FOUNDATION AWARDS 11 INNOVATIVE GRANTS FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS

Connie Johnson, Foundation Board Member; Jennifer Faniola, 1st Grade Creative Writing Teacher; Jennifer Fariolu, 1st Grade Teacher; Denise Bell, Math Coach; Gretchen Cram, Math Coach of Hilton Head Island Elementary School

The Foundation for Educational Excellence announced funding for 11 grants to teachers and schools throughout the Beaufort County School District. These grants were awarded for innovative learning opportunities and projects that go beyond the regular school district budget. A total of eight schools north and south of the Broad are represented by the awards provided.

Foundation Innovative Grants Chair, Kim Dempsey; Instructional Coach and School Resource Grant Honoree, Tracy Sands; Math, RTI, AVID Teacher and Innovative Teacher Grant Honoree, Amanda Gelles; and Principal Jennifer Morillo of Beaufort Middle School

“The Foundation is proud to support innovative learning opportunities for students throughout the district,” said Kim Dempsey, Innovative Grants Chair and Foundation Board Member. “These projects will make a meaningful impact at every grade level, and we look forward to seeing the results of the remarkable work they will inspire.” 

Principal Michelle DeBruin; Foundation Immediate Past Chair, Linda Navorska; Pre-K Teacher and Grant Honoree, Susan Brown, with Beaufort Elementary School Students

This year, the projects funded by the Foundation’s grants ranged from purchasing equipment to improve students’ physical fitness to buying games and activities to further enhance literacy development.

Foundation Board Members Dr. Christine Gray and Vicki Moody; Principal, Dr. Kathleen Corley; Vice Principal Justin Vaughn; Grant Honoree and Past Student of Dr. Christine Gray, Rebecca Himes of Red Cedar Elementary School

Ashley Moody, a Physical Education teacher at Bluffton Elementary School, requested funds to purchase a Gaga Ball pit for her students. This fast-paced game encourages students in their physical fitness as they practice dodging, striking, running, and jumping to promote agility, coordination, and strategy.

Principal Clint Austin; Foundation Board Member Connie Johnson; Assistant Principal Anthony Ditroia; Art Teacher and Grant Honoree, Sarah Warner; Assistant Principal Meredith Strmac; Assistant Principal Mae Chalk of Hilton Head Island Middle School

At Hilton Head Island Middle School, Sarah Warner’s project “IB Learner Profile in Motion: Expressive Lettering on Skateboard Decks” will allow her sixth grade Art students to participate in an innovative visual arts project designed to engage students in collaborative hands-on exploration of the 10 IB Learner Profile Traits through the lens of contemporary art and creative expression.

Foundation Board Member Dr. Christine Gray and Grant Honoree, Rebecca Himes, of Red Cedar Elementary School

Rebecca Himes’ project “Fingerprints on the Future” at Red Cedar Elementary School will help her second through fifth grade technology students develop muscle memory for typing by providing keyboard covers to encourage finger memory and spatial awareness.

Assistant Principal Mae Chalk; Foundation Board Member Connie Johnson; Assistant Principal Meredith Strman; Teacher, Sarah Owen; Principal Clint Austin; Assistant Principal Anthony Ditroia of Hilton Head Island Middle School

“The Foundation is honored to help enrich the educational experience of thousands of students across Beaufort County through these innovative projects,” said Carole Ramsey, the Foundation’s Board Chair. “We are deeply grateful for the generous support of local organizations and individuals who make these grants possible.”

Foundation Board Member Connie Johnson; Math Coach, Denise Bell; 3rd Grade Teacher and Grant Honoree, Michele Quigley; Literacy Coach, Gretchen Cram; and Hilton Head Island Elementary School Students

The grant recipients for Fall 2025 are listed below:

Grant Name	Submitted By	School Name
Fit For Learning	Jennifer Friend-Kerr	Hilton Head Island School for Creative Arts
Nine Squares in the Air	Tracy Sands	Beaufort Middle School
Creative Writing	Jennifer Faniola	Hilton Head Island Elementary School
Steppin' Into Leadership	Amanda Gelles	Beaufort Middle School
Say My Name	Sarah Owen	Hilton Head Island Middle School
Fingerprints on the Future	Rebecca Himes	Red Cedar Elementary School
Story Lab 360: Turning Inquiry Into Immersive Stories	Michele Quigley	Hilton Head Island Elementary School
Readers Reaching for the Rainbow	Jacquelyn Barnwell	St. Helena Elementary School
GaGa Ball	Ashley Moody	Bluffton Elementary School
IB Learner Profile in Motion: Expressive Lettering on Skateboard Decks	Sarah Warner	Hilton Head Island Middle School
Mud Kitchen for Pre-K and Kindergarten	Susan Brown	Beaufort Elementary School

PE Teacher and Grant Honoree, Ashley Moody; PE Teacher, Chris Staton; and Second Graders of Bluffton Elementary School

ABOUT FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE

The Foundation for Educational Excellence raises funds to support the mission and goals of the Beaufort County School District by furthering student instructional activities and projects through Innovative Teacher Grants, Innovative School Resource Grants and Student Enrichment Grants. Established in 2007, the Foundation awarded its first grants in 2009 and has awarded over $400,000 in grants to the teachers and students in the public school system since its inception benefitting thousands of students across the county each year.

Foundation Board Member Connie Johnson; Campus Finance Specialist, Leslie House; GT Teacher and Grant Honoree, Jennifer Friend-Kerr of Hilton Head Island School for Creative Arts

Grants are applied for and awarded once a year. Projects are chosen on their merit by board members of the Foundation. Innovative Teacher Grants are for learning experiences above and beyond the normal classroom like science projects, arts performances, and robotic materials and provide unique learning opportunities that are not funded through traditional budgets. Innovative School Resource Grants are for innovative instructional school-wide projects. These grants help spark the imaginations of students to create a life-long interest in learning.  Often these grant awards provide multi-year learning impact.

Foundation Innovative Grants Chair, Kim Dempsey; Foundation Immediate Past Chair, Linda Navorska; Literacy K-5 Teacher and Grant Honoree, Jacquelyn Barnwell; Principal Constance Goodwine-Lewis of St. Helena Elementary School

The Foundation is supported by individual donations and these local charities: The Bargain Box of Hilton Head, Friends of Callawassie Island, Italian-American Club of Hilton Head, Moss Creek Charitable Fund and Women’s Association of Hilton Head. We are grateful for their ongoing support of our work. 

The Foundation is a fund of Community Foundation of the Lowcountry and a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law and can be made at https://www.foundationedexcellence.com/donate 

For information, contact the Foundation at www.foundationedexcellence.com or FFEEinfo@email.com