Kids In Need Teacher Grants Help Teachers Realize Their Dreams
Kids In Need Teacher Grants provide K-12 educators with funding to provide innovative learning opportunities for their students. The Kids In Need Foundation helps to engage students in the learning process by supporting our most creative and important educational resource — our nation's teachers.
The lists of 2011 Teacher Grant recipients are now available! Check out the winners of the LOFT Best In Class grants.
See the winners of grants sponsored by Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, Fred Meyer, and Via Credit Union, as well as the winners of Ready, Steady, GO! grants sponsored by Office Depot Foundation and the Office Depot Star Teacher Program.
Thank you for applying for a 2012 Elmer's Teacher Tool Kit Grant! Recipients will be notified by June 17, 2012.
How are the Teacher Grants funded?
The Teacher Grants are funded by retail
and education credit union sponsors.
How do teachers get an application?
Retail sponsors and designated education credit unions make the grant applications available at their outlets during the back-to-school season. Applications from the sponsors are also available on this website. This year all teachers that apply will receive a special gift of poster making and bulletin board supplies from our fantastic partner ArtSkills!
How many Teacher Grants are awarded?
Teacher Grant awards range from $100 to $500 each and are used to finance creative classroom projects. The number of grants awarded varies from year to year, depending on the amount of the funds being requested. Typically, 300-600 grants are awarded each year.
What is the selection criteria?
The applications are judged according to a rubric which emphasizes innovativeness and merit, clarity of objectives, replication feasibility, suitability of evaluation methods, and cost effectiveness. See guidelines and suggestions here.
Who is eligible?
All certified K-12 teachers in the U.S. are eligible.
What type of projects are funded?
At the end of the academic year, teachers report on the outcome of the funded projects. Some examples of winning projects include:
- Twilight Zone "Eye of the Beholder" - This project consisted of remaking a Twilight Zone episode in its entirety from the original script. Students cast the drama, built the sets, designed and rigged the lighting and sound, applied the make-up, ran the cameras, edited the video tape, designed the titles and credits, and put on an event for the premiere showing of the completed video.
- Charged Cars - Math in Motion - Students designed and built a battery-operated vehicle with a wheelbase of 40 cm designed to be mathematically accurate to travel and stop at any designated point between 1 and 10 meters.
Winning projects are put in the form of project ideas and are published as The Guide to Award Winning Projects.
