INNOVATIVE GRANTS

ELIGIBILITY:  
All Washington County Public Schools Educators

GUIDELINES:
Innovative Grant and Agricultural Innovative Grant Projects are innovative, creative, and unique, directly impact WCPS students, and be aligned with the school system’s goals, procedures, and curriculum.  

INNOVATIVE GRANT proposals reflect specific areas of need and should include one or more of the following: literacy, financial literacy, college & career readiness, encouragement of student participation in science/math (STEM), interdisciplinary instruction, at-risk students, support for the arts, multicultural education, digital learning, and agricultural.  Examples of proposals under the agricultural category include horticulture, crop & soil science, animal science, farming, bio-systems, entomology, dairy science, environmental science, fisheries and forestry.  Interdisciplinary and/or team teaching projects are encouraged.

Funding Amounts:
Grant Funding Amounts:

• Grants available up to $1,000

• Interdisciplinary Grants from $1,001-$2,500

CONSIDERATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:
-  A detailed itemized project budget is required.

-  Each Innovative Grant application must be approved by the applicant’s principal before submitting the grant application.  This is the responsibility of the applicant.

-  Any technology requested to meet the goals of your project must be supported, approved, and purchased through the WCPS Technology Department.  

-  Grant funds may not be used for salaries, childcare, snacks and/or refreshments, or county funded textbooks.

-  All materials and equipment purchased with grant funds become the property of the school, not the individual teacher or grade level.

-  Grant funds are awarded to the school for the identified project on behalf of the applicant.  If for any reason the project is not implemented by the September 30, 2026 school year, the grant funds must be returned to the Education Foundation of WCPS.

 
SCORING:
Each grant application received will be evaluated by the Education Foundation of WCPS Innovative Grant Committee on the basis of the project’s creativity, its benefit to students, the efficient use of funds, and the potential to be replicated in other schools. 

GRANT REPORT: 
Innovative Grant and Agricultural Innovative Grant recipients are required to submit an After Action Report of the funded project within 60 days of the completion of the project to the Education Foundation of WCPS for their use. Due no later than September 30. 2026.

The following should be emailed to execdirector@educationfoundationofwcps. Failure to submit a complete report will result in a request for return of all funds. 

​- Number of students involved and/or impacted by the project
- Names and positions of all WCPS personnel involved
- Budget reconciliation, including any other sources of funds used to support the project
- A three+ paragraph narrative of how the project impacted students and the outcomes achieved 
- A minimum of three (3) social media ready photographs

GRANT CYCLE PROCESS:
May 1, 2025 - Applications Open
October 13, 2025 - Applications Close
Recommendation of awards will be made by the Innovative Grant Committee and awards will be presented to applicant(s) in November of 2025.

QUESTIONS?
If you have a question that was not answered above, please contact Education Foundation of WCPS Executive Director, Sheila Evers, execdirector@educationfoundationofwcps.org/ 304-268-1029.