2026 Inspired Teacher Grant Program

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Instructions

The 2026-27 Inspired Teacher Grant Program presents an opportunity for Orange County public school teachers to seek funding for projects, field trips, tools, materials or ideas that will present an enrichment opportunity for their students & enhance the educational experience of their classroom, department, or school.

Application Timeframe:

Applications Open: September 28, 2026
Applications Due: October 30, 2026
Grant Decisions Announced: December 2026
Grant Funding Period: January 1, 2027 - June 30, 2027

Funding Requirements:

Grant checks must be picked up in person. In order to receive check, the provided grant agreement must be signed by the school's principal.
March 3, 2027: Deadline to pick up grant checks
March 31, 2027: Deadline to cash grant checks
June 30, 2027: Deadline to complete funded program
June 30, 2027: Deadline to complete required grant report

Inspired Teacher Grants may fund:

Materials, supplies and/or curricula directly related to the project
Assemblies, speakers and curriculum-related student field trips
New or expanded projects that create memorable learning experiences
Creative cross-curricular projects that excite students and teachers
Programs in any subject area that directly support student learning objectives
Projects may serve a classroom, department, school

Preference is given to:

Classroom projects
Field trips with ongoing, in classroom connections

High School STEM Requests

This year, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation is partnering with the Inspired Teacher Grant program to also provide additional funding for High School STEM requests.

High School STEM grants may be used to:

Purchase and implement new STEM curriculum materials and supplies for project-based learning activities
Purchase scientific equipment that supports capacity building or facilitates program sustainability
Arrange for students to visit a local science-focused presentation, workshop, exhibit, or field site to deepen students' understanding of STEM concepts and interact with experts (includes providing for substitute teacher(s), buses, lunches, admission fees)
Develop and implement a project that supports collaborative and experiential learning leading to mastery of essential academic STEM content
Bring in a STEM expert from local industry, college/university academia, medicine, or government to build students' awareness of science careers and opportunities
Enable students to engage in a STEM learning experience connected to a real-world issue/challenge that enhances students' critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and communication and collaboration skills
Grant funds can be used for resource materials, supplies, equipment for a science lab, or transportation. (For materials, applications must indicate how the materials play a central role in deepening high school students' STEM knowledge)
At this time, STEM proposals focused solely on funding requests for electronics such as laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, or other devices are not accepted

Inspired Teacher Grants may not fund:

Non-academic costs, such as indirect costs, grant administration feeds, salaries, facility improvements, and/or maintenance expenses.
Prizes and/or incentives
Reimbursements for purchases made prior to the grant award
Post-high school programs

Who can apply:

All credentialed Pre-K/TK - 12 public school teachers currently teaching in a school in Orange County
All subject areas are welcome to apply

Logistics:

Awards will be provided:

Up to $1,000 per class project
Up to $5,000 per grade level or dept project
Up to $10,000 per school project

Grant must be utilized by the end of the 2026-27 school year
Limit of one grant request per teacher
Consideration given to:

Number of students impacted by grant request
Socio-economic status of school and students

Grant Application

Teacher Information

Inspired Teacher Grant Project Name

How did you hear about the Inspired Teacher Grants opportunity?

Teacher First & Last Name

Teacher Email

Teacher Phone Number

Principal Information

Principal First & Last Name

Principal Email

To facilitate the grant if your application is selected for funding, please provide the correct payee name and mailing address for the grant check (e.g. California High School, 123 California St., Orange, CA 90210).

Be sure to confirm this information with your school administrator before submitting your application, as it must be accurate and final at the time of submission.

Please note: Check cannot be made out to individuals.

Name, Phone, and Email for Administrator Responsible for Accepting Grant Checks, Depositing Grant Checks and Reimbursing Teachers. Please note, if awarded, grant checks must be deposited by March 31st 2027.

School Information

School Name (If awarded, the check will be made out to the school)

School Address

School State

School City

School ZIP

District Name

Number of Students at your School

Describe your school’s socioeconomic status, (e.g. percentage of students who receive Free and Reduced Price Meals) (500 characters max).

Describe student achievement at your school (i.e., academic performance, graduation rates, retention rates)(500 characters max).

Describe if your school has faced any significant financial challenges, in excess of general budget cuts (500 characters max.

Grant Request Information

Amount requested. Awards will be provided: up to $1,000 per class project, up to $5,000 per grade level or dept. project, up to $10,000 per school project

Brief summary of your grant request

Program Category

Subject Area

Number of students who will benefit from this grant request

School level(s) that will benefit from this grant request (only Pre-K/TK - 12 classes are eligible)

Please specify what grade(s) will be served by the grant request. (e.g. 3rd grade)

Proposed timeline for implementation of your grant request. The grant period begins after January 1st and funds must be utilized by June 30th 2027. Please indicate when you will start and complete this project?

Page 3

Details

Please explain how this grant request will specifically connect to, or support, the above mentioned objectives and improve the education of your students(500 characters max).

How will you assess the impact of the grant request related to your teaching and/or learning objectives? How will you conduct pre and post assessments?

(500 characters max).

Include any additional information that pertains to your grant request that was not addressed in application questions. (500 characters max).

Budget

What materials will the grant request cover and at what cost? Be sure to itemize exactly how the requested funds will be spent. If the project cost exceeds the amount requested, specifically show how you will fund the remaining portion of the project. (500 characters max).

Funding Request Status (submit)

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