Exploring a business idea, examining history through art and connecting anatomy to career possibilities offer students different ways to discover their interests.

At Westchester Academy (WAIS), three projects receiving 2026 J. Landon Short Mini Grants for Educators will support those connections.

Congratulations to the following grant recipients:

Wismer’s CTE Entrepreneurship & Events Marketing focuses on the intersection of business, creativity and communication. Entrepreneurship and marketing invite students to consider an audience’s needs, develop ideas and explain their value. These skills help connect classroom learning with the decisions people make in professional settings.

Kneppler’s Russia - The Faberge Way offers a lens for exploring history and culture through art. Studying artistic works can prompt students to ask questions about the people who created them, the societies they reflect and the stories they preserve. Those connections help students consider how objects can become sources for understanding the past.

Through From Cells to Careers: Anatomy in Action, Sansing and Sigworth connect the study of the human body with possibilities for the future. Understanding how structures and systems work together builds scientific knowledge while giving students a starting point for exploring careers that draw on anatomy.

Together, these projects highlight the value of helping students connect what they learn with the wider world. They also celebrate educators whose ideas create opportunities for students to explore, ask questions and consider what comes next.

Made possible through generous community support, the J. Landon Short Mini Grants for Educators help turn creative ideas into meaningful classroom experiences. It’s #CollectiveGreatness in action.

You can help make great things happen for kids, too. Visit SBISD’s Engage page to learn how to support students, classrooms and schools.

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