Back to School Grants

 

Important Dates: 

  • Applications Open: April 15, 2024
  • Application Deadline: Wednesday, June 21, 2024
  • Award Date: September 13, 2024

 

If your school is interested in having a grant-writing workshop please contact the Foundation office at 417-523-0144.

Questions about your application? Please contact Program Director, Lori Finke, at lfinke@spsmail.org

 

Grant Guidelines: 

Before applying for funding, please read these guidelines.

    • Applications are completed online (limited to the format and space provided).
    • Only certified district employees may submit applications.
    • All questions must be answered with a complete budget.
    • District purchasing guidelines must be followed. No exceptions.
    • Applications WILL NOT be accepted for food items, stipends, salaries, cost of substitute teachers or capital improvements.
    • Once your application is complete, print a copy for your records and submit it. (It is a good idea to save your application in a word document as well).  A confirmation message will display once it has been successfully submitted.
    • There is no dollar limitation on Back to School grant requests. We will accept and review requests for any amount.
    • If this grant is for an outdoor classroom or garden project please make sure your project is approved by the SPS Grounds Management Department.
    • If your grant is for technology it must be approved by District IT and District Administration. Technology grants without IT approval will not be accepted. Please complete the IT Technology Request Form for Additional Devices and email it to Bruce Douglas at bdouglas@spsmail.org
    • If you have any issues with submitting the IT Technology Request Form from your SPS account, please contact the SPS IT Help Desk by phone at: 417-523-HELP or phone extension: 33333
    • We consider the classroom to be anywhere learning occurs, whether that be on a field trip, in the classroom, on the ball field, in the counseling center, library or nurses office.

 

Grant Categories: 

Applications can be submitted for projects in any of the following categories.

    • Classroom Projects:  Any project that supports needs in a classroom or school setting. This can also include support for athletic needs, extra-curricular needs and support for other student activities.
    • Literacy: Any project that supports literacy needs.
    • STEAM: Any project that supports science, engineering, technology, arts and math needs.
    • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Any project that promotes and supports equity, diversity and inclusion.
    • Mental Health: Any project aimed at providing support to students for mental health education, programing and awareness.
    • Community & Family Engagement: Any project that promotes and supports family and/or community outreach to enhance the success of students
    • Student Experience: Any project that includes field trip experiences aimed at increasing academic success of students.

 

Grant Criteria:

Grants to be awarded are selected based on how well the applicant addresses the following criteria in their application.

    • Need: How well does this grant meet the academic and/or social emotional needs (for mental health category) of students and/or schools?  How does this project help eliminate barriers to student success?
    • Impact: Will it have a great impact on the students being served and how many students will it serve (take into consideration the longevity of use, potential for more years)?
    • District Goals: How well does this grant align with the SPS mission and the district strategic plan.
    • Well-written: Was this grant well-written, creative and well thought-out?
    • Sustainability: How sustainable is this project and what, if any, future plans for funding does the grant writer have.

 

 

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