Watauga Education Foundation

WEF was honored to host Music in the Valle on June 12th at the Valle Crucis Community Park featuring the Jeff Little Trio. The foundation also celebrated this year's Classroom Grant and Price-Deverick Scholarship recipients with a delicious picnic style dinner complete with fried chicken, all the fixins', and dessert! Thank you to all who came out to make the evening so special.

On May 26th, five high school seniors received scholarships presented by WEF Grants and Scholarships Chair Kim Shockey. Mrs. Shockey was accompanied by family and honorees of three scholarships maintained by WEF- Kate Swift Reese Memorial Scholarship, Keith W. Greer Memorial Scholarship and the Blue Ridge Mountain Resilience Scholarship.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients!

Kate Swift Reese Memorial Scholarship- Kylie Eldreth and Coy Johnson

Keith W. Greer Memorial Scholarship- Liliana Lemus

Blue Ridge Mountain Resilience Scholarship- Zeke Walker and Bailey Collins

WEF is excited to be tonight's sponsor for Music in the Valle featuring the Jeff Little Trio at Valle Crucis Community Park. We will be celebrating all of the Classroom Grant recipients, Price Deverick recipients, and thanking our sponsors. We hope to see you there!

Join us tonight for some amazing music from Jeff Little Trio! We are so excited to have them back this year!!

A huge shout out and thank you to Watauga Education Foundation for sponsoring tonight’s event :)

The only way WEF is able to provide these classroom grants and professional development scholarships is because of our INCREDIBLE donors and community partners. The generosity of Graystone Eye, Monkee's of Blowing Rock, Western Carolina Eye Associates, the Watauga Arts Council, Spangler Restoration, and Boonerang Music & Arts Festival shows their commitment and support of our students and educators.

Go support these amazing organizations as a thank you for their love of our schools.




Western Carolina Eye Associates

Spangler Restoration

Hip Hip Hooray for our Professional Development Scholarship Recipients! We love supporting educators as they pursue continuing education and professional development opportunities.

Kirsten Hodges, Parkway School
Erin Selle, Hardin Park School
Meade Richter, Blowing Rock School
Toni Burke, Green Valley School
Shane Terzaken, Green Valley School
Claire Jensen, Hardin Park School
Robin Lowe, Watauga High School

Let's hear for our next round of WEF Classroom Grant recipients! Educators like you are what make Watauga County Schools so very special. WEF is honored to support you!

McKenzie Huffman, Parkway School: Flexible Seating to Enhance Focus

Kristen Davis, Green Valley School: Next Generation Life Savers: Choking Response

Dr. Shawn Roberts, Green Valley and Parkway Schools: Modernizing Band & Orchestra through Trending Music Styles

Katrina Shook, Green Valley School: Student Operated Express Grill

Lane Holt, Hardin Park School: The Classroom Economy: Banking and Money Management

Lindsey Wilson, Hardin Park School: Kinesthetic Learning Through Role Play

Natasha Lyons, Valle Crucis School: Interactive Math Breakout Boxes

Hailey Bare, Watauga High School: Watauga Orchards and Gardens: A Multiphase Endeavor

Taryn Wooten, Watauga High School: Beef of the Bows! Restoration and Repair of String Instruments

WEF is proud to support such creative and committed teachers and staff!

Local educators receive $30K in grants, scholarships from WEF WATAUGA — The Watauga Education Foundation has awarded 27 Watauga County Schools educators grants and scholarships totaling $30,000 for the 2025-2026 school year.

Yesterday, we kicked off celebrating our 2026 grants winner with Alyssa Parsels from Valle Crucis. Now, over the next few days, you'll meet the rest of our grant and professional development scholarship winners. Thank you for bringing innovation and intentionality to your classroom. WEF is honored to support you!

Amber Dollyhigh, Hardin Park School: Sensory Seeking Solutions to Enhance Learning

Anne Sukow, Bethel School: Collaboration Through Board Games

Ashley Tate, Green Valley and Mabel: Custom Carving & Stamped Pottery

Bailey Little, Watauga County Schools Central Office: Elevating Student Voices through Purposeful Communication

Brittany Bolick, Hardin Park School: 9 Square in the Air!

Caitlin Ellis, Hardin Park School: Innovative Thinking Desks to Encourage Group Collaboration

Charlene Chialoranzio, Parkway School: Flexible Seating for Diverse Learners

Courtney McWhorter, Blowing Rock and Cove Creek: Collaborative Canvas: Merging Art and Technology

Erik Mortensen, Watauga High School: Modernizing the Automotive Experience

Karla Lerner, Hardin Park School: Sensory Seeking Solutions to Enhance Learning

Congratulations to Alyssa Parsels, a 2026 Classroom Grant Recipient at Valle Crucis! The WEF grant she received will build classroom libraries for the students of Valle Crucis. We are so thankful for the donors that help make these grants possible.

Looking for fun, family-friendly Saturday evening plans? How about dinner and a movie...did we mention the movie is FREE?!

Check out the FREE showing of Bad Guys 2 tomorrow at 4p at the Appalachian Theatre. Then head out for dinner at one of the following downtown Boone restaurants. 3% of this week's sales go back into our public schools through the Watauga Education Foundation.

Fizz Ed
South End
Come Back Shack
Mellow Mushroom
Vidalia Restaurant and Wine Bar
The Pasta Joint
Ben and Jerry’s
Black Cat
Melanie's Food Fantasy
COBO
Venture Chocolate and Wine
F.A.R.M. Cafe
Little Wing Ice Cream
Fries and Friends
Wildwood Commuity market
Betty’s Biscuits
Rooted on King
Lost Province Brewing Co.
The Horton Hotel and Rooftop