Giving Impact | Gifford Innovation Awards

Integrates artificial intelligence into science instruction to give students real-time feedback, personalize learning pathways, and model concepts in ways that deepen understanding and prepare them for emerging technologies.

Combines field-based research with modern genetic analysis to help students explore biodiversity, heredity, and real-world applications of genetic science through hands-on investigation.

Creates a dedicated early childhood space for imaginative play and sensory exploration, fostering creativity, empathy, and social-emotional development in the youngest learners.

Establishes a cross-divisional hub for wellness education, neurodiversity awareness, and community programming, promoting mental health and inclusive learning strategies.

Introduced robotics and coding skills through small programmable robots, helping younger students develop computational thinking and problem-solving abilities in an engaging format.

Provided a hands-on environment where students learned personal finance, budgeting, investing, and economic decision-making through simulations and applied projects.

Used lightweight, age-appropriate instruments to introduce elementary students to music fundamentals, building early skills and confidence before entering full band programs.

Taught students to create, produce, and distribute podcasts, blending storytelling, research, and technical audio skills into a modern form of communication.

Integrated science, technology, engineering, arts, and math into interdisciplinary challenges that encouraged creativity, collaboration, and design thinking.

Connected chemistry principles to the local tradition of maple syrup production, engaging students in applied science from tree tapping to syrup grading.

Pictured right: Mr. Widbin's Chemistry class taps maple trees on campus.

Expanded design and fabrication capabilities for engineering and arts students by enabling precision cutting and engraving across a range of materials.

Brought in expert historians and scholars to share research on underrepresented topics, enriching the curriculum and connecting history to contemporary issues.

Pictured right: In 2025, Albany Academy welcomed Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker, writer, and University at Albany professor Sheila Curran Bernard as part of the Gifford History Speakers' Series.

Equipped students with iPads and professional-grade creative apps, allowing them to produce digital artwork, animations, and designs for portfolios and competitions.

Transformed an outdoor courtyard into an ecology lab with projects like beekeeping, aquaponics, and solar power, giving students direct engagement with sustainability practices.

Curated a collection of diverse young adult literature for classroom use, encouraging students to explore identities different from and similar to their own.

Offered a calming indoor environment for lower school students to develop sensory regulation skills, supporting focus, emotional balance, and readiness to learn.