Bringing technology into the learning process has a variety of benefits for both students and teachers. Digital classrooms can accommodate multiple learning styles, encourage collaboration, and make students more engaged. They also provide instant feedback for teachers and can automate some productivity functions in the teaching process for teachers.
But schools and their districts continue to face budget constraints and even shortfalls in some areas, making new hardware and software for classrooms a tough sell. As traditional sources of funding become scarce, securing grants to support digital learning is one way to get the funding you need.
Fortunately, there are grant monies available for education, some that may even go unclaimed. Offered below is a list of grant programs that support technology in the classroom so that your students and teachers can start enjoying some of the benefits of digital learning solutions.
CARES Act Funding to Support Remote Learning
The U.S. Department of Education received $30.87 billion in funding as part of the Coronavirus, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These grant programs were established in 2020 to help promote and support technology in the classroom, which includes funding for hardware, software, and instructional expenses.
Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST)
Sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), ITEST is an applied research and development (R&D) program that provides direct student learning opportunities to PreK-12 institutions. Up to $30 million is available annually through multiple awards, some that support education technology. Application deadlines are in mid-August each year.
Lemelson-MIT Program InvenTeam Grants
There are a number of grants available from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for educators who bring STEM learning projects into the classroom. And many of those involve digital solutions. The InvenTeam grant awards 15 teams up to $10,000 each for technological solutions to real-world problems. The review process takes place annually in the spring.
Academic Enrichment Grants
Academic Enrichment Grants are sponsored by the McCarthy Dressman Education Foundation. They are awarded to teachers who present plans to improve the student experience for children in low-income areas through in-class and extracurricular activities. Digital classroom requests are considered as part of this program.
ASM Materials Education Foundation Awards
The ASM International grant provides $500 to teachers who want to use technology to bring materials science into their K-12 classroom. The grant is intended to help teachers expose students to things like ceramics, metals, glasses, polymers, and semiconductors so that they can consider careers in materials sciences.
AIAA Foundation Classroom Grant Program
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) awards grants to educators who wish to use STEM to further aerospace education. These $250 grants are awarded to current AIAA members.
Turning Technologies’ Classroom Improvement Technology Grant
Interactive technology in education is one of the priorities of Turning Technologies. The company offers K-12 teachers various grant packages that can include items like presentation clickers, web-enabled testing tools, polling software, and more. Eligible classrooms can apply to get any of the grant packages awarded across the country each year.
Corning Incorporated Foundation Grants
If your school is located in a community where the Corning Corporation has a presence, such as Winston-Salem, NC or Palo Alto, CA, the company’s Foundation offers a variety of grants for technology education. Funding is provided for collaborative and innovative projects that enhance the teaching and learning for math and science curricula “with the goal of improving student outcomes.”
Mazda Foundation
The Mazda Foundation (USA), Inc. offers various grants each year to organizations in the markets where the company has offices (Jacksonville, FL, Irvine, CA, Huntsville, AL, Chicago, IL, Sugarland, TX, and Bridgewater, NJ). Grants are available to programs promoting literacy and education, scientific research, and social welfare. Applications are accepted from May 1 thoroughly July 1 annually.
EdTechTeam’s Student Device Grant Program
EdTechTeam is a California-based organization that offers grants to teachers worldwide. These are student device grans that specifically help teachers get a full set of Google Chromebooks for their classroom. Teachers will need to present an innovative lesson plan that demonstrates how the learning experience would be greatly enhanced through the use of Chromebooks.
Association of American Educators Foundation Classroom Grant
The AAE grant is a general classroom grant that educators can use to fund technology advancements in the classroom. This $500 grant is awarded to multiple teachers annually and can be used for software and equipment. Application deadlines are in the spring and fall each year.
Toshiba America Foundation Grants
Toshiba Innovation awards a number of grants to K-12 teachers each year to assist with various classroom projects. Teachers in K-5 classrooms can receive up to $1,000 each for materials that apply to teaching science and math. Middle and high school teachers can apply for grants that support various aspects of education that include a science or math element.
FirstEnergy STEM Classroom Grants
If your school lies in one of FirstEnergy’s service areas in the Mid-Atlantic or Midwest, it can apply to one of the many $1,000 classroom grants awarded each year. These grants can be used for projects that advance, improve, and enrich student learning.
FCC E-Rate Program
The Universal Service Administrative Co. offers an e-rate program to ensure that schools and libraries across the country have access to resources online. It provides funding to public and private (K-12) schools, libraries, and groups of schools for eligible services, such as cabling, routers, switches, racks, access points, wireless controller systems, and software. The application filing window closes in March.
Discretionary Grant Funding Opportunities
The U.S. Department of Education has a list of Discretionary Grant Programs that is an estimate only and subject to change. The benefit of monitoring this list is that you can find opportunities for funding that others may not have on their radar. The list will give various requirements and deadlines for filing.
Now that you have this useful list of grant programs that support digital classrooms, refer to this grant writing guide to help you write customized proposals that will get the best results.