Exciting things are happening in Marshall classrooms this year, and thanks to a $25,000 Community Grant from the Taco Bell Foundation, students will have even more opportunities to explore what their future could look like.
Pride in the Tiger Foundation is excited to once again partner with the Taco Bell Foundation to support Marshall Public Schools. Even more exciting? PITF is one of just twelve nonprofit organizations in Minnesota selected to receive a 2026 Taco Bell Foundation Community Grant.
The grant will support career & technical education resource and technology integration in Marshall public schools. The goal is simple: to give students opportunities to gain experience with the kinds of technology, tools, and resources they may encounter in college, technical training programs, and the workplace.
Connecting the Classroom to the Real World
Marshall Public Schools offers students a wide variety of Career and Technical Education opportunities, from agriculture and business to engineering, health science, manufacturing, and work-based learning.
With support from the Taco Bell Foundation, these programs will be able to incorporate more industry-relevant technology, software, simulations, digital design and fabrication tools, multimedia equipment, and interactive learning resources.
That means students aren’t just learning about careers, they are getting opportunities to experience them.
Students may use career simulations, complete firsthand projects, create digital portfolios, solve real-world problems and work with technology that mirrors what they could encounter in a future career. The initiative will also complement opportunities such as internships, job shadows, career experiences, and other work-based learning.
“These opportunities help students see the connection between what they are learning in the classroom and the careers that are available to them,” said Krista Bjella, Executive Director of the Pride in the Tiger Foundation. “We are grateful to the Taco Bell Foundation for recognizing the importance of giving students access to current, industry-relevant resources and experiences as they explore their futures.”
Building Possibilities for the Future
Career exploration isn’t always about knowing exactly what you want to do after high school. Sometimes, it’s about discovering something you didn’t know existed.
Providing students with opportunities to explore different career pathways, develop technical and digital skills, and build confidence can help them make more informed decisions about their next steps, whether that means college, certification, an apprenticeship, military service or entering the workforce.
The 2026 grant is also a continuation of the Taco Bell Foundation’s support of Marshall students. In 2025, the Foundation awarded PITF a $25,000 grant that helped enhance Family and Consumer Science programming at Marshall High School with updated equipment, materials, and resources. That investment created additional direct learning opportunities and helped students develop practical skills in areas such as food preparation, budgeting, child development, and consumer decision-making.
“Pride in the Tiger Foundation was created to support worthwhile programs and initiatives in Marshall’s public and private schools,” Bjella said. “Supporting career-connected learning is an important part of that mission. We want every Marshall student to have the opportunity to discover their strengths, explore possibilities and graduate with the skills and confidence to take their next step.”
A Community Effort
The Taco Bell Foundation’s Community Grants are possible in part through Taco Bell’s Round Up program, which gives customers the opportunity to round up their order total to support programs that help young people.
So, when a customer chooses to Round Up at Taco Bell, those extra cents can become part of something much bigger, including opportunities for students right here in Marshall.
In 2025, customers contributed more than $51 million through Round Up, helping fuel the Taco Bell Foundation’s record investment in youth-serving organizations in 2026.
For PITF, that connection makes this grant especially meaningful. The support of Taco Bell customers, the local Taco Bell team and the Taco Bell Foundation is helping turn small contributions into real opportunities for Marshall students.
“We’re proud to be part of a community that believes in investing in its young people,” said Todd Versteeg, owner of Taco Bell in Marshall. “Through the Round Up program, our customers have an opportunity to make a difference by giving a few extra cents, and it’s exciting to see those contributions come back to our community in the form of opportunities for Marshall students. We are happy to support Pride in the Tiger Foundation and the work they are doing to help students explore careers and prepare for their futures.”
We are incredibly grateful to the Taco Bell Foundation, our local Taco Bell community and everyone who chooses to Round Up for investing in Marshall students and helping provide the tools and experiences that allow them to explore possibilities, discover their strengths and prepare for what comes next.
And being one of only twelve organizations selected in Minnesota makes this recognition even more special for our Marshall community.
