Valley nonprofit will shell out a record $1.5 million granting teachers’ wishes

In its tenth year, Wishes for Teachers will dole out a record breaking $1.5 million to help students across the state. All Arizona K-12 public and charter school teachers, staff and coaches can fill out an application starting September 2, 2025, detailing how a $2,500 wish would help their students.

The wishes are funded by the Fiesta Sports Foundation, which hosts local annual events such as the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium and the Rate Bowl at Chase Field.

In the past, teachers have asked for anything from updated technology for their students to everyday supplies for their classrooms.

“We’ve even seen teachers that want to create food pantries in their classroom because they know unfortunately that oftentimes, they’re the guaranteed meals for their kiddos,” Fiesta Sports Foundation Chief Impact Officer Kristina Chumpol said.

“We see wishes come in all shapes and sizes, but for us it’s, ‘Hey teachers, you know your kids the best; you know your classroom the best. Tell us what you need, and let us make that happen.’”

A total of 570 Arizona teachers will be randomly selected to have their wishes granted this year.

The deadline to put in an application is on September 30, 2025. The application process is simple and streamlined to make it easy for teachers to put in their wishes.

Teachers are often left paying for classroom supplies out of their own pockets, but Chumpol believes economic factors have played a key role in the participation of the program.

Last year, there were nearly 5,000 applications received from teachers requesting wishes, according to Chumpol. The number of applications they receive increases with each year.

She believes teachers care for their students beyond the class curriculum, based on the types of wishes her group has granted to teachers across the state.

What wishes have teachers requested?

One wish Chumpol still remembers is from a teacher who noticed a few of her students were struggling to see her whiteboard as she was teaching the class.

“She had lots of kids who needed vision screenings, and there had been cuts to their classroom, and while they did hearing tests, the school was not able to offer vision testing,” Chumpol said.

“With her wish, we were able to get those screenings completed, and then we ultimately were able to supply eyeglasses to six of her students that were in need of them. And so that really made a significant difference, certainly for those students, but also for that teacher,” she said.

Another wish that stood out to Chumpol came from a high school that noticed some of their students were on the verge of homelessness.

“That was affecting their self-confidence and their ability to show up in the classroom, and so this teacher knew, ‘This is an additional resource our students need.’ They found the space in the school. We were able to order several washers and dryers, and now there’s basically a laundromat at the school campus,” Chumpol said.

Additionally, many wishes are from teachers who want to give their students a unique experience. In the past, teachers have requested field trips and items such as a 3D printer to take their lesson plans to the next level, Chumpol said.

If a teacher’s wish is selected they are also invited to walk in a Fiesta Bowl Parade and to come onto the field during halftime at one of the games.

“We want them to feel that celebration for the work that they do. That’s something else that I would say is just special about the program because, again, it’s really, we believe it’s really important for these teachers to feel seen, valued and appreciated.”

_{Photo courtesy of Wishes for Teachers.} 

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Reporting by “Arizona Horizon” Education Solutions Reporter Roxanne De La Rosa. Her role is made possible through grant funding from the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund and Report for America.

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