Grant Writing: Is it Worth It?

I heard about grants. I even went so far as to look up certain grants and the requirements one needed to follow to apply. It seemed so overwhelming and time-consuming. I thought, why spend the long hours researching and writing and editing I was never going to receive the grant anyway. There are far too many people fighting for the same grant. Mine would never be considered.

Then I discovered the Katy ISD Education Foundation. A local grant foundation offering grants to Katy ISD teachers. I read their requirements, attended a grant writing course in the district, and listened to other grant winners explain their process and how they were successful. This motivated me to take the leap. Rather than just write one grant-many hours of research, writing, and editing I wrote three. I received one.

My first grant application was for $1000 to implement a Lego Robotics team at my school. This was also the hope of several other schools who indeed received grants, I however did not for this particular endeavor. But it was great practice.

My second grant was a group grant to create a makerspace for myself and two fellow teachers. At the time I thought this was a creative idea, however, so did several other schools resulting in two receiving grants for this purpose. I was disappointed, but I created a makerspace with my own supplies and have been receiving small donations from parents and students. I will write another grant next year to expand my makerspace incorporating a years worth of data to show its importance for student creativity and success.

My last grant was for standing desks, $5000 to purchase 24 desks each, for 3 teachers in my building. This grant, as I was told by many foundation board members, created quite a stir among the decision makers. "It was a radical idea, one that at first many dismissed, but once they read your grant research and saw your passion and motivation to student success, reconsidered." This was the grant I believed we would never receive. However, we did.

The desks are not here yet. But they will make a great addition to my classroom design which is a student-centered, flexible seating classroom. Once they arrive and are all set up I will blog about how successful or challenging they may be in my classroom.

Never assume you will not get a grant, as I once did. I will continue to write grants. Making your classroom the best place for student growth, interaction, and success deserves your time in writing grants in order to get the tools that will help students thrive. Who knew standing desks would become a trending topic in my district. Everyone should write grants and spark new trends, it is worth it.