Fairfax Futures Announces Grant Award from the John & Janice Wyatt Foundation
Funding will support the mathematical and teaching capabilities of early childhood educators
FAIRFAX, VA, – Fairfax Futures is pleased to announce it has received a $55,000 grant from the John & Janice Wyatt Foundation to advance high-quality early childhood education in Fairfax County. The one-year investment will support the design and implementation of an evidence-based mathematics course aimed at strengthening early childhood educators’ mathematical content knowledge and instructional practice.
This year, Fairfax Futures and Fairfax County’s Institute for Early Learning will partner with S.E.E.D.S. Educational Consultants and Dr. Candace Barriteau Phaire, who will lead the development of the course. Through targeted professional learning, coaching, and strategic partnerships, participating educators will be better equipped to deliver engaging, developmentally appropriate math instruction, contributing to stronger math and early literacy outcomes for young children.
“Early math skills are a powerful predictor of later academic success, yet too many educators lack access to high-quality, math-focused professional learning,” said Sallyann Rodriguez-Sawao, Executive Director, Fairfax Futures. “This grant allows us to invest directly in the early childhood workforce by providing educators with practical, research-informed tools they can immediately use in their classrooms. We are deeply grateful to the John & Janice Wyatt Foundation for its leadership and commitment to educational equity.”
“We are so grateful to partner once again with Fairfax Futures on the Math Series project,” said Matthew Peterson, Executive Director, the John & Janice Wyatt Foundation. “After five years of working together, our faith and trust in Fairfax Futures is unshakable as they consistently create and administer high-quality, impactful work supporting children in those most critical first five years. The Math Series project fits nicely within our birth-to-five strategy. Recognizing if we can improve the effectiveness of math instruction early on, we believe more children will be ready and prepared for kindergarten, which puts them on the success ladder to increased connectivity to school and downstream on-time graduation rates, and ultimately, improves their likelihood for a bright future!”
The 2026 initiative is guided by a clearly defined roadmap and aligns closely with Strong Foundations, Bright Futures: A Strategy for Early Childhood in Fairfax County, the County’s new early childhood strategic plan. The work specifically advances Goal 3: Elevate the Early Childhood Workforce by strengthening instructional quality and expanding access to high-impact professional learning opportunities. Course modules will integrate national best-practice research alongside hands-on resources educators can use with the children in their care.
The John & Janice Wyatt Foundation partners with organizations like Fairfax Futures to advance equitable, high-quality early childhood education, particularly for children from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, recognizing that strong educators are essential to leveling the playing field and creating lasting community impact.
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The John & Janice Wyatt Foundation
The John & Janice Wyatt Foundation (also known as J2W) is a 501(c)(3) grantmaking family foundation founded in July 2018 by John L. Wyatt and his wife Janice. It focuses on addressing educational inequities for economically and socially disadvantaged children and youth in select communities in Virginia and Maryland.
Fairfax Futures launched as a nonprofit organization in 2004. Through the power of partnerships, Fairfax Futures catalyzes community-wide action and change so all children and youth achieve their full potential.