Classroom Grants

Reminder: The last day for educators to submit grant applications for consideration by Champions For Learning’s Selection Committee is September 11th.

Champions For Learning’s Classroom Grants Program is a competitive grant process that provides an opportunity for teachers in Collier County to apply for and receive funding for their classroom or school projects that fall outside of the regular school budget.

Any teacher who serves in a Florida Department of Education recognized K-12 school in Collier County is eligible to participate, including traditional public schools, charter schools, and private/independent schools. Applicants can be classroom teachers, Related Arts teachers, school counselors, academic coaches, teachers on special assignments, or Curriculum Coordinators.

Teachers may submit up to four grant requests for funding consideration by Champions For Learning’s volunteer Selection Committee, for a total award amount of no more than $2,000 per teacher annually.  Additional submissions beyond four applications or a total award amount of $2,000 will be posted on the Find It Fund It portal for community-based funding consideration. Individual grant requests may not exceed $2,000. Types of projects NOT typically covered include professional conference costs, out of county field trips, items considered to be “capital” costs (i.e., furniture and technology), food items, and gift cards. Grants with these items may be approved and shared for public funding.

Eligible projects can include classroom supplies or equipment that is not covered under the school budget, local field trip costs, enrichment activities, school-wide projects, and other innovative classroom projects that go beyond typical school budgets, sparking excitement and engagement. All grant requests must be approved by the teacher’s principal. Applicants are encouraged to talk with their principal prior to submitting a request to ensure it meets the goals and priorities of the school and that funding is not otherwise available.

The Classroom Grants Program is a competitive process, with the number of requests exceeding the amount of funding available for the Selection Committee to award. The Selection Committee utilizes a rubric scoring system to determine which grants demonstrate the most impact on student learning. We encourage educators to take advantage of all the resources provided by Champions For Learning to better understand our grant application and scoring process.

To apply for a Classroom Grant, educators must create a new profile, or update an existing one in the Find It/Fund It portal using their school email address. Once submitted, the request needs to be approved by the school principal, then by Champions For Learning for posting to the website.