Giving Initiatives
Student Scholarships
The Kyrene Foundation provides funding for Athletic and Community Education scholarships for students and families in need. Studies show that students involved in enrichment programs feel more bonded to their school and demonstrate improved academic performance. Community Education scholarships help to cover before and after school care for working parents, intramurals, and enrichment programs in STEM, art, language, and more. The recipients are identified and awarded in conjunction with the Kyrene School District. In the ’23-’24 school year, the Kyrene Foundation provided $30,000 of scholarships benefitting a number of students across the district!
Student Recognition
Kyrene Super Students
Kyrene Super Students are identified by their schools for exemplifying the traits in the Portrait of a Kyrene Kid. The Kyrene Foundation provides the Super Students with a $25 gift card that is awarded at the Governing Board meetings.
Slater Newman Awards
The Slater Newman award recognizes 8th graders who exemplify leadership in the areas of philanthropy and community service. Each year, two outstanding 8th graders per school are nominated by their teachers and are presented with the award at the 8th grade promotion ceremony. The Kyrene Foundation is pleased to provide award recipients with a $100 gift card for their accomplishments. The Slater Newman award is named in honor of Socorro Slater and Diane Newman, the two district employees that founded the Kyrene Foundation.
Turkey & Trimmings
Our annual Turkey Day event provides gift cards for families to provide a Thanksgiving meal of their choosing. The Kyrene School District staff identify families in need.
Winter Wonderland
Winter Wonderland provides families in need with a gift card to purchase their choice of a holiday meal. The Foundation also helps with holiday gifts for children. This is one of our largest giving events and is entirely made possible by the generosity of community donations.
Teachers and Staff
2025–2026 Kyrene Foundation Teacher Mini-Grants
The Kyrene Foundation is proud to support innovative, student-centered learning experiences through our annual Mini-Grant Program. Teachers may apply for up to $1,000 per classroom to fund projects that enhance learning opportunities. Teacher teams may also collaborate (e.g., 3 teachers = up to $3,000 total).
Key Dates:
- Application Deadline: Friday, November 21, 2025, at 4:00 PM
- Notification of Awards: Friday, December 5, 2025
- All projects must be completed by: May 8, 2026
- Receipts and reports are due by: May 8, 2026
Application Requirements:
As part of the online application, teachers will complete a short narrative that includes:
- Purpose of the request
- Potential impact on student learning and number of students served
- Evaluation plan
- Alignment to KSD curriculum
- Timeline and completion date (must be by May 8, 2026)
- Itemized budget...
New Teacher Gift Cards
The Kyrene Foundation provides gift cards to new teachers to help offset the costs of setting up their new classroom and purchasing classroom supplies. The gift cards are distributed at the District’s New Teacher Orientation. Our new teachers are very appreciative of the support, which is made possible by donations such as yours.
Staff Recognition
Years of Service Recognition
The Kyrene Foundation recognizes Kyrene Employees for reaching years of service milestones. Employees are awarded a certificate, commemorative pin, and a gift card in recognition of achieving their major years of service milestones (10 years, 15 years, 20 years, 25 years, 30 years and even 35 years!) Each year nearly 100 employees are recognized.
Staff Retirement
The Kyrene Foundation provides retiring Kyrene employees with an engraved clock to recognize their retirement from the Kyrene School District.