Every year, thousands of San Diego County students walk into classrooms that are quietly changing their lives—not because of a mandate, but because one educator or team refused to settle for ordinary. The Classroom of the Future Foundation’s Impact Award exists to identify those programs, shine a light on them, and ensure their stories don’t stay hidden within a single school or district.
The Impact Award is the highest honor CFF bestows. It’s reserved for the one program each year that doesn’t just innovate, but transforms—delivering measurable results, inspiring others to replicate what works, and proving that with the right vision and support, public education in San Diego County can lead the nation.
Whether you’re a business leader looking to invest where it truly matters, an educator searching for proof that bold ideas can succeed, or a philanthropist ready to fuel the next breakthrough, the Impact Award winners offer something rare—a roadmap to what’s possible.
The Classroom of the Future Foundation (CFF) presents its prestigious Impact Award annually to K-12 STEAM programs demonstrating innovation, measurable achievement, and scalability. In addition to a trophy and recognition, the award includes a $10,000 grant to help fund and scale the program.
Here is the complete list of the past Impact Award winners from the Classroom of the Future Foundation, from most recent to earliest:
- 2025 — Full STEAM Ahead | Adelante STEAM — National City STEAM Collaborative
- 2024 — Patient Care Pipeline — Grossmont Union High School District
- 2023 — Students Offshore-Urban Oyster — High Tech High School, Liberty Station
- 2022 — Through the Lens of Equity: Jump Starting Pathways to Rewarding Careers — Poway Unified School District
- 2021 — Adobe Bluffs’ Mandarin Programs — Poway Unified School District
- 2020 — World of Work Initiative — Cajon Valley Union School District
- 2019 — STEAMing Ahead! Initiative — Chula Vista Elementary School District
- 2018 — Design & Modeling Program — Calavera Hills Middle School, Carlsbad Unified School District
- 2017 — The Vista Innovation & Design Academy (VIDA) — Vista Unified School District
- 2016 — Health Pathways Program — Health Sciences High and Middle College, San Diego Unified School District
- 2015 — SDCOE Leading Edge Certification for the Online and Blended Learning Teacher — San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE)
- 2014 — One to One Digital Learning Program — Encinitas Union School District
- 2013 — i21 Interactive Classroom — San Diego Unified School District
- 2012 — San Ysidro Medical Pathway — Sweetwater Union High School District
- 2011 — The Writing Social Network — San Marcos Unified School District
- 2010 — Transforming Teaching and Learning with iPod touch — Escondido Union School District
- 2009 — Singin’ & Signin’ — Fallbrook Union Elementary School District
- 2008 — No Excuses University — Los Penasquitos Elementary School, Poway Unified School District
- 2007 — Project LIVE — Escondido Union Elementary School District
- 2006 — Advanced Use of Technology Anytime/Anywhere — San Onofre Elementary, Fallbrook Union Elementary School District
- 2005 — PISCES (Partnerships Involving the Scientific Community in Elementary Schools) — San Diego County Office of Education, San Diego State University and 10 local districts
This year’s Impact Award goes to a program whose name is itself a love letter to San Diego. The program “1904 Cadets: Building a K–12 Fire & EMS Pipeline Through Real-World Public Safety Education” is a pioneering K–12 career pathway program that immerses students in hands-on Fire and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) training, with the name using the 19th and 4th letters of the alphabet to represent “SD.”
What makes the 1904 Cadets program exceptional isn’t just its creativity—it’s their results. From leadership development to real-world problem solving, 1904 Cadets connects students across multiple school districts to industry-aligned curriculum and community partnerships that bridge the gap between the classroom and life-saving careers—where students don’t just learn about public safety, but practice authentic Fire and EMS skills that prepare them for civic responsibility and meaningful futures.
For business leaders, this is exactly the kind of public-private ecosystem worth investing in. For educators and administrators, it’s a replicable model of career and technical education done at the highest level. And for donors and philanthropists, it’s proof that when bold programming meets community commitment, the impact on a young person’s trajectory can be nothing short of transformational.
You’re invited to celebrate this year’s award-winning 1904 Cadets program in person at SeaWorld San Diego on Thursday, May 14, 2026, starting at 4:00 pm PT. Limited tickets are available at ClassroomOfTheFuture.org/23rdAnnualEvent. If you’d like to support the event with a sponsorship package or exhibit table, please contact our Executive Director, Jane Schlosberg—jane@classroomofthefuture.org.