staff in the Tomball Independent School District. This year, “only” 45 grants were awarded. However, TEF presented a record-breaking $159,812, thanks to its supporters and sponsors. That’s almost $10,000 more than last year!

The 2025-2026 grants are:

$334, Amber Smith, Lakewood Elementary – “Experiencing Dyslexia” offers empathy-building simulations that can enhance instructional capacity for students and student-families.
$334, Anne Hidalgo, Canyon Pointe Elementary – “Experiencing Dyslexia” builds understanding and instructional capacity for students overcoming learning differences.
$400, Cynthia Hamilton, West Intermediate – “Every Voice Matters” provides translation headphones for multilingual students and families.
$889, Mireya Ibonne Lozano, Early Excellence Academy – “A Cup of Connection” can strengthen student-family engagement.
$1,005, Tara Towler, Brea Timmons, Christina Cardwell, Jennifer Bourne, Andrea Ward, Tomball Junior High – “Empowering Learning for Neurodivergent & Low Vision Students” encourages independent living skills through inclusive cooking education.
$1,149, Cynthia Lestage, Melissa Barton, Debbie Lauersdorf, West Elementary – “Unlocking Language Through Listening” provides a screen-free, interactive audio center to support independence in language development.
$1,216, Betsy Castille, Lakewood Elementary – “Culturally Inclusive Classroom Library” empowers culturally diverse students with literature.
$1,370, Luis Escalante, Tomball Memorial High School – “Network Cable Builder” provides hands-on experience as students build and test Ethernet cables.
$1,737, Barbara Hurst, Wildwood Elementary – “The Reset Retreat” creates a calming, sensory space for special education students.
$1,840, Ashley Karr, Wildwood Elementary – “Expanding Raising Readers Through Math” enhances student-family engagement with interactive math experiences.
$1,993, Madison Mills, Tomball High School – “Ready, Set, Work!” initiates student-led enterprises for career-based learning.
$2,171, Jillian Downs, Willow Creek Elementary – “iPad Collaboration with University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI)” integrates virtual and interactive technology to enhance structured literacy education.
$2,171, Lauren Briley, Willow Creek Elementary – “TouchMath for Students with Disabilities” uses a multisensory program to improve math fluency for ADHD, IEP, and other learning disabilities.
$2,283, Mireya Ibonne Lozano & Kathy Standefer, Early Excellence Academy – “Puppets, Principles & Positive Peers” uses storytelling to teach Social Emotional Language (SEL).
$2,462, Ricky Kindley, Willow Wood Junior High – “Hope Squad” encourages peer-to-peer mental health support.
$2,667, Kayla Vittori, Wildwood Elementary – “Sensory Lab” promotes student development, focus, and emotional adaptation.
$2,900, Megan Nichols, Tomball Intermediate – “Chomp Saws!” kid-safe Chompsaw® power tools were featured in the Time Magazine Best Inventions of 2025 edition. The cardboard cutter will be used to reinforce and improve science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education.
$3,215 Beverliann Schaffer, West Elementary – “Innovative Learning Through Ozobots® in the Library” introduces portable, hands-on robotics and beginner coding skills.
$3,373, Brittney Huggins & Brynn Kujath, Creekside Park Junior High — “Cougar Café” will support vocational skill development in a real-world environment where students are baristas, servers, etc.
$3,565, Halley Palmer, Wildwood Elementary – “A World Outside: Equipping Young Explorers” encourages experiential education that takes students from indoor classrooms to outdoor playgrounds for hands-on learning.
$3,828, Kelly Moore & Jessica Bradle, Timber Creek Elementary – “Readers in the Making” will build foundational literacy among bilingual students.
$3,893, Kayla Vittori & Meghan Janecek, Wildwood Elementary – “Motor Lab” strengthens balance, coordination, and can improve focus and behavioral challenges.
$3,912, JoAnne Newcomb & Mandy Coleman, Oakcrest Intermediate – “The Sensory Exploration Lab” establishes an inclusive sensory space to support learning readiness.
$4,030, Nathan Henze, Heather Oliver, Clayton Smith, Michelle Wilson, Laura Gabelsberg, Northpointe Intermediate – “Storyworks Literacy” strengthens critical-thinking skills, reading comprehension, and vocabulary using digital resources and activities.
$4,160, Tiffany Munoz, West Intermediate – “The Ultimate Tool for Kids features some of the kid-safe Chompsaw® tools highlighted in the Time Magazine Best Inventions of 2025 edition. These tools can reinforce and improve science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education.
$4,320, Melissa O’Brien, Jill Moreno, Eloise Traw, Kaitlyn Gallardo, Lisa Stoyak, Grand Lakes Junior High – “Kami for Kids” provides campus-wide student engagement through digital learning tools.
$4,466, Riane Gammill, Tomball High School – “Passport to Perspective” is a virtual reality program that intensifies literacy and global comprehension.
$4,563, Jennie Tannehill, Kate Peterson, Ashton Zbranek, Sierra McMorrow, Stephanie Reily, West Elementary – “Upper Elementary Readers on the Rise” is a structured intervention program using the Wilson Reading System for improved vocabulary and reading comprehension.
$4,578, Jennifer Bourgeois, Tomball Memorial High School – “Engineering the Future: 3D Modeling Makerspace will empower students to design prototypes for real-world challenges using engineering design skills for portfolio development.
$4,632, Tiffany Davila, Lakewood Elementary – “Empowering Student Growth Through VR” utilizes 3D technology to increase student engagement and build social, problem-solving skills.
$4,634, Trisha Hacker, Wildwood Elementary – “Phonics in Motion” supports Science of Reading-based phonics instruction that teaches students relationships between letters and sounds.
$4,647, Kelly Riley & Brandy Baldwin, Tomball Star Academy – “Capturing Creativity: Media Arts Equipment” will be used to provide cameras and multimedia equipment for classrooms.
$4,649, Melissa Dupuis, West Elementary – “3D Printing” introduces 3D printing for K-6 students to encourage creative problem-solving.
$4,782, Christie Eubanks, Celina Anzaldua, Carla Felici, Anaid Flores, Ruby Ramirez, Elsa Rivera, Vivian Sobotik, Emily Waters, Rosehill Elementary – “Take-Home Reader Instructional Library” promotes early childhood literacy by providing decodable books for home practice.
$4,806, Amy Dillon, Tomball Memorial High School – The “3D Resin Printer” prioritizes safety and ease of use while adding professional-grade manufacturing tools to advanced STEM programs.
$4,844, Nancy Newton & Kathryn Bonds, TISD Student Support Services – “Year 2 Expansion (highlighted by ” increases districtwide access to adaptive instructional materials for specialized learning.
$4,854, Robert Hunnicutt & Nora Pacha, Tomball Memorial High School – “Hands-On, Minds-On: 3D Printing” integrates 3D printing with science instruction for hands-on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning.
$4,890, Samantha Stratton, Molly Sendt, Riley Wagner, West Elementary – “Ready to Learn: Sensory & Motor Development” establishes a sensory motor lab (a specialized, interactive space) that uses structured movement to help students develop cognitive, motor, and sensory skills supporting academic and emotional growth.
$4,982, Noemi Cabrera Tabibian, Early Excellence Academy – “Learning Library” creates a structured and shared educational resource library for classrooms.
$4,989, Heather Ling, Timber Creek Elementary – “Growing Great Writers” introduces literacy-building student publishing and podcasting.
$4,991, Gayla Coward, Hali House, Rachel Woods, Timber Creek Elementary – “Bee the Coder” with fun, early-learning floor BeeBots that teach computer coding and directional thinking.
$4,994, Jennifer Kulis, Creekside Park Junior High – “Enhancing Learning Outcomes Through Adapted Curriculum” can improve academic performance and enhance the special education learning environment.
$4,996, Taylar Wall, Angela Hebrink, Danielle Gentry, West Intermediate – The “Changing Lives Through Classroom Transformations” program will create themed classroom environments using immersive, literacy-based learning tools.
$4,999, Alison Love, Wildwood Elementary – “The Pen of the Future in Tomball Students’ Today!” text-to-speech pens scan written text, then read it aloud to increase student independence and access to print.
$5,000, Melissa Dupuis, Samantha Stratton, Jennie Tannehill, Jessie Hess, Beverliann Schaffer, Carol Petrich, West Elementary – “Robotics at West Elementary” promotes students’ hands-on STEM learning using familiar LEGO Technic bricks to create and program robots.

Applications for 2027’s Tomball Education Foundation grants open this summer and will end October 2026. You can support transformational learning and shape the future of students in Tomball, TX, with financial support, sponsorship, or volunteering. Contact TEF to learn more.

FAQ

One of the frequently asked questions we receive about Tomball Education Foundation includes:

How many volunteers are members of TEF?

There are too many TEF volunteers to count. The Board of Directors includes 22 volunteers. TEF committees are led by the executive team and 12 organizers. We also have a “silent membership” that volunteers almost every day: Teachers and staff of Tomball schools have donated time and/or money to help TEF help our students, and our sponsors – area businesses and their employees – are the strong supporters we can’t live without. Tomball Education Foundation has strength in volunteer numbers!