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The NEA Foundation
@theneafoundation.bsky.social
Advancing The Absolute Best In Public Education!

For over five decades, the NEA Foundation has championed and funded educator-led initiatives and innovation.

💻 https://www.neafoundation.org/
"As an educator, my mission has always been clear: to ensure every student, regardless of background, has access to a high-quality education. I see my work as an act of justice, and I know what it is like to rise anyway."

Read JoMeka Gray's full blog post:
https://tinyurl.com/39n6n5u9
More than a Mission: Paying it Forward for the Future of Education - NEA Foundation
JoMeka Gray, a kindergarten educator in Temple, Texas, describes how her approach to teaching pays it forward for future generations.
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November 4, 2025 at 8:15 PM
“America is full of hard-working families who want their children to have economic success, opportunity, intellectual and creative joy, and personal agency. A great education makes that possible for every child.” –History Educator Janet Damon of Denver, Colorado

Congratulations, Janet!
October 30, 2025 at 2:15 PM
The NEA Foundation is pleased to share important updates about its Board of Directors, reflecting its ongoing commitment to strong, visionary leadership in service of public education.

www.neafoundation.org/ideas-voices...
October 23, 2025 at 1:51 PM
The NEA Foundation is proud to announce the selection of the 2026 cohort of Global Learning Fellows! The Global Learning Fellowship is The NEA Foundation’s unique professional development program for educators, centered on deepening global competency skills: tinyurl.com/y36kxh5w
NEA Foundation Announces Fifty Public School Educators to Begin 2026 Global Learning Fellowship - NEA Foundation
The NEA Foundation announces the 2026 cohort of Global Learning Fellows, consisting of 50 public school educators from across the country.
www.neafoundation.org
October 14, 2025 at 6:18 PM
“At its core, teaching is an act of creation. Every single day, educators are engaged in the work of shaping ideas, sparking curiosity, and cultivating possibilities that did not exist before.” –Science Educator Melyssa Ferro of Caldwell, Idaho

Congratulations, Melyssa!
October 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM
The NEA Foundation is thrilled to announce the five recipients of the 2026 Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence, one of the highest honors in public education!
NEA Foundation Honors Five Public School Educators with National Award - NEA Foundation
The NEA Foundation announces the names of five public school educators receiving the coveted 2026 Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence.
www.neafoundation.org
October 7, 2025 at 3:00 PM
“At one point, I seriously considered walking away from my childhood dream of becoming a teacher. Recognition like the Travelers Award for Teaching Excellence is a powerful affirmation of purpose.” –English Educator Daneé Pinckney of Twinsburg, Ohio

Congratulations, Daneé!
September 23, 2025 at 4:00 PM
When 5th-8th Grade Visual Arts, Debate, and Robotics Educator Hosea Born applied for one of the NEA Foundation’s Grants to Educators, he had a plan. The plan was to travel as a class from the small town of Hope, AR to Washington, D.C., not just to sightsee, but to be heard.
From Debate to Democracy: How a Group of Eighth Grade Students from Arkansas Took Their Advocacy to the Nation’s Capital - NEA Foundation
When 5th-8th Grade Visual Arts, Debate, and Robotics Educator Hosea Born applied for one of the NEA Foundation’s Grants to Educators, he had a plan. His proposed grant project would broaden his…
www.neafoundation.org
September 18, 2025 at 7:06 PM
“Receiving the Travelers Award for Teaching Excellence is deeply humbling. It represents the power of persistence, representation, and the impact that educators can have when they choose to see every student’s potential.” –Bilingual Counselor Ana Báez of Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Congratulations, Ana!
September 17, 2025 at 3:01 PM
In the Mississippi Delta, Community Schools are creating pathways for opportunities.

Discover how educators, district leaders, and community partners are coming together to bridge the gap and drive meaningful change.

www.neafoundation.org/ideas-voices...
How Community Schools Are Building Pathways to Opportunity in the Mississippi Delta - NEA Foundation
The Mississippi Delta region, rich in history and culture, turns to community engagement and partnerships to increase opportunities for all.
www.neafoundation.org
July 30, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Melaney Sanchez, a Teacher Librarian from Calvert County, Maryland, was a participant in this year's Global Learning Field Study.

At the end of her time in Costa Rica, she reflected on the expedition and the impact of the Global Learning Fellowship.
July 15, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Our Global Learning Fellows have now started their school visits during the Costa Rica Field Study. 🌎

Let's check in with Robin McLean, a middle school agricultural science educator from Columbus, New Jersey.
June 26, 2025 at 4:52 PM
With the gracious support of the Spencer Foundation, the NEA Foundation is pleased to award mini-grants to eight innovative educators who are changing the way schools center students and families in the Deep South.
The NEA Foundation Supports Educator-Led Projects in Community Schools with “Mini-Grants” - NEA Foundation
The NEA Foundation is pleased to award mini-grants to eight innovative educators who are changing the way schools center students and families in the Deep South.
www.neafoundation.org
June 20, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Dr. Micia Mosely is the Founder & Director of the Black Teacher Project, and also the recipient of The NEA Foundation’s 2025 Equity Partner Award.

Hear her perspective about the importance of a Black educator in the classroom.
Every Child Deserves a Black Teacher - NEA Foundation
Dr. Micia Mosely, founder of the Black Teacher Project, explains why every child deserves a Black teacher and to advocate for Black educators
www.neafoundation.org
June 19, 2025 at 1:30 PM
The concept of the community schools model was transformative for a former police officer who turned into an educator.

Learn more about Katrina Joy, a Community School Teacher Lead in Anaheim, California.

www.neafoundation.org/ideas-voices...
From Patrol to Possibility: How the Community Schools Model Transformed My Purpose - NEA Foundation
Katrina Joy shares her powerful story of transitioning from a career in law enforcement to serving as a teacher lead in a community school.
www.neafoundation.org
June 18, 2025 at 3:11 PM
The latest application period for the Grants to Educators grant cycle has opened! Apply for grant funding to bring your vision to life or enhance your classroom instruction.

💻 Apply Now: www.neafoundation.org/educator-gra...
Grants for Educators - The NEA Foundation
The NEA Foundation supports public schools through grants for educators and a unique year-long global fellowship.
www.neafoundation.org
June 16, 2025 at 1:32 PM
In less than two weeks, our 2025 Global Learning Fellows will embark on their field study journey in Costa Rica.

In 2022, FaBion Barnes took the same leap, but to South Africa. Hear about her story and how the Global Learning Fellowship has impacted her!
From Arkansas to South Africa: How a Global Learning Fellow Is Bridging Cultures through Music - NEA Foundation
Arkansas music educator FaBion Barnes shares how the Global Learning Fellowship transformed her teaching and perspective.
www.neafoundation.org
June 13, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Reginald Ballard, our Vice President of Policy & Communications, represented the NEA Foundation at the recent State Education Association Communicators (SEAComm) Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Our Foundation staff have traveled across the country this year, and we hope to connect with you!
June 7, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Impact In Action!

This week, Emma Larson, our Program Officer for the Grants to Educators program, connected with Hosea Born, a recent GTE grantee and educator from Arkansas.

With his Student Success grant, Hosea was able to bring his 8th-grade debate team to Washington, DC and Philadelphia, PA.
June 6, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Congratulations to Michael Dunlea III and Michelle Pearson for being inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame!

They both appeared alongside their induction class recently on "CBS Mornings."
youtu.be/GPwu093PrCI?...
National Teachers Hall of Fame Inductees get big surprise on “CBS Mornings”
YouTube video by CBS Mornings
youtu.be
May 30, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Do you know a high school educator who excels in bringing Shakespeare’s words to life? Someone who helps students understand the world better through his timeless works?

The new Parr Shakespeare Teaching Prize is designed to recognize that educator!

Learn More:
Parr Shakespeare
Parr Shakespeare
www.parrshakespeare.org
May 24, 2025 at 3:01 PM
The NEA Foundation is pleased to award mini-grants to eight innovative educators who are changing the way schools center students and families in the Deep South.
The NEA Foundation Supports Educator-Led Projects in Community Schools with “Mini-Grants” - NEA Foundation
The NEA Foundation is pleased to award mini-grants to eight innovative educators who are changing the way schools center students and families in the Deep South.
www.neafoundation.org
May 23, 2025 at 7:03 PM
FaBion Barnes is a music and choir educator in the small, rural town of Hamburg, Arkansas.

But her teaching goes far beyond traditional music instruction, and is inspired in part by her experience with The NEA Foundation’s Global Learning Fellowship.
From Arkansas to South Africa: How a Global Learning Fellow Is Bridging Cultures through Music - NEA Foundation
Arkansas music educator FaBion Barnes shares how the Global Learning Fellowship transformed her teaching and perspective.
www.neafoundation.org
May 22, 2025 at 7:00 PM
A great teacher changes lives—but they can’t do it alone. Your donation builds connections, provides essential resources, and supports the future they’re working hard to create.

#EmpoweringEducators #TeacherAppreciationWeek

Neafoundation.org/EmpowerEducators
May 10, 2025 at 12:01 PM
For more than five decades, the Foundation has championed and funded educator-led initiatives and innovation, resulting in measurable and sustained improvements in public education.
May 8, 2025 at 2:04 PM