Student Clubs & Activities Grant

A competitive grant supporting school-sponsored clubs, student organizations, and activities throughout the district. Focused on out-of-school time (OST) programs. Designed to supplement curriculum and promote engagement, character, participation, and leadership.

About the Award

Award Amount is between $500 and $10,000.

Student Clubs & Activities grants are designed to support school-based programs and student activities that engage students beyond the regular school day. Projects funded under this grant include before- and after-school clubs, student organizations/groups, and extracurricular/co-curricular activities.

From Grantees

Grantees Lena Fahrenkrog and Chaushie Garfield wrote, "Garfield STEM Magnet Middle School partnered with Cottonwood Gulch to take students on a three-day camping trip in Western New Mexico. During this trip, students visited three distinct biomes, got hands-on experience and opportunities, connected with the outdoors and each other. In the backdrop of New Mexico’s natural beauty, this trip inspired interest in current issues and lifelong civic engagement."

In the spring of 2022 Tanya Critchfield wrote in her grant proposal, "My club is committed to community service and making positive change through our own physical efforts rather than monetary ones. We are applying to you today to help us move up to the next level of our capabilities: having our own equipment to match that provided from our community partners as well as the equipment that teachers provide from their home tools; and to ask for help with our first school wide partnership with the City of Albuquerque Open Space Division: Take Back the Bosque Day."

Ms. Critchfield, her community partners and her students completed their service project and are planning their next! In the meantime, the students built a shed! She reports that they had never used power tools before, they had never had to follow instructions for building something from a kit before this project and they faced high winds that had them chasing instructions and boxes!

Year in Review

Funding data for 2023-2024

Awarded: $124,947.00
Requested: $213,960.14
Funded: 21 out of 31 applications
Students Impacted: 2,510

Information for APS Employees

Eligible Applicants

APS K-12 schools and APS departments are eligible to apply, which includes directors, administrators, teachers, educational assistants, librarians, counselors, social workers, coaches and other school personnel.

All applicants must certify that the principal or immediate supervisor is aware of the proposal and supports the application. Grants will not be funded without the support of school or district department administration.

Eligible Proposals

Proposals must meet the following criteria:

Must be innovative and aligned with the mission of the APS Education Foundation and can be modeled for future programs and learning.
Be clearly aligned with the award's focus as well as the school and district's priorities.
Build on student engagement, academic experiences, and positive student outcomes.
Have clearly defined goals and measurable outcomes to determine the success of the project.
Must have a program lead (applicant) as well as a team of staff and/or volunteers that can support the implementation of the grant.
Have a realistic budget and use the award to cover stipends, purchased services and/or supplies and materials within the proposed activity.
Does not include requests for facilities needs within budget.
Demonstrate an effort to raise funds through other sources in an effort to sustain the proposed program after the funding has been spent.

If funded, schools/departments must be prepared to implement the project (staff availability, activities in place) upon receiving an award.

All grants are for one school year and do not imply a commitment to additional funding. Additional funders and collaborators are highly recommended to show fiscal sustainability but to also showcase the sharing of knowledge, human capital and other resources.

Reporting Requirements

Grant winners are required to report on project outcomes at the end of the grant period. Evaluations must be submitted online to the APS Education Foundation. Grant winners may be ineligible for future funding if this report is not received.

Grant winners should also be willing to host site visits, provide success stories, and assist the Foundation with promotional activities.

Other Considerations

Agreements or partnerships with outside agencies/nonprofit groups should have the approval of APS administration prior to submitting an application. Funding will go to the school, and not directly to an external partner.

Funding provided by the APS Education Foundation are school or department specific. If a program lead leaves their location and is not able to implement the program, all funds must be returned to the APS Education Foundation. Therefore, it is highly recommended that all grant applications have a team approach so that another staff member can take over as a program lead.

How To Apply

Find application information on the Grant Portal for APS Employees (Google Site).

This page was last updated on: February 27, 2023.