Dr. Don Gemeinhardt joined the Boxlight family late last year as Director of Strategic Funding. He is a grant and proposal subject matter expert who has worked with various companies involved with education, compliance training, and student, faculty, and police officer development. His role at Boxlight is focused on helping schools and districts identify funding opportunities for education technology, STEM solutions, and professional development.

In late December of last year, Congress approved the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 in response to the challenges the Covid-19 pandemic has created. In the CAA, over $54 billion is available for K-12 schools to use, which is in addition to what was provided in the CARES Act ($13.2 billion). The purpose of these funds includes purchasing materials and education technology to address learning loss and improve school facilities and infrastructure to reduce the risk of transmitting the coronavirus. Funding will be available through September 2022. There will be instructions from both the federal government and each state to explain the process the overall process of using the funding.

With the plethora of technology options out there (hardware, software, web applications, STEM tools, etc), it can all look exciting and you might even visualize how your students will benefit from the innovative tech available. But more often than not, the “dream” classroom rarely meshes with the “reality” budget. Fortunately, awards, crowdfunding, grants, and programs have made outfitting classrooms with state-of-the-art tech a reality for many educators.

Money in education is tight, but there are plenty of funding opportunities available if you know where to look. Searching and applying for funds can be time-consuming, so we’ve made it a bit easier by finding some incredible opportunities that can help you receive funding while enhancing classrooms.

Check out these useful guides, which offer funding that aligns with the Boxlight Classroom family of solutions: 

I grew up in a small town in Minnesota. Our one elementary school building (K–6) and one combined junior and high school campus (7–12), along with the Catholic elementary school (K–6), were central to the community—structures that connected generations, a teaching staff that communicated local values, and a forum where community pride took shape in school events and the cheering on of beloved high school sports teams. It’s important to consider this rural context—deep pride in both place and people—before turning to a discussion of technology use within rural schools.

It’s no secret that STEM learning (science, technology, engineering, and math) is crucial for today’s students to succeed in the future job market. STEM occupations are growing at a rate of 17%, compared to 9.8% in other professions, so our students need to enter the workforce equipped with these skills. However, money in public education is tight, and a lack of financial resources can mean limited opportunities for STEM learning.

No one has to tell you that money in public education is tight, so it never hurts to find grants or awards to help improve your school’s standing. Whether you want to enhance global learning, have students better master STEM courses, or purchase technology that general budgets can’t afford, opportunities worth thousands of dollars are available for the taking this school year.

We know how mind-numbing it can be to search and apply for grants and funding for your classroom. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to get gadgets into your classroom without actually taking money out of your own pocket. We decided to make it a little bit easier by showing you some opportunities that you can take advantage of. Here is a short list of ways to receive funding for technology in your classroom:

Get the Funding You Need to Transform Your School for Success

We have now summarized the qualifications for obtaining funding from four of the five U.S. DOE funds: Race to the Top, 21^st Century Community Learning Centers, Charter Schools, and College and Career Readiness. If none of those funds is a good fit for your classrooms, consider the fifth fund: Title I, Section 1003(g), School Improvement Grants. If you meet its qualifications, you may be able to obtain funding for the technology your classrooms need.

Get the Funding You Need for the Technology You Want

Recently we’ve summarized the qualifications for obtaining three of the five U.S. DOE funds: Race to the Top, 21^st Century Community Learning Centers, and Charter Schools. Today we’ll do the same for Title I, Part A, College and Career Readiness. If you meet the qualifications for this fund, there’s a good chance you may be able to obtain the technology your classrooms need.