Funding Opportunities for Your Tech-Savvy Classroom

December 20, 2016

Technology can go a long way to encouraging student learning, creativity, and information retention. As such, education through technology has become a standard in the American education system, consequently accounting for a large portion of annual budgets. Grants and funding are available in all fifty states, but seeking out these opportunities can be time-consuming and stressful. As such, the education technology professionals at SchoolMart have compiled a collection of helpful websites where teachers can find information about and applications for funding.

There are innumerable options for receiving funds to help outfit classrooms with the latest educational technology. The education technology professionals at SchoolMart.com suggest ways to take advantage of these options and enhance your students’ classroom experience.

Federal Grants

Search through the largest database of U.S. federal grants by visiting grants.gov. Type in the keywords “educational technology” to narrow your search results. This database tracks federal grants across all industries.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html

Education-Only Grants

Sites like Grant Wrangler search through grants available to all U.S. K-12 schools. You can use the sidebar to search through technology grants specifically, or grants based on your educational field.

http://www.grantwrangler.com/technology_grants.html

Private Grants

There are several grant websites that match teachers with private donors. Donors may provide either funding, or specific items that teachers request. Create wish lists or classroom project posts to let donors know what you need. The websites of some of these grant programs can be found below:

Point-Based Funding

Funding Factory helps your school or classroom earn points that can be redeemed for cash or new technology. Empty ink cartridges, old cell phones and other old electronic devices are donated and subsequently recycled. Once they have been recycled, your school or classroom receives points. Find more information about how Funding Factory works on their website:

http://www.fundingfactory.com/

Fundraising Opportunities

There are many traditional fundraising routes for schools and classrooms. Every teacher has had their students peddle coupon books, chocolate bars, or cookie dough to raise money for projects. The following websites, however, offer non-traditional fundraising opportunities that may result in more funding for your technology goals.

Other Fund-Searching Websites

There are several websites that regularly update their databases to help educators find grants and funding in their area. As grants generally cycle annually, these sites are helpful for discovering new funding opportunities as well as rediscovering old ones.

Let SchoolMart Help Create Your Tech-Filled Classroom

When researching and applying for education technology funding, there are several important considerations to keep in mind. Many grants are time-sensitive and limited in availability, so it is best to apply for them as early in the school year as possible (or before it even starts). Grants also often have explicit instructions that they require respondents to follow. Even the smallest incongruence could mean the difference between your school and another school receiving funding.

Take advantage of the resources listed above, and remember that there are many other additional sites dedicated to providing information on educational grants. Be prompt and diligent, and you could be on your way to purchasing new and exciting technology for your classroom in no time.

For more information on how to incorporate technology into your classroom, contact the education technology specialists at SchoolMart today by clicking here: https://www.schoolmart.com/contact-us/