Athens nonprofit AthFest Educates, a longtime partner and supporter of CCSD, has awarded more than $66,000 to 19 local educators and individuals and organizations who support arts education for K-12 youth in Clarke County. The 2025-26 grants, 12 of which went directly to CCSD teachers, bring the total of AthFest Educates funds awarded to date to over $750,000.

Funds for the grants come from individual donations and foundation grants to the organization, as well as profits from the annual AthFest Music & Arts Festival and AthHalf Half Marathon & 5K.

See the list of CCSD educators who received grants below and view a full list and descriptions here.

2025-26 grantees

• The John & Patricia Whitehead Grant was awarded to Matthew Sines at Hilsman Middle School for the purchase of new instruments to expand participation in the band program.

• The Athens Symphony Susan Dinwiddie Music Education Grant was awarded to Mykah Hutton, the music teacher at Bettye H. Holston Elementary, for the purchase of a replacement digital piano for music classes.

• Geoffrey Wright, physical education teacher at Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary, received a grant to have a local artist create an interactive mural in the school’s gym, for all students to enjoy.

• Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary ESOL teacher Valerie Oxford was awarded a grant for her ESOL students to attend an aerial arts field trip at Canopy Studio.

• Rosemary Milsap of Cedar Shoals High School received a grant to support her drama students' attendance at the Georgia Thespian Conference.

• Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle orchestra teacher Matthew Rubenstein received a grant to support his students’ travel to New York to perform at Carnegie Hall.

• Julie Evans of CCSD's

  adapted physical education program received a grant for district special education students to attend aerial arts field trips at Canopy Studio.

• Cedar Shoals High School English teachers Tara Stuart and Hannah Doolittle were awarded a grant to add a Delphi Arts Excursion to their summer trip to Greece with their students.

• Heather Garland of Clarke Central High School received a grant to purchase and install a hood vent for the second kiln to better serve the school's growing 3D arts classes.

• Ashley O’Connor of Whitehead Road Elementary received a grant to pursue Orff training in order to better serve her music students.

• Barnett Shoals Elementary art teacher Elizabeth Bush received a grant to attend the National Arts Education Convention in Chicago.