GRANT APPLICATIONS

Grant Application Forms

The window to SUBMIT APPLICATIONS for the Innovative Teacher and School Resource 2023-2024 grant cycle is now CLOSED.

If you have any questions about a future application, please contact the Grants Committee Chair:

Michel Claudio, fexgrants@gmail.com or (843) 476-9646.

Descriptions and Information About the 2023-2024 Grant Applications:

$750 / $1500 Innovative Teacher Grants

The Foundation for Educational Excellence will accept grant requests up to $750 (single) or $1,500 (group) for Innovative Teacher Grants.

Innovative Grant

An “Innovative Teacher Grant” will fund a new and innovative project that goes beyond the regular instructional materials or activities currently funded by the school or district. Innovative projects are limited only by your imagination, and can include anything from science to art, PE to languages. They can supplement your current curriculum or be used to enhance student learning in an innovative way

Eligible Grant Applicants

Any Beaufort County School District employee who is presently working in a position with regular supervision of students is eligible to apply. This includes classroom teachers, media specialists, instructional coaches, related arts, elective class teachers, and sponsors of student clubs or organizations that are sanctioned by the school or district. Athletic programs are ineligible for funding. Administrators are not eligible to apply for an Innovative Teacher Grant.

Consecutive Grant Requests

An eligible applicant may apply for an Innovative Teacher Grant as often as she or he chooses. The proposed project should not be a continuation or expansion of a current or previous project.

Grant Amount Requested

A single applicant may request a grant up to $750. Two or more applicants can combine to request up to $1,500, The applicant should explain how any additional funds will be covered if not funded by the Foundation, such as any other grants that have been applied for this same project.

Ineligible items

Innovative Teacher Grant requests will not be approved to cover the costs associated with field trips, t-shirts, or furniture.

Grant Rating

Each grant will be rated in the following areas – Description of an Innovative Project, enhancement of student learning, project assessment and budget summary.

Project Success: Specific methods to measure the success of the project must be part of the application. Clear goals, benefits and outcomes should be included.

Budget Summary

The Budget summary must include specific information on what will be purchased, itemized cost of items, including tax and shipping (if any), and any labor that may be required. The application must also include what percent of the project will be reusable in future years.

$4,000 Innovative School Resource Grants

The Foundation for Educational Excellence will accept grant requests up to $4,000

for Innovative School Resource projects.

School Resource Grant

An “Innovative School Resource Grant” will fund a larger scale, new and innovative project (e.g. equipment, technology, performances, or school enhancement) that provides inspiration and benefits to students beyond the regularly budgeted instructional materials or activities currently funded by the school district or school. Schools will have the entire school year to implement the project.

Grant Amount

Funding may be requested up to $4,000. Include sources for any additional funds not covered by the Foundation, such as information on any other grants that have been applied to for this same project.

Eligible Grant Applicants

Any Beaufort County School District employee and/or group of employees are eligible to apply. This includes principals, administration, classroom teachers, media specialists, instructional coaches, related arts, elective class teachers, and sponsors of student clubs or organizations that are sanctioned by the school or district.

Consecutive Grant Requests

An eligible applicant may apply for an Innovative School Resource Grant as often as she or he chooses.

Ineligible items

Innovative School Resource Grant requests will not be approved to cover the costs associated with field trips, t-shirts, or furniture.

Grant Rating

Each grant will be rated in the following areas – Description of an Innovative Project, enhancement of student learning, project assessment and budget summary.

Project Success

Specific methods to measure the success of the project must be part of the application. Clear goals, benefits and outcomes should be included.

Budget Summary

Grant Writing Suggestions

An innovative idea can be a new way of looking at something you already do OR an idea you’ve always wanted to try but you just don’t have it in your regular classroom budget.

Read the grant information carefully. We do not fund furniture including alternative seating. We do not fund incentive awards/rewards such as stickers, t-shirts, food etc. We do not fund items that should be provided by the school district (such as iPads or computers)

Well written grants are usually scored higher. DO NOT copy and paste information from a website. Grammar and spelling do count.

Assessments should be measurable and specific. This does not necessarily mean a test. If you are going to use a checklist or some other teacher-made assessment include a copy. Student testaments, written logs, journals and other student produced evidence of what was learned are valid but need to be described in detail.

Make your budget specific. If ordering supplies, you must document each item in your budget. Make sure your budget matches the amount of money you request.

Make sure that the items included in your grant are tied to an innovative idea. For example, a set of books alone will most likely not be funded. A set of books that is tied to an additional learning activity (cross-curricular, multi-age, student products developed using what they have read etc.) has a better chance of funding.

Student cost ratio is important. A high cost per student may receive a lower score. The more students affected the better the chance of funding (materials that are reusable and will impact future students are viewed positively).

School Resource Grants should involve a significant portion of the student population. The grant can involve the entire school population, multiple grade levels or a single grade level.

School Resource grants must also be tied to innovative learning opportunities.

We do not fund school maintenance, physical improvement of school facilities or storage, as we feel these are the responsibility of the Beaufort County School District.

All grants should include some manner of project oversight.

If your project involves technological, electrical or other BCSD district central office requirements you must first check with the district that all aspects of your grant follow BCSD protocols before submitting your grant.

All South Carolina fire standards must also be followed.

The window to apply for "Helping Build a Teacher's Toolkit" grants for first and second year teachers in the Beaufort County Public School District is now closed.

Description and Information About the 2024 "Helping Build a Teacher's Toolkit" Grant Applications:

The Foundation for Educational Excellence is thrilled to again offer the "Helping Build A Teacher's Toolkit" grant opportunity to first and second year teachers across the Beaufort County School District. These funds are intended to help ease needs (beyond regular school supplies) in the classroom for new teachers. The initiative was first launched in late 2021, it was spurred by interest and discussions with Foundation board members, many who are retired educators, that are aware of the struggles new teachers often experience in the classroom.

In 2023, the Foundation awarded 10 "Helping Build A Teacher's Toolkit" grants for $500 each for valuable teaching tools in the classroom including everything from STEAM based materials to white boards and puzzles to flashcards and even flexible seating options to musical instruments.

For more information read our blog by clicking HERE.