2023 Grant Awards

MCEF Awards Over $18,500 to MCPS Educators in 2023

On December 4, 2023, the Montgomery County Educational Foundation (MCEF) held its 2023 Grant Awards Ceremony, where the Board of Directors awarded over $18,576 in grants to 20 projects and programs in Montgomery County Public Schools. The event, which began in 2012, honored both grant recipients and their sponsors who provided the funds for these grants. In 2011, the MCEF established endowment and grant funds with the Community Foundation of the New River Valley. To date, the MCEF has awarded over $343,000 to 343 projects and programs in Montgomery County Public Schools.

2020-2022 Grant Awards

MCEF Awards Over $51,000 to MCPS Educators in 2020-2022

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Montgomery County Educational Foundation (MCEF) was unable to hold its Annual Grant Awards Ceremony for three grant cycles. On December 4, 2023, the MCEF was finally able to hold a ceremony again where the Board of Directors honored its 2020, 2021, and 2022 grant recipients who were awarded over $51,163 in grants to 60 projects and programs in Montgomery County Public Schools during those years. To date, the MCEF has awarded over $324,000 to 323 projects and programs in Montgomery County Public Schools.

2022 Creative Writing & Poetry Contest Results

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High School Category (Grades 9-12)

1st place: “An Electric Dialectic” by Luke Buckwalter
2nd place: “Typewriter” by Eliana Lyons
3rd place: “I Like Dirt” by Emma Harvey
Honorable Mention: “Quarantine” by Abigail Epperson
Honorable Mention: “The List That Keeps On Giving” by Madi Mann

Middle School Category (Grades 6-8)

1st place: “Inventions and Innovations” by Addison McSorley
2nd place: “A Moment in Time” by Amrita Sarangi
3rd place: “Out of the Past, Into the Future” by Malia Buckwalter

Elementary Category (Grades 4-5)

1st place: “Stay” by Harper Scaggs
2nd place: “Poem of the Call” by Lara Obeidat
3rd place: “I” by Thu Doan
Honorable Mention: “Let’s Come Together” by Annie Allen

Primary Category (Grades 2-3)

1st place: “Women in the Past, Present, and Future” by Reagan White
2nd place: “Amelia Earhart” by Dalton Fowlkes
3rd place: “Jackie Paving the Way” by Jake Hayes
Honorable Mention: “Amelia Earhart” by Story Puckett

Download the winner profiles

2021 Creative Writing & Poetry Contest Results

Download the winner profiles

High School Category (Grades 9-12)

1st Place - Poetry Kirk, BHS, “Music Through the Ages”
2nd Place - Cassidy Ackerman-Garvin, BHS, “World On the Horizon”
3rd Place - Lawrence Wang, BHS, “How Music Has Influenced Me and Others”

Middle School Category (Grades 6-8)

1st - Place - Brooke Haines, SMS, “Rocket 88”
2nd Place - Emma Harvey, BMS, “A Love Letter to Music”
3rd Place - Anima Baral, CMS, “How Rock ‘N’ Roll Helped My Mom Fight Cancer”
Honorable Mention - Abigail Hewitt, CMS, “This Is Rock, That Is Roll, and These Are the People”
Honorable Mention - Madden Hebdon, BMS, “Let the Music Go On”

Elementary Category (Grades 4-5)

1st Place - Miriam Annika Lee, KES, “Dear Rock ‘N’ Roll”
2nd Place - Ross Stewart, KES, “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll”
3rd Place - Malia Buckwalter, AES, “Music Everywhere”
Honorable Mention - Sadie Zhang, KES, “Rock ‘N’ Roll and Civil Rights”

Primary Category (Grades 2-3)

1st Place - Dara Wyatt, GLES, “The Shaping of My Life”
2nd Place - Forrester Maxwell, GLES, “At the Rock and Roll Show”
3rd Place - Lillian Hernberger, GLES, “Rock With Me”

2020 Creative Writing & Poetry Contest Results

Download the winner profiles

High School Category (Grades 9-12)

1st Place - River Jordan Ostrander, 9th grade, BHS, “Earth Has the Word Ear in It”
2nd Place - Trevor Smith, 11th grade, BHS, “A Quiet Moment”
3rd Place - Gavin Paye, 10th grade, BHS, “Don’t Worry”
Honorable Mention - Karen Villanueva, 10th grade, BHS, “Remember”; Karah McClafferty, 10th grade, BHS, “I Remember”; Trevor Smith, 11th grade, BHS, “Dandelion Candles”

Download the winning High School entries

Middle School Category (Grades 6-8)

1st Place - Ruby Warnick, 7th grade, BMS, “Pansy”
2nd Place - Theo Villanueva, 8th grade, BMS, “Mother Earth. I Am Not Okay”
3rd Place - Luke Buckwalter, 8th grade, AMS, “A Man of Despair”
Honorable Mention - Jenna Saia, 6th grade, CMS, “Imagine”; Kyler Williams, 7th grade, BMS, “Every Day Is Earth Day”; Poetry Kirk, 8th grade, BMS, “Wistful Dreams” & “Our New Lands”

Download the winning Middle School entries

Elementary Category (Grades 4-5)

1st Place - Adeline Elder, 4th grade, HAES, “Lio and the Earth”
2nd Place - Sadie Zhang, 4th grade, KES, “Grass and Sky: An Earth Day Conversation”
3rd Place - Zora Heflin, 5th grade, PFES, “When Earth Day Comes”
Honorable Mention - Katie Blanchard, 5th grade, PFES, “The Tradition”; Sophina Driggs, 4th grade, PFES, “Earth Day”

Download the winning Elementary entries

Primary Category (Grades 2-3)

1st Place - Zaid Hikal, 3rd grade, KES, “The Color of Our Earth”
2nd Place - Brooklyn Marie Smith, 3rd grade, CES, “Protect the Earth”
3rd Place - Emily Katz, 3rd grade, KES, “50th Earth Day”
Honorable Mention - Madeline Saia, 3rd grade, FBES, “The Earth Is Worth Saving”; Everett McGlothlin, 3rd grade, GLES, “Bad Pollution”

Download the winning Primary entries

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2019 Grant Awards

MCEF Awards Over $35,000 to MCPS Educators in 2019

On December 18, 2019, the Montgomery County Educational Foundation (MCEF) held its Annual Grant Awards Ceremony, where the Board of Directors awarded over $35,617 in grants to 43 projects and programs in Montgomery County Public Schools, bringing the total awarded in 2019 to $35,617. The annual event, which began in 2012, honored both grant recipients and their sponsors who provided the funds for these grants. In 2011, the MCEF established endowment and grant funds with the Community Foundation of the New River Valley. To date, the MCEF has awarded over $272,000 to 262 projects and programs in Montgomery County Public Schools.

2019 Creative Writing & Poetry Contest Results

High School Category (Grades 9-12)

1st Place - Karah McClafferty, BHS 9th Grade, “The Life of Time”
2nd Place - Crista Ramsey, BHS 12th Grade, “A Little Dash of This”
3rd Place - Skyler Mawby, BHS 9th Grade, “Our Next Giant Leap”

Download the winning High School entries

Middle School Category (Grades 6-8)

1st Place - Kailin Phillips, AMS 7th Grade, “The Journey”
2nd Place - Kaleigh Brein, SMS 7th Grade, “New Space”
3rd Place - McKinley Owczarski, BMS 6th Grade, “Giant Leap in Space”
Honorable Mention - Emma Harvey, BMS 6th Grade, “Destination”, & Edric Zhang, BMS 8th Grade, “A Giant Leap”

Download the winning Middle School entries

Elementary Category (Grades 4-5)

1st Place - Jennifer Pertchik, HAES 5th Grade, “The Raging Planet”
2nd Place - Miles Johnson, PFES 5th Grade, “Excerpt from Summoner’s Bane”
3rd Place - Ione Donoso, PFES 5th Grade, “One Small Step”

Download the winning Elementary entries

Primary Category (Grades 2-3)

1st Place - Aron Wang, KES 3rd Grade, “Our Next Giant Leap”
2nd Place - Malia Buckwalter, AES 3rd Grade, “Apollo 50”
3rd Place - Emily Katz, KES 2nd Grade, “The Ocean Explorers”
Honorable Mention - Sadie Zhang, KES 3rd Grade, “A Perfect World”

Download the winning Primary entries

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2018 Grant Awards

MCEF Awards Over $42,000 to MCPS Educators in 2018

On Dec. 20th, the Montgomery County Educational Foundation (MCEF) held its Annual Grant Awards Ceremony, where the Board of Directors awarded over $41,500 in grants to educators in Montgomery County Public Schools, bringing the total awarded in 2018 to $42,166. The annual event, which began in 2012, honored both grant recipients and their sponsors who provided the funds for these grants. In 2011, the MCEF established endowment and grant funds with the Community Foundation of the New River Valley. To date, the MCEF has awarded over $237,000 to 219 projects and programs in Montgomery County Public Schools.

            Connie Froggatt, MCEF President and Montgomery Co. School Board Vice Chair, highlighted the growth of the Foundation since the inception of the educator grant program. “At our first grant ceremony in 2012, we awarded just over $2,800 in grants. This year, we’re awarding over $41,500!” The Foundation was recently honored for their service to MCPS by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce with their Non-Profit of the Year - Humanitarian Award for 2018.

            The MCEF was originally created as a non-profit pass-through mechanism for Montgomery Co. Public Schools in 1987. After the recession of 2008, which brought deep cuts in education funding, a group of public education advocates refocused the Foundation and established a new Board of Directors to raise private funds in support of PreK-12 public education in Montgomery County. Those individuals included School Board members Phyllis Albritton and Joe Ivers, now retired, and several private donors. The all-volunteer Board of Directors grew over the years and now includes the Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Miear, School Board Members Connie Froggatt and Marti Graham, MCPS teachers and staff, retired MCPS teachers, business leaders, and community members.

            Froggatt credits the work of the Board and the support of the community for the exponential growth in grant funds. This year grant sponsors included 100+ Women Who Care NRV, Phyllis Albritton, Corning Inc. Foundation, Dr. Mark and Connie Froggatt, MCPS Employees, Wells Fargo Foundation, Gay and Neel Inc., Domino’s Pizza, Susan Miller, Starbucks, and Dr. Jon and Jill Maher.

18 out of 20 schools in the county will benefit from at least one of over 38 programs funded in 2018 by the MCEF. Awards ranged from $300 to $4,000 in a variety of areas including STEM, visual and performing arts, afterschool enrichment programs, technology, student engagement, mental health, mentoring programs, lab equipment, professional development, fieldtrips, project-based learning, and school clubs.

2018 Creative Writing & Poetry Contest Results

High School Category (Grades 9-12)

1st Place - Sebastian Kocz, BHS 11th Grade, "Hope"
2nd Place - Jenna Massey, BHS 10th Grade, "My Dream"
3rd Place - Erin Hansbrough, BHS 11th Grade, "A Dream"
Honorable Mention - Elliot Shadle, BHS 9th Grade, "Dreams of Jupiter" & Ulysses Forte, BHS 11th Grade, "The Den"

Download the winning entries in the High School Category

Middle School Category (Grades 6-8)

1st Place - Zoe Zimmerman, BMS 7th Grade, "If Dreams Were Silver Birds"
2nd Place - Rose Cook, BMS 7th Grade, "Synchronized Fantasies"
3rd Place - Sam Woolsey, BMS 7th Grade, "A Temptcurious Train of Thought"
Honorable Mention - Lindsay Santos, BMS 7th Grade, "This Dream of Mine"

Download the winning entries in the Middle School Category

Elementary Category (Grades 4-5)

1st Place - Abigail Hewitt, CES 5th Grade, "I Have a Dream, In the Spotlight"
2nd Place - Emma Harvey, PFES 5th Grade, "I Wish They Could See the Music in Their Eyes"
3rd Place - Trent Hollandsworth, AES 5th Grade, "Olympic Dreams"
Honorable Mention - Naisha Hudait, GLES 4th Grade, "I Have a Dream" & Téa Bissell, KES 5th Grade, "I Have a Dream"

Download the winning entries in the Elementary Category

Primary Category (Grades 2-3)

1st Place - Heidi Swartzwelder, MBES 3rd Grade, "Peace"
2nd Place - Aron Wang, KES 2nd Grade, "I Have Big Dreams"
3rd Place - Isabella Albert, FBES 2nd Grade, "I Have a Dream"
Honorable Mention - Lucas Sawyers, CES 3rd Grade, "I Have a Dream to be a Proc Soccer Player"

Download the winning entries in the Primary Category

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2017 Grant Awards

MCEF Awards Over $40,000 to MCPS Educators in 2017

On Dec. 19th, the Montgomery County Educational Foundation (MCEF) held its Annual Grant Awards Ceremony, where the Board of Directors awarded over $36,000 in grants to educators in Montgomery County Public Schools, bringing the total awarded in 2017 to $40,289.49. The annual event, which began in 2012, honored both grant recipients and their sponsors who provided the funds for these grants. In 2011, the MCEF established endowment and grant funds with the Community Foundation of the New River Valley. To date, the MCEF has awarded over $192,000 to 180 projects and programs in Montgomery County Public Schools.

Connie Froggatt, MCEF President and Montgomery Co. School Board Vice Chair, highlighted the growth of the Foundation since the inception of the educator grant program. “At our first grant ceremony in 2012, we awarded just over $3,500 in grants. This year, we’re awarding over $36,000!”

The MCEF celebrated its 30th birthday on Dec. 9th. It was originally created as a non-profit pass-through mechanism for Montgomery Co. Public Schools. After the recession of 2008, which brought deep cuts in education funding, a group of public education advocates refocused the Foundation and established a new Board of Directors to raise private funds in support of PreK-12 public education in Montgomery County. Those individuals included School Board members Phyllis Albritton and Joe Ivers, now retired, and several private donors. The all-volunteer Board of Directors grew over the years and now includes the Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Miear, School Board Member Connie Froggatt, MCPS teachers and staff, retired MCPS teachers, business leaders, and community members.

Froggatt credits the work of the Board and the support of the community for the exponential growth in grant funds. This year grant sponsors included 100+ Women Who Care NRV, Phyllis Albritton, Corning Inc. Foundation, Dr. Mark and Connie Froggatt, Montgomery Co. Retired Teachers Assoc., Freedom First Credit Union, MCPS Employees, Wells Fargo Foundation, Gay and Neel Inc., Blacksburg Jr. Women’s Club, Susan Miller, Kevin and Melissa Proudfoot, Starbucks, Branch and Assoc., Dr. Jon and Jill Maher, Dr. John and Sharen Hillison, and Dr. Michael Wright.

Every school in the county will benefit from at least one of over 40 programs funded in 2017 by the MCEF. Awards ranged from $132 to $2,000 in a variety of areas including STEM, visual and performing arts, afterschool enrichment programs, technology, student engagement, mental health, physical fitness, mentoring programs, lab equipment, professional development, fieldtrips, project-based learning, and school clubs. Grant recipients included teachers, administrators, PTAs, and even one student.

2017 Poetry & Creative Writing Contest Results

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In 20 Years...

2017 MCEF Poetry & Creative Writing Contest

Futurists believe the next 20 years will make the last 20 years look like nothing really happened. What do you think? How will our world, our lives, and ourselves be different in 20 years? 

Those were the questions to be answered in the 2017 MCEF Poetry & Creative Writing Contest.

High School Category (Grades 9-12)

1st Place - Melanie Fleischer, CHS 10th Grade, "The Boy I Met 23 Years Ago"
2nd Place - Karly Custer, CHS 11th Grade, "Gold Over Chrome"
3rd Place - Audrey Jones, CHS 10th Grade, "I Hope"

Download the winning high school entries

Middle School Category (Grades 6-8)

1st Place - Trevor Smith, BMS 8th Grade, "The Von Neumann Machine"
2nd Place - Karen Villanueva, BMS 7th Grade, "In Twenty Years"
3rd Place - Skyler Mawby, BMS 7th Grade, "In 20 Years"
Honorable Mention - Kolby Brown, CMS 8th Grade, "A Colorful Jewel" & Ulysses Gabriele, BMS 7th Grade, "The Year 2037"

Download the winning middle school entries

Elementary Category (Grades 4-5)

1st Place - Ryan Zhao, GLES 5th Grade, "A Dream In the Future"
2nd Place - Sriya Sridhar, GLES 5th Grade, "The Bright Future"
3rd Place - Annabel de Souza, KES 4th Grade, "20 Years Later"
Honorable Mention - Abigail Hewitt, CES 4th Grade, "Future Inventions" & Jian Kim, KES 5th Grade, "2037: What Will Happen"

Download the winning elementary entries

Primary Category (Grades 2-3)

1st Place - Alexa Rascher, GLES 3rd Grade, "True Love"
2nd Place - Eila Tauzell, KES 2nd Grade, "When I Grow Up"
3rd Place - Abigail Massie, AES 2nd Grade, "Into the Future"
Honorable Mention - Kyla Venteicher, CES 3rd Grade, "In 20 Years" & Sepehr Agah, GLES 3rd Grade, "Life In 20 Years"

Download the winning primary entries

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