APS Education Foundation Grant Cycle Opens Tuesday

There will only be one grant cycle this year.

The APS Education Foundation's grant cycle for this school year opens on Sept. 3, providing educators with an opportunity to bring their innovative ideas to life.

But there’s a big change that anyone considering applying should know. There will only be one grant cycle this year.

“This year’s grant cycle is designed to allow for the implementation of grant projects during the Spring 2025 and Fall 2025 semesters,” said Grants Manager Sonja Martens.  “We hope this will allow more time for planning and implementation of awarded projects.”

The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on Oct. 25.

“Please submit your applications, and encourage your staff and faculty to apply,” said Shannon Barnhill, executive director of the foundation.

Grants are available to all APS employees in several focus areas to support programming. The foundation hands out more than $500,000 each year to programs and projects developed by APS educators.

The foundation funds innovative ideas in the following categories:

• Classroom & Grade-Level Learning Awards for STEM, Fine Arts and Literacy ($1,500 - $5,000)
• Guhl Early Literacy for expanding elementary (PreK-5) literacy programs ($15,000 - $35,000)
• Schoolwide Impact Awards for projects impacting student learning and engagement across the entire school and/or grade levels ($10,000 - $25,000)
• Southwest Capital Bank Financial Literacy Awards provide financial support and volunteer resources dedicated to traditional Title 1 middle and high school programs to increase student engagement in personal financial literacy. (Up to $5,000)
• Student Clubs & Activities Awards support school-sponsored clubs, student organizations, and activities throughout the district. ($500 - $10,000)
• Transformative Idea Grant (TIG) this grant is dedicated to programs that enhance school climate, increase student, staff, and family engagement, and promote social-emotional learning. (Up to $5,000)

Information on each of the grants is available on the foundation website.

The Grant Portal provides step-by-step instructions to prepare for an application. If you or any of your applicants need additional help, contact Martens at apsgrantwriter@aps.edu.

“Please remember that all applicants must remove their school names from their applications when applying for the Classroom & Grade Level Learning Awards, the Student Clubs & Activities Award, and the Transformative Idea Grant (TIG),” the foundation stressed. “This allows reviewers to remove bias during the review process. All applications containing school names or other identifying language (mascot, acronyms, etc.) will not be considered.”