For about 75 Thornwood Elementary (TWE) fifth graders, a teacher’s idea is becoming an opportunity to learn, lead and make memories beyond the classroom, including a night at camp.

Thanks to a Spring Branch Education Foundation (SBEF) grant, Thornwood’s entire fifth grade will take an overnight trip to Camp Cullen in May 2027. Students will participate in outdoor learning, team-building challenges and camp activities that encourage them to work together and try something new.

The award is one of many SBEF has celebrated across Spring Branch ISD (SBISD) in recent weeks. Its Celebration Crew, including foundation board members, has visited schools to surprise 27 educators with grant checks for the 2026-27 school year — each one opening the door to new learning opportunities made possible by community generosity.

Those campus celebrations are part of an extraordinary story of support.

SBEF raised a record-breaking $3,683,735 in combined funds through donor-designated gifts, grants, scholarships and contributions to Project School Supplies to support SBISD students, staff and campuses during the 2025-26 school year. 

At the September SBISD Board of Trustees meeting, SBEF Chair Scott Zindler and Executive Director Cece Thompson presented a symbolic check representing that combined total and celebrating the generosity of the foundation’s board members, staff, donors and friends.

Behind that remarkable total are opportunities that make a difference for individual students and classrooms.

At Thornwood, fifth grade math and science teacher Emily Breslin Wiltcher saw that impact firsthand.

“My students were so excited when SBEF came in to award me the money!” Wiltcher said. “I’m excited to see them try new things, work together, and just enjoy being kids.”

Now in her sixth year at Thornwood and in SBISD, Wiltcher values the close-knit campus community and the opportunity to help students prepare for middle school.

The camp idea grew from a conversation with her fifth grade team last year. A colleague shared a similar experience from a previous district, and the team began exploring how to bring that opportunity to Thornwood.

The campus already takes fifth grade girls to the University of Texas at Austin for a Girls in STEM day. Teachers wanted to offer another enriching experience that would bring the entire grade together.

Cost, however, presented a challenge. When Wiltcher contacted Camp Cullen, she learned the experience would cost more than $80 per student. Even with a discount for Title I schools, the trip remained beyond reach for the whole grade.

The SBEF grant changed that.

“We are really excited that the grant allows us to make this an experience for the whole grade rather than something that only a smaller group of students could participate in,” Wiltcher said.

At camp, students will have opportunities to build confidence, practice leadership and learn alongside classmates in a new setting. For many, it may be their first overnight camp experience with teachers and friends.

Wiltcher hopes those experiences will help students recognize their capabilities as they prepare for the transition to middle school.

“My hope is that my students will walk away with a better understanding of outdoor education, adventure, and leadership,” she said. “I also hope they discover that they are capable of trying new things and stepping outside of their comfort zones.”

The grant also reflects the difference community support makes for instruction.

Teachers bring ideas, creativity and an understanding of their students’ needs. Foundation donors help provide the resources to turn those ideas into experiences that extend learning beyond the regular classroom routine.

“I think teachers have so many ideas for things we would love to do with our students, but sometimes the cost is what makes those ideas difficult to make happen,” Wiltcher said.

“Having the support from SBEF helped turn one of those ideas into something that our entire fifth grade will actually get to experience.”

While the trip is still ahead, Wiltcher is already looking forward to the moments students will carry home: a new challenge met, an unexpected leader emerging or classmates sharing a laugh.

SBISD applauds and thanks the SBEF Board of Directors, staff, donors and friends for their extraordinary generosity and continued investment in teachers, schools and Every Child.

At Thornwood and across the district, their support is opening doors to learning and possibilities students may remember long after the school year ends.

SBEF Grant Award Winners