Several educators across Kernersville received an unexpected visit this week.

Local elected leaders joined representatives from the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce to deliver grant checks to a total of seven recipients at six area schools. The team, joined by school administrators, surprised the teachers in various locations, including during the middle of class as students looked on and cheered.

Thursday morning’s visits marked the latest step in a multi-part effort to expand the Chamber’s long-running education grant program. 

Several weeks ago, the Chamber funded as many grants as possible through proceeds from its annual community campaigns. The Kernersville Board of Aldermen later voted unanimously to contribute another $5,200, allowing a slate of unfunded, high-scoring proposals to move forward.

Those teachers learned the good news this week. Chamber leadership was joined by Mayor Pro Tem JR Gorham, Town Clerk Keith Hooker, and the town’s newest aldermen, Sarah Jane Sabanis and Randall Pegram, who helped deliver the checks and share the news directly with educators and students.

At Kernersville Middle School, library media coordinator Katie Winfrey said her grant will be used to replace aging materials with “new and diverse” books for students. She said the funding allows the media center to more accurately reflect the students it serves. 

East Forsyth Middle School language arts teacher Amanda Thompson requested tools designed to help students focus and manage anxiety during class, supporting both academic engagement and student well-being.

Cash Elementary had two recipients. Kindergarten teacher Stephanie Rickman plans to expand “play-based and hands-on learning” in her classroom, while Jenni Clayton will use her grant to introduce new math labs and games aimed at reinforcing core concepts through interactive learning.

At Southeast Middle School, math and science teacher Angel Howard said her grant will fund new classroom projects designed to blend creativity with curriculum, telling her students to expect to “have some more fun learning.”

Kernersville Elementary fourth-grade teacher Kristen Anderson will use her grant to add new Storyworks programs, an engaging reading series that supports literacy and reading comprehension. 

And at East Forsyth High School, students will soon be practicing infant CPR on specialized feedback mannequins, thanks to a grant submitted by physical education teacher Jennifer Cresimore. The equipment gives students real-time feedback as they learn lifesaving skills.

The Chamber’s education grant program is now more than 20 years old and is designed to support classroom projects that fall outside traditional school budgets. Programs like Eating for Education directly contribute to that funding, but demand consistently outpaces the available resources. 

Chamber President Chris Comer has described the program as a “full community project,” supported by local businesses, private donors, and residents. The Board of Aldermen’s recent action expanded the program’s impact this year, as funding pressures continue to shape conversations at the district level.