HCPS teachers receive $15K grants for African safaris, London and Quebec research trips

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Two Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) teachers will soon embark on educational and research trips in Africa, London and Quebec — courtesy of two $15,000 grants that recognize "distinguished" teachers in the Richmond area.

Amanda Drinnon, an English teacher with the Advanced Career Education Center at Hermitage, and Ellen Jewell, a social studies teacher at Brookland Middle School, are the recipients of the 2025 R.E.B. Award for Teaching Excellence, the HCPS announced in a release on Friday, Nov. 7.

The annual award seeks to "recognize and support Richmond-area teachers who have distinguished themselves through inspiring classroom instruction," the release said.

Drinnon and Jewell will each receive a $15,000 grant to pursue their respective trips.

(Photo: Henrico County Public Schools)

(Photo: Henrico County Public Schools)

(Photo: Henrico County Public Schools)

(Photo: Henrico County Public Schools)

According to HCPS, the grant will enable Drinnon to explore landscapes, cultures, and wildlife on a six-country African safari, helping to inform her teaching of global literature and foster students' critical thinking.

"The ACE Center at Hermitage has a diverse population of students, and I want to make them feel included in our programs," Drinnon said. "I want to experience various cultures, and we're going to come back here and embrace the cultures we have here at our school."

Jewell will travel to London and Quebec to research British and Canadian perspectives on the American Revolution. She plans to investigate the U.S. relationships with the U.K. and Canada and how historical narratives shape them, the release said.

According to the release, Drinnon and Jewell were selected in a process that includes a nomination by students, parents and colleagues; an interview and submission of a project proposal.

Five other HCPS teachers were also finalists for the 2025 award — each receiving $1,000. The finalists are:

• Nirali Jantrania, Deep Run High School.
• Sarahann Wicker, Holman Middle School.
• Lindsey Hurlburt, Douglas S. Freeman High School.
• Kristen Knarr Roberts, Tuckahoe Elementary School.
• Mary Dunaway, George Moody Middle School.

For more information, visit R.E.B. Awards.