New York, New York, Aug. 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today longtime partners iHeartMedia and national education nonprofit DonorsChoose announced the four teacher winners of the 2026 iHeartRadio Thank a Teacher campaign, powered by DonorsChoose. Each of the four teachers won a $5,000 DonorsChoose gift card to redeem for classroom resources through the nonprofit’s website.
According to the DonorsChoose 2026 Teacher Survey, U.S. public school educators report spending, on average, $600 of their own money on supplies for their students and classrooms, and over 35 percent report working an additional job outside of teaching. iHeartRadio’s Thank a Teacher was dedicated to supporting educators with the resources their students need to thrive in the 2026-27 school year. The campaign also highlighted the important role that educators play in mentoring and inspiring students, even as they face limited resources and funding challenges.
Running from August 3rd to 23rd, DonorsChoose and iHeartRadio invited the public to nominate outstanding teachers in their community who are going above and beyond to make a difference in their students’ lives. Once the sweepstakes closed, DonorsChoose randomly selected the following four public school teachers to win $5,000 DonorsChoose gift cards to help fund supplies for their classrooms:
- Kimberly Gray, 4th Grade Teacher, Kennedy Elementary School, Livonia, Michigan
- Jessica Kimble, Emotional Support Special Education Teacher, Trinity South Elementary, Washington, Pennsylvania
- Adrianna Luna, 6th Grade Teacher, Hamilton Elementary School, Hanford, California
- Kim Vasquez, 1st Grade Teacher, Atherton Elementary School, Arlington, Texas
The campaign, which launched in 2025, continues to provide significant support to U.S. public school teachers. Beata Karczewski, a ninth-grade science teacher at Southeast Career Technical Academy in Las Vegas, was one of last school year’s winners of iHeartRadio’s Thank a Teacher, and the $5,000 DonorsChoose gift card she won helped her acquire laboratory equipment for her students.
“The $5,000 DonorsChoose gift card made a big difference in my classroom,” said Karczewski. “Having these resources means I don't have to constantly think, ‘Can I afford to do this with my students?’ Also, I have had students who were hesitant to participate in science become completely engaged when they were given the opportunity to work with real materials.”
Karczewski expressed gratitude for the support of both the local and national community through iHeartRadio’s Thank a Teacher. “I am incredibly grateful to iHeartRadio, DonorsChoose, and everyone who supports teachers and students. iHeartRadio’s Thank a Teacher reminded me that we are not doing this work alone. Our community is willing to stand behind our classrooms, our teachers, and most importantly, our kids.”
As part of the partnership, iHeartMedia donated over $650,000 worth of public service announcements to directly support and promote both the sweepstakes and the mission of DonorsChoose. The PSAs ran across all of iHeartMedia’s radio stations in an effort to raise awareness about the critical needs in public school classrooms, and to encourage listeners to invest in the success of their local schools by contributing at www.donorschoose.org.
“Because we reach thousands of communities across America, iHeart has the unique power to connect listeners with the stories that matter most in their communities. Through iHeartRadio’s Thank a Teacher, we can give our audiences the opportunity to recognize the educators who go above and beyond every day. Together with our listeners, we're proud to celebrate the incredible impact teachers have on students and their communities,” said Jon Zellner, President of Programming Operations and Digital Music for iHeartMedia.
About DonorsChoose
DonorsChoose is an education nonprofit ensuring every US public school student has the classroom resources they need to learn, grow, and thrive. Founded by a teacher in 2000, DonorsChoose connects educators with a nationwide community of supporters who believe investing in students today will transform tomorrow. Educators request the materials they know their students need, and donors can choose the classroom, community, or cause they want to support. Since its founding, donors have supported 90% of US public schools. Every request is vetted, resources are delivered to classrooms, and donors can see the impact of their support through transparent reporting and updates from students and teachers. Raising $1.9 billion for classrooms, DonorsChoose has earned top ratings from Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and CharityWatch for their transparency, trust, and impact. Learn more at www.donorschoose.org.
About iHeartMedia, Inc.
iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, with nine out of ten Americans listening to iHeart broadcast radio in every month. iHeart's broadcast radio assets alone have a larger audience in the U.S. than any other media outlet and over four times the ad-enabled audience of the largest digital only audio service. iHeart is the largest podcast publisher according to both Podtrac and Triton, with more downloads than the next two podcast publishers combined, has the most recognizable live events across all genres of music, has the number one social footprint among audio players, has the highest-reach and most engaged influencers, and is the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution across broadcast, streaming and podcasts. The company continues to leverage its strong audience connection and unparalleled consumer reach to build new platforms, products and services. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.
Juan Brizuela DonorsChoose media@donorschoose.org
