It was a day full of smiles and surprises, as our board delivered 58 classroom grants totaling $50,013.72 to educators across the district! Every school received some level of support for innovative projects and initiatives, such as early literacy kits, coding robots, interactive technologies, and more!

Adding to the fun was the fact that many schools were celebrating Spirit Week, so several recipients were caught in pajamas or 'Wacky Wednesday' outfits.

Since launching our classroom grant program in 1999, the Foundation has invested more than $750,000 to enhance, enrich, and expand educational opportunities for USD 437 students. If you’d like to help the Foundation continue this important work, please consider making a donation at http://www.auburnwashburnfoundation.org.

Our 2nd annual golf tournament at Cypress Ridge Golf Course was a resounding success, raising close to $18,000! Thank you to the 80+ golfers who played, as well as our generous sponsors. Your support helps our foundation fund classroom grants that Enhance, Enrich and Expand educational opportunities and experiences for our students.

Pulling off an event of this magnitude was a true team effort. Many thanks to all who served on the committee, our volunteer board and the staff at Cypress Ridge Golf Course. It was a blast!

⛳️CALLING ALL GOLFERS⛳️

Please join us for the second annual golf tournament benefiting the Auburn-Washburn Public Schools Foundation!

📆 Friday, October 17, 2025
⏰ 11:30 am - Registration and Lunch | 12:30 pm - Shotgun Start
📌 Cypress Ridge Golf Course
🔗 Register online at http://www.2025AWPSF.golfgenius.com

Sponsorship and donation opportunities are also available! Visit http://www.auburnwashburnfoundation.org to learn more!

Our annual Spring Breakfast, held yesterday morning at Topeka Civic Theatre, was a resounding success! Thanks to our generous sponsors, incredible community partners, and all who joined us bright and early, we raised nearly $30,000 to support student scholarships, classroom grants, and innovative programs that help our students thrive.

The event drew a full house and highlighted a wide range of student and staff accomplishments from throughout the year. A recording of the program is available to view on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjLUmThrct0:

00:00 | Welcome and Introductions by Foundation President Heath Horyna
02:53 | Classroom Grants in Action Video
06:55 | State of the District Address by Dr. Scott McWillliams
24:02 | Performance by Jay Shideler Elementary School Blue Jay Choir
31:02 | Student "Walk of Fame"
36:40 | Staff Recognitions
43:56 | Presentation by WRHS teacher Mike Steinert and students
57:36 | Performance by WRHS This Generation

Thank you to everyone who attended, supported, or played a role in making this event such a tremendous success! As the Foundation’s largest fundraiser of the year, your support fuels the impactful work happening across our schools every day.

Flashback to last Friday when we hosted our inaugural golf tournament at Cypress Ridge Golf Course! Thank you to the 90+ golfers who participated, as well as the dozens of local businesses that supported us! A special shout-out to the high school students who volunteered their time on a day off of school – golfers Higgins Hawks and Jackson Noller worked a specialty hole, while student photographers Rhiannon Good and Zach Schneider captured these photos.

Pulling off an event of this magnitude was a true team effort, but it is well worth it to raise additional funds to support our schools!

It's our favorite day of the year and why we do what we do! We are so proud to support these educators and their innovative ideas to enhance learning!