Is Education the Pandemic’s Latest Casualty? 25 Grants You Should Know About

As the school year approaches, how will the pandemic affect education? This is the question on the minds of many parents, teachers, and students. I am envisioning children returning to school in handcrafted face masks, sitting in their designated seats on the school bus – 1 child per row, and every other seat is marked with caution tape. Upon entering their respective schools, they wait to get their temperatures checked before filing into the school building. Plastic shields are installed on desks, COVID-19 safety posters cover the walls and each classroom is equipped with smartboards, computers, and 2,000 Mbps Cable and fiber-optic internet services. 

Last spring, students had to transition to online school and researchers found that after the shift online, student math progress declined by about half at schools in low-income zip codes, but not at all in schools in high-income areas. Some parents who are higher-earning professionals have been able to supervise their children’s online learning while working from home, However, many lower-paid service workers don’t have the option to work remotely. They may be faced with choosing between caring for their kids and getting a paycheck.

With many states announcing that schools would have to offer at least some form of in-person learning in the fall, the challenge has become how to finance the mix of distance learning and in-person learning, while minimizing socioeconomic inequities. To this end, we have compiled a list of grants for which teachers, students, and educational institutions should apply.

Educational and Literacy grants

Start you grant search by going to the education categories on GrantWatch.com. These include the following:

• Higher Education Grants
• Secondary Education Grants
• Special Education Grants
• Grants for Elementary Education

Studies show that it will cost nearly $1.8 million for the average school district to buy enough masks and cleaning supplies, and to hire the custodians, nurses, and additional staff to disinfect campuses and take temperatures daily. That may be doable for smaller school districts, but if you are in a school district where a high percentage of the students are eligible for free and reduced-price meals, then the issue becomes more complex.

 A recent survey of 474 school districts by the American Institutes for Research showed that high-poverty districts generally had lower expectations for how long students should be spending on schoolwork each day. Elementary schools were less likely to offer live classes taught by the student’s own teacher. And students in high-poverty schools were more likely to be reviewing material rather than learning something new.

It is evident that the upcoming school year or any post-COVID-19 school year is going to be challenging. And, regardless of your educational preference, one thing is apparent, you will need funding.

25 Back to school grants

1. Grants to Illinois community organizations, LEAs, tribes, and other entities for educational programs that improve student success.
2. Grants to Rhode Island nonprofit organizations and community-based organizations for programs that are responsive to the changing community needs of local residents.
3. Grants of up to $500 to Ohio public, private, charter, and parochial PreK-12 schools, and associations of home-schooled students for field trip-related expenses
4. Grants to Kansas nonprofits for health programs. Funding is intended for efforts to improve health and provide health access, health education, prevention, initiatives, and activities that promote healthy behaviors.
5. Grants of up to $50,000 for education, economic development, and neighborhood revitalization.
6. Grants to Kansas nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, churches, municipalities, and counties in eligible locations to enhance the local community.
7. Grants of up to $2,000 to Wisconsin nonprofit organizations, government agencies, Tribal governments, schools, and IHEs for projects focused on natural resources education and conservation.
8. Grants of up to $2,000 to Wisconsin nonprofit organizations, government agencies, Tribal governments, schools, and IHEs for projects focused on natural resources education and conservation.
9. Grants to Maine and Florida nonprofit organizations for programs that address the educational, medical, social, economic, and general welfare needs of local residents.
10. Grants of $500 to USA educators for classroom projects and lessons related to aviation. Eligible applicants are private, charter, and public school K-12 teachers, homeschooling cooperatives, and STEM coordinators. 
11. Grants to Washington, DC nonprofit organizations for programs that improve the lives of the local residents.
12. Grants to Minnesota nonprofit organizations for education-related programs and projects that improve the lives of low-income, underserved, and disadvantaged children and youth
13. Grants to Alaska nonprofit organizations, schools, colleges, cultural centers, museums, and tribal organizations for educational opportunities in eligible regions.
14. Grants to Western Indiana Nonprofits for Education, Health, Culture, Community, and Charitable Services
15. Grants of up to $5,000 to Wisconsin nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and schools in eligible regions for activities related to education and the arts. 
16. Donations to USA nonprofit organizations for programming support for arts, pre-K-12 education, and literacy programs across the country. 
17. Grants to USA nonprofits for activities that positively impact people around the world and their communities.
18. Grants ranging from $750 to $2,500 to Canada nonprofit organizations and individuals for programs that promote outdoor safety and encourage youth and outdoor leaders to avoid outdoor risks.
19. Grants to Wisconsin nonprofit organizations, units of government, faith-based organizations, and schools for educational initiatives that benefit communities in eligible regions
20. Grants to Michigan teachers, schools, community groups, student groups, and parent groups to enhance and promote the arts in eligible areas.
21. Grants to minority-serving institutes of higher education to address needs related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) health crisis.
22. Grants of up to $1,000 to South Dakota K-12 teachers to enhance art education.
23. In-kind grants to USA K-12 teachers and administrators working in New England schools to increase access to a local aquarium.
24. Grants to historically Black institutions of higher education to ensure the continuation of learning during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
25. Grants to Oklahoma educational institutions in eligible counties for projects that improve learning for students.

The application deadlines for many of these grants are approaching fast, so apply today!