ARLINGTON, Texas – The Cotton Bowl Foundation, College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation and Amazon made the 2026 Big Day for Teachers bigger than ever before for teachers, educators and students in the North Texas community during this season's Extra Yard for Teachers Week.

The Cotton Bowl Foundation and CFP Foundation teamed up to surprise John Haley Elementary School in Irving with $50,000 for a library makeover and three $1,000 Donors Choose donations for three deserving teachers.
 
The two foundations partnered with Amazon once again to award grants totaling $250,000 – $50,000 each to Catch Up & Read, The Educator Collective and United to Learn. City Year Dallas also received $50,000 from the two foundations as well as an additional $50,000 from Amazon, bringing its grant total to $100,000.
 
John Haley Elementary and the four organizations were celebrated and recognized at the foundations' seventh Big Day for Teachers presentation held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
 
The Big Day for Teachers presentation was made extra special for John Haley Elementary and the four organizations receiving Big Day grants. Representatives received CFP Foundation and Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic-branded bags filled with gifts. The educators representing the four organizations receiving Big Day grants got an additional gift in their Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic bags, each receiving two tickets to the 2027 CFP Quarterfinal at the 91st Classic on Friday, Jan. 1 at AT&T Stadium.
 
"We love celebrating and surprising educators and education-based organizations in our North Texas community. It truly is one of the favorite things we do every year," said Monica Christopher, Chair, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association and Cotton Bowl Foundation. "In partnership with our friends at Amazon and the College Football Playoff Foundation, we love coming together to give teachers and educators the much-needed support they need to be successful, which in turn gives students the support they need to excel in the classroom and in life."
 
"The generosity of the Cotton Bowl Foundation in this community is phenomenal and remarkable. For us to be able to align for over a decade with an organization like the Cotton Bowl Foundation is phenomenal," said Britton Banowski, Executive Director, CFP Foundation. "Although we invest all across the country all year long, to be able to have a partner here in North Texas is amazing."
 
The surprises began the day before the presentation at John Haley Elementary, where representatives from the Cotton Bowl Foundation, CFP Foundation, Irving Independent School District and Irving Schools Foundation surprised teachers and staff from the school. Teachers Violeta Ojeda (First Grade), Gracie Valderas (Fourth Grade Bilingual Education) and Kristen Woodruff (Music) were surprised in their respective classrooms with Donors Choose cards for supplies. John Haley Elementary School Principal Amaris Bravo and Irving ISD Superintendent Dr. Dorian Galindo got an even bigger surprise in the school's library – the unveiling of the grant from the Cotton Bowl Foundation and CFP Foundation to renovate the library through the CFP Foundation Extra Yard Makeover initiative.
 
"To have our library renovated is going to be an investment in our students, making sure our students see themselves in that library as a place they can get excited about reading, learning, and investigating," said Amaris Bravo, Principal, John Haley Elementary School. "It will be a place where they can inspire something from their dreams and reach their potential."
 
The four organizations awarded Big Day grants continue to impact the lives of teachers and educators across North Texas by providing various levels of resources, training and leadership opportunities for teachers, educators and their students.
 
Catch Up & Read is a nonprofit, community-funded organization that transforms the lives of at-risk elementary students in the Dallas and  Fort Worth Independent School Districts by equipping them to read on grade level by third grade. The organization collaborates with teachers, principals and administrators on an instruction and tutoring program that drives extraordinary and sustainable results.
 
"Thanks to the Cotton Bowl Foundation and College Football Playoff Foundation for championing Catch Up & Read teachers," said Carol Goglia, President and Chief Executive Officer, Catch Up & Read. "With the investment in our teacher-driven model, we have teacher-led tutoring in our schools now across North Texas in many districts. The Cotton Bowl Foundation and College Football Playoff Foundation have been key to our work for so many years and to our expansion so that we can reach more teachers, which means we can help more children to read."
 
City Year is a service-centric program with locations in 29 U.S. cities across 21 states that unites and empowers AmeriCorps members, young adults ages 17 to 25, from different backgrounds and charges them with addressing some of our country's most difficult challenges that can change the world for the better.
 
"Strong schools are built through strong partnerships. We are thankful to the Cotton Bowl Foundation, College Football Playoff Foundation and Amazon for investing in City Year Dallas and helping us continue our service at Julian T. Saldivar Elementary for a second year," said Christine Crossley, Executive Director, City Year Dallas. "This partnership means our corps members can continue building meaningful relationships with students, supporting educators, and contributing to a school community where students have the encouragement, resources, and champions they need to thrive today and reach their full potential tomorrow."
 
The Educator Collective partners with North Texas school districts, school teams and education nonprofit organizations to provide leadership development, wellness practices and collaborative problem-solving.
 
"North Texas is only as strong as the schools at the heart of our communities, and our schools are only as strong as the educators leading them," said Alejandra Barbosa, Chief Executive Officer, The Educator Collective. "The Cotton Bowl Foundation and College Football Foundation understand that investing in educators is investing in students, families and in the long-term vitality of this region. We are honored to have them as partners in our work."
 
United to Learn is an education nonprofit with a proven model for mobilizing community partners to close opportunity gaps among Dallas-area public elementary schools and awareness gaps across the community, accelerate student achievement and develop purposeful leaders.
 
"When schools have the resources and support they need, educators and students thrive. Big Day for Teachers celebrates the vital role teachers play in strong communities and the difference we can make when we rally around them," said Tim Hise, Chief Executive Officer, United to Learn. "We are grateful to the Cotton Bowl Foundation and College Football Playoff Foundation for investing in North Texas educators and the students they inspire every day."
 
The Cotton Bowl Foundation and CFP Foundation have been partners in helping teachers be successful inside and outside of classrooms since 2016. The CFP Foundation is the largest sports entity in America supporting educators. The foundation's Extra Yard for Teachers (EYFT) platform has collectively invested more than $104 million to support educators. The organization has supported more than 756,000 teachers nationwide, creating a positive impact for more than 14 million students and 96,000 schools. The Big Day for Teachers, which is part of EYFT Week, is the largest single-day effort of community impact by the extended college football family.
 
The Cotton Bowl Foundation, the official foundation of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, serves North Texas by supporting programs that improve opportunities for underserved youth with the vision of making an impact on those who play the game, attend the game and support the game. Since 2016, the Cotton Bowl Foundation has awarded more than $4.5 million in grants and financial support benefiting non-profit organizations in the surrounding communities.
 
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