Wishes for Teachers Program

The Fiesta Sports Foundation Wishes for Teachers program supports, celebrates, and honors educators across Arizona by fulfilling classroom wishes. Public and charter K-12 teachers in Arizona are invited to apply by identifying a need or wish for their classroom and explaining how the requested resources would benefit their students, classroom, or school. The program is administered by the Fiesta Sports Foundation and is designed specifically around classroom resources and the needs of Arizona educators. For the 2026 application period, a total of 500 teachers will be selected through a random drawing, and each selected teacher will receive $2,500 in classroom resources. Based on the stated 500 awards at $2,500 each, the aggregate value of the classroom resources to be awarded is $1,250,000. The source does not state a minimum or maximum different from the fixed $2,500 wish amount and does not identify a matching or cost-share requirement. Applicants are asked to provide financial backing for their wish, such as project quotes or a budget, as well as a time frame for executing the wish. Wish classifications offered on the application include Agricultural Studies, Arts, Classroom Makeover, Educational Events, Educational Programs, Math, Physical Education and Wellness, Reading Materials, Science, and Special Needs. Eligibility is limited by the source to public and charter K-12 teachers across Arizona. The application requests the teacher's school, address, state, city and ZIP code, school district or charter school designation, school phone number, principal information, years of teaching experience, grade taught, and subject taught. Applicants also provide information about undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate education and indicate whether they teach dual enrollment or college courses. The source does not identify school districts, schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, or other entities as direct applicants; the invitation is specifically addressed to individual Arizona public and charter K-12 teachers. The application requires teacher contact information, including name, email address and a cellphone or other phone number that can be used to reach the teacher after school hours if selected. Applicants indicate whether that number supports FaceTime and provide a T-shirt size. The substantive wish portion asks how many students will be impacted over the useful life of the wish, what the classroom wish is, how the wish will make a difference to the teacher, classroom, students and/or school, the classification of the wish, the expected execution time frame, and financial backing such as project quotes or a budget. Applicants may optionally upload a headshot or photograph of themselves teaching and images that highlight classroom needs. The application notes that uploaded photographs may be used on Fiesta Sports Foundation's website and social media. The 2026 application period opened Tuesday, September 1 at 8:00 a.m. and closes Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 10:00 p.m. local Arizona time. No separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, notice of intent, or other pre-application gating requirement is stated in the supplied material. The source says the 500 recipients will be selected through a random drawing rather than describing a scored competitive evaluation process. Applicants are instructed to mark Wednesday, November 18, 2026 on their calendars as the date they will learn whether their wish has been granted. Wish notifications take place through Draft Day presented by SRP, the culminating event of the Wishes for Teachers program. During the event, local celebrities, athletes, community leaders, and members of the Fiesta Sports Foundation family surprise selected teachers and notify them that their wishes have been granted by phone or FaceTime. The program states that this event further recognizes and celebrates Arizona educators for their dedication, passion, and commitment to students. Wishes are to be fulfilled by April 2, 2027. The supplied material does not provide a named program contact, program email address, or program telephone number. Applicants seeking additional information are directed to wishesforteachers.org.

Quantify student impact over the useful life of the requested resources; clearly explain how the wish will make a difference to the teacher, classroom, students and/or school; provide a realistic execution time frame; support the wish with project quotes or a budget.