Texas Cultural Trust Names Recipients of the 2025-2026 First Year Teacher Grants

by Texas Cultural Trust

The Texas Cultural Trust (TXCT), a nonprofit dedicated to increasing awareness, access, and support for the arts in Texas, has announced the recipients of its seventh annual First Year Teacher Grants. As part of the Trust’s Arts Access program, these grants, awarded annually in the fall, are designed to support new arts teachers in providing quality arts education in Title I schools and low arts access communities. This year, grants will be awarded to four arts educators across Texas cities including Waco, La Porte, Houston, and Azle.

Each recipient of the First Year Teacher Grants will receive a one-time grant of $1,500 to help alleviate costs associated with completing the first year as an arts teacher. These funds can be used for a variety of expenses that enhance the quality of arts education.

For some arts teachers, this entails purchasing vital equipment like “…accessible xylophone stands, while also equipping [them] with a microphone to better lead and guide [students] learning.” says Blake Taggert, a grant recipient from Speegleville Elementary in Midway ISD. “This support ensures my students can fully participate in music-making.”

Additional uses of the grant can include professional development, classroom enrichment, and other resources that support high-quality arts instruction.

The 2025 – 2026 First Year Teacher Grants recipients are as follows: 

  • Blake Taggart, Midway ISD
  • Loriann Ratliff, La Porte ISD
  • Marco Sanchez, Galena Park ISD
  • Mary Strauss, Azle ISD

“As we’ve learned in our State of the Arts Report, arts education plays an essential role in cultivating creativity, self-expression, cultural awareness, and so much more in our kids,” says Texas Cultural Trust CEO Heidi Marquez Smith. “With these grants, we hope to provide our valuable educators with the resources they need to bring the transformative power of the arts to children across the state.”These grants are offered on an annual basis and will reopen for applications in the summer of 2026. To learn more about the Texas Cultural Trust and available grants through its Arts Access program, please visit https://txculturaltrust.org/what-we-do/arts-access.