High School social workers, counselors or teachers can apply for a $500 grant from the National Society of High School Scholars to defray the costs of attending an educational conference in 2026. Funds can be used toward registration fees, travel or accommodations. Applications must include a personal statement, resume, color headshot and a principal/administrator’s recommendation. Applicants must register as educators with the National Society of High School Scholars (at no cost) prior to applying. 

DEADLINE: March 18.
DETAILS: https://www.nshss.org/educators/grants/grant-items/nshss-conference-grants

The National Endowment for the Humanities will host professional development programs for K–12 educators across the country and virtually this summer to deepen understanding of humanities topics. Dates vary between one to four weeks. Stipend amounts, travel costs and reimbursements are available; amounts are dependent on program duration and location. Highlights include studying “Romeo and Juliet” at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., learning about the founding fathers in Philadelphia at the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations, or visiting the Space Coast in Cape Canaveral, FL. Educators may attend only one National Endowment for the Humanities program each year. 

DEADLINE: April 17.
DETAILS: https://www.neh.gov/divisions/education/summer-programs

Math for America’s Master Teacher Fellowships of up to $60,000 over four years are available for New York City public school teachers in grades K–12 who have been teaching full time for at least two years as a math, science or computer science teacher. A Praxis content knowledge exam must be successfully completed by March 28 prior to submitting an application. Submissions must also include written responses, observation reports, academic transcripts and professional recommendations. Along with stipends, selected fellows will receive professional development opportunities, funding for conferences, travel, and classroom materials and access to a professional network of fellow STEM teachers.

DEADLINE: April 1.
DETAILS: https://www.mathforamerica.org/about-fellowships/mfa-master-teacher-fellowship 

The McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation awards Teacher Development Grants to support small teams of teachers to create and implement innovative K–12 classroom instruction. Successful applicants are encouraged to integrate fresh strategies that encourage critical inquiry and must document their success with these new approaches. Teachers reflect and write about their projects to share results with other educators. Grants are awarded in amounts up to $10,000 per year for a maximum of $20,000 over two years, provided eligibility requirements continue to be met. Applications close once 200 submissions have been received. 

DEADLINE: April 15 (or sooner).
DETAILS: https://mccartheydressman.org/teacher-development-grants

High school teachers are eligible for the Claes Nobel Educator of the Year Award presented annually by the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). The award recognizes exemplary educators who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to preparing students for success in college and in life. One educator will receive the top award of $5,000, with nine other finalists being awarded $1,000 each. Applications must include a written response, media showing your leadership in action, a professional recommendation, résumé and head shot. Applicants must register with the NSHSS (at no cost) prior to applying. 

DEADLINE: March 18.
DETAILS: https://www.nshss.org/educators/grants/grant-items/nshss-educator-of-the-year-award-2026

The Association of American Educators awards classroom grants of $500 biannually to full-time educators who work directly with students. Funding may be used for a variety of projects and materials, including books, software, manipulatives, art supplies, audio-visual gear and lab equipment. Funds must be used within one year of the application deadline. 

DEADLINE: March 1 and Oct. 1.
DETAILS: https://form.jotform.com/242057235278155

Gravely & Paige Grants of up to $2,000 are awarded to middle school teachers to be used toward materials and resources to support STEM programs and activities. Schools with high economic need will be given priority consideration to support digital equity. Innovative distance and virtual learning projects and programs will be considered. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and a letter of recommendation from an applicant’s school principal is required.

DEADLINE: Ongoing.
DETAILS: https://www.afcea.org/gravely-and-paige-grants

The Pets in the Classroom Grants Program issues grants to teachers and supporting school staff in grades Pre-K to 12 to teach about responsible pet care while allowing students to bond with animals. Funding is intended to be used to offset costs of pet maintenance or to purchase new pets for the classroom and are not intended to cover costs over the lifetime of the pet. Eligible pets include small mammals, amphibians, birds, fish, reptiles and arachnids. Recipients may choose either a store coupon for up to 50% off or a rebate check up to $125. Applicants are notified of their approval/declination via email two to three weeks after submission.

DEADLINE: Ongoing through May 1, 2026
DETAILS: https://www.petsintheclassroom.org/choose-a-grant
 

The annual Sloan Public Service Awards honor six New York City civil servants who exhibit an extraordinary level of commitment to the public. They routinely step beyond the bounds of their job responsibilities to ensure New Yorkers’ needs are met. Members who are DOE employees are eligible. Award winners are thanked for their exemplary work through an official ceremony, a $10,000 prize and a commemorative video, portrait and brochure. You must be nominated to be considered. Nominations must include a description of the candidate, including significant career information, their particular achievements and the qualities the nominee embodies. If a nominee is not chosen in a particular year, names go into a reserve pool for future consideration.

DEADLINE: Ongoing.
DETAILS: https://www.fcny.org/sloan-public-service-awards

The Jan Stauber–Sherlock Holmes Literacy Grant provides grants of up to $1,000 for K–12 teachers and school librarians to encourage young people to read and to introduce them to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. Funding is given to design educational experiences and curricular materials related to Sherlock Holmes literature. While applications may be submitted at any time, once funds have been depleted for a particular school year, no additional grants will be considered until the following year.

DEADLINE: ongoing while funds are available.
DETAILS: https://www.beaconsociety.com/apply-for-a-grant.html

The Ascanius Grant for Professional Development is awarded to teachers of elementary and middle school students to support continuing education for teachers. Applicants must be teachers who primarily teach the ancient Greco-Roman world, Latin or classics, or who are seeking to increase their knowledge of these areas to integrate it into their students’ instruction. Grants of up to $1,000 are available to assist teachers with course registration, travel, books, and room and board for programs, conferences or courses. Funding may not be used directly toward tuition costs for credit-bearing courses. 

DEADLINE: March 30.
DETAILS: http://www.ascaniusyci.org/grants/pd.htm

Materials for the Arts (MFTA) is a city-operated creative reuse center supporting the arts and sustainability and is open to Department of Education employees. Staff members at city schools may make an appointment to visit MFTA’s warehouse in Long Island City to choose from a wide array of free, donated materials such as paper, office supplies, craft items, beads, fabric and movie props to bring back to their schools or classrooms. Currently, 93% of DOE schools have MFTA accounts — you can check its website to see if your school has one. To make an appointment to “shop” at MFTA, ask your administrator to add you to your school’s authorized contact list and then access the MFTA portal using your DOE email and password. 

DEADLINE: Ongoing
DETAILS: https://www.nyc.gov/content/mfta/pages/receive-receiving-materials

The Awesome Foundation is a global community awarding $1,000 micro grants to people and groups working on awesome projects. These grants are not exclusively for teachers, but they may apply. The application deadline is the last day of each month. Tips for submissions are to be brief, unique and specific about how you would use the grant funds. If your project is not selected in a given month, you are free to reapply.

DEADLINE: ongoing, on a monthly basis
DETAILS: https://www.awesomefoundation.org/en/chapters/nyc