Fauquier Education Foundation Awards Nearly $18,000 in Grants to 10 Local Educators

From library science to counseling, and from finance to art to helping teachers reach their professional goals, 10 Fauquier County teachers and central office employees will increase their own knowledge to share in their classrooms and schools as a whole, thanks to the 2025 Fauquier Education Foundation Educator Professional Development Grants. A total of $17,810 was awarded to this year’s applicants.

Four librarians from three schools demonstrated the importance of public school libraries through the impact of their expanded services. Liberty High School’s Jeanne Converse and Haf Corbin will attend the American Association of School Librarians’ 2025 National Conference in St. Louis, MO, in the fall, while Linda Hume (Brumfield Elementary) and April Stanyer (Mary Walter Elementary) will attend the American Library Association’s 2025 Annual Conference in Philadelphia, PA, this June. All four cite these conferences as opportunities to bring home fresh ideas and best practices to their school libraries, which in addition to literacy, promote technology, high-quality research skills, and collaboration with classroom teachers.

Two school counselors, Nicole Dearborn (Smith Elementary) and Cheryl James (Greenville Elementary), will attend the American School Counselor Association’s 2025 Annual Conference in California in July. Mental health practices have been increasingly in the spotlight in the post-pandemic era; these two women look forward to learning from mental health professionals with expertise across various disciplines to guide them in their counseling roles.

In addition, two Kettle Run High School teachers were awarded grants for very different reasons. Recognized as a gold Star Finance teacher, Michael Pickett will attend the W!SE Money Power Conference in New York City in December, while Tisha Burke will join her art educator peers in the EF Go Ahead Tour in Italy this summer.

And finally, Fauquier County Public Schools’ Mentorship and Coaching Supervisor Emily Fenner and Supervisor for Professional Learning Sarah Terwilliger were awarded grants to participate in a program to become certified executive coaches. The knowledge gained will help them to grow and improve a coaching program for administrators and teachers that supports their continued growth as educators.

The Foundation is honored to continue its long-standing tradition of supporting dedicated Fauquier County public school educators. Since the program began more than 40 years ago, it has awarded more than $500,000 to hundreds of educators.

Fauquier Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to its mission of initiating, magnifying, and sustaining unique educational opportunities within Fauquier County Public Schools. All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Visit fauquiereducationfoundation.org to learn more.