Roughly 450 history and music students at Arlington High School will have the opportunity this fall to interact with and perform alongside Cambodian genocide survivor and accomplished flutist Arn Chorn Pond. Students in the Supported Learning Center-Dyslexia program at Peirce Elementary will pilot new curriculum designed to strengthen language and literacy skills. Teachers at Dallin Elementary School will share resources through a newly created “Library of Things” to expand opportunities for learning across classrooms.
These are just a few of the exciting projects and hands-on experiences coming to students in Arlington Public Schools next school year, thanks to the support of Arlington Education Foundation.
Earlier this month, AEF awarded just over $9,500 in spring Innovation Grants to teachers at two elementary schools and AHS, bringing the total amount to nearly $35,000 in Innovation Grants awarded to APS teachers and staff during the 2025-26 school year. These projects aim to support and empower creativity in classrooms across the district, with the potential for ongoing impact that extends into 2027 and beyond.
At Peirce Elementary School, more than 180 students in kindergarten through third grade will have the opportunity to engage in a new Handwriting Without Tears program designed to develop and strengthen foundational writing skills. At AHS, a new color printer will empower students in early childhood education classes to create, test, analyze and improve visually-based lesson plans as they learn to work with some of APS’ youngest learners in the district’s daycare program and at Menotomy Preschool.
“By funding these teacher-led initiatives, these grants empower Arlington educators to turn creative ideas into hands-on learning experiences for their students. They turn APS teachers’ visions into reality, creating fresh paths for students to explore, learn and excel across the district,” said Cassie Soller, an AEF board member who helps oversee the Innovation Grants program. “These awards recognize educator innovation and provide the resources necessary to expand student growth.”
AEF’s Innovations in Education grants support creative endeavors and experiences that seek to transform learning for students in visible ways. Innovations grants are awarded twice a year, in the fall and spring. A nonprofit, volunteer-run organization designed to engage the community to support public education in Arlington, AEF also provides grants for educator professional development, student-run clubs at AHS and wide-ranging projects at the school and district levels. For more information about AEF, log on to aefma.org.
