Funding/Grants/Scholarships


R.I.S.E. America Project Theatre Grant Applications Due Feb. 6

Educational Theatre FoundationHigh school theatre teachers and educators — applications are due February 6 for NBC's R.I.S.E. America Project, an opportunity for your school's theatre program to receive $10,000.
Date: January 30, 2018
Related Categories: Administrator, Funding/Grants/Scholarships, Networks/Groups, Resource Center, Teacher, What's New
Related Tags: High School


Grant Applications for FY 16 Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) due July 7, 2016

On May 23, 2016, the Teacher Quality Programs Office announced the FY 16 Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant competition. The TQP FY 16 grant competition has an estimated $5,000,000 and anticipates making 3-5 new awards that will increase student achievement by improving the quality of new prospective teachers.


Application Deadline for 2016 Global Teacher Fellowship Program Extended to February 12

The Rural Trust is pleased to announce that applications for the 2016 Global Teacher Fellowship Program are now open!  The application deadline has been extended to February 12, 2016.


Leonore Annenberg School Fund Grantees Benefit from Grant-Funded Technology

In 2014, the Rural Trust announced that Greenville Elementary School, located in Greenville Florida, would receive an award from the Leonore Annenberg School Fund.


Virginia Rural Elementary Schools Receive Leonore Annenberg School Fund for Children Grants

Two rural public elementary schools in Virginia will receive grants of $50,000 each from the Leonore Annenberg School Fund for Children, which provides educational resources to underfunded schools in rural communities.


Rural Schools Collaborative Grant Applications Due May 15, 2015

The Rural Schools Collaborative announced its Grants in Place program for rural classroom teachers. Grants in Place will provide up to twenty grants for innovative place-based education projects. Funding will be awarded for projects that will commence in Fall 2015. 


U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm to School Grant Applications Due May 20, 2015

On March 16, 2015, the US Department of Agriculture released the Fiscal Year 2016 Farm to School Grant Applications. The purpose of the USDA Farm to School Grant Program is to assist eligible entities in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools.


April 1, 2015 is Deadline for Farmers to Nominate their Public School District to Receive Math and Science Grants

America's Farmers Grow Rural Education is back for a fourth year of partnering with farmers to nominate their local public school district to compete for a grant of $10,000 or $25,000 to enhance math and science education.


April 7, 2015 is Deadline to Apply for K-12 Science and Audio-Visual Teacher-in-Residence Positions

The Educational Outreach Division of the Library of Congress is seeking applications from current K-12 teachers or library/media specialists for two Teacher-in-Residence positions during the 2015-16 school year.


Read about the U.S. Department of Education's Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Request

Critical investments in preschool, K-12 and higher education are among the highlights of the Department of Education's 2016 budget request.


U.S. Department of Agriculture Announces Agricultural Scientist Fellowships: Applications due February 11, 2015

On December 22, 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the availability of more than $15 million for fellowships to train and develop the next generation of scientists who will lead agriculture into the future by solving current and future challenges facing society.


USDA's Farm to School Grant Program Enables Schools to Bring Healthy, Locally-grown Food to the School Cafeteria

Through the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm to School Grant Program, schools are able to incorporate fresh, local food into their school meals and teach students about healthy eating through hands-on experience in their own school gardens as well as nutrition education in the classroom.


Applications for 2015 Global Teacher Fellowship Program Due January 30, 2015

Teachers and other academic personnel working in a rural or small town school may apply for fellowships for self-designed summer learning experiences based in international travel.


Register Now for December 10 NCEEP Webinar: Issues, Challenges and Successes for GEAR UP Programs in Rural Areas

Throughout the United States, GEAR UP programs in rural communities face unique challenges trying to facilitate college readiness and access for low-income, first-generation students, ranging from transportation issues, teacher quality and turnover, and inadequate K-12 resources and rigor to lack of post-secondary education and economic development opportunities.


Deadline to apply for Fritz Fischer Scholarship Fund is December 15, 2014

The National Council for History Education (NCHE) is a non-profit organization which brings together historians, teachers, education specialists, university faculty, community leaders, museums, archives, libraries, and historical societies to ensure not only that history was being taught in our schools, but that excellence of instruction and learning occurred


Thank a Million Teachers Grant Applications Due October 31, 2014

In an effort to make a positive impact on the lives of educators and their students, the University of Farmers Education Foundation is giving away $1 million in grants to America's teachers. Parents, students and fellow-educators can help by saying "Thank You" to an educator that's made a difference in his or her life and the community


Nominations for the 2015 Woodrow Wilson MBA Fellowship in Education Leadership are Now Being Accepted

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation has announced a grant of nearly $14.5 million from the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment to expand its MBA program in education leadership.


Kids In Need Foundation 2014 Teacher Grant Applications due Sept. 30, 2014

The Kids In Need Foundation, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to providing free school supplies to economically disadvantaged school children and under-funded teachers, is launching the 2014 teacher grants program. All certified K-12 teachers nationwide are eligible to apply.


Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Proposal Eliminates Impact Aid Section 8002 Funding

The Administration's Fiscal Year 2014 budget proposal request recommends the elimination of funding for Impact Aid, Section 8002 (Federal Properties) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).


Thirty-one Rural Teachers Awarded Travel Fellowships

Thirty-one rural teachers have been selected for the 2014 class of Rural Trust Global Teacher Fellows. The awards, totaling nearly $200,000, will enable Fellows to travel to Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Central America, and Europe.


Rural Trust Announces the 2014 Rural Leonore Annenberg School Fund Grantees

The Rural School and Community Trust is pleased to announce that Greenville Elementary School in Greenville, Florida and Stewart Street Elementary in Quincy, Florida will receive grants through the Leonore Annenberg School Fund for Children.


CNCS Announces FY 2014 Funding Opportunity for Indian Tribes

With the FY 2014 AmeriCorps Indian Tribes Notice of Funding Opportunity, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) seeks to prioritize the investment of national service resources in economic opportunity, education, veterans and military families, and disaster services in Native American communities.


USDA Announces FY 2014 Funds Availability for Household Water Well System Grants

On March 26, 2014, United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development announced the available funding of $1,019,000 for the Household Water Well System grants for the fiscal year 2014.


U.S. Department of Education Announces Start of 2014 Investing in Innovation (i3) Grant Competition

On March 14, 2014, the U.S. Department of Education announced the start of the $134 million 2014 Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition with the release of the program's invitation for pre-applications for the i3 Development grants (up to $3,000,000 each).


Rural Trust Fellows Bring Global Connections to the Rural Classroom

In February 2013, Global Teacher Fellows (GTF), Meg Allison and Pamela Dow gave Moretown Elementary students the experience of flying on a plane and traveling to Paris. This simulated student excursion to Paris was just another example of how the Rural Trust's GTF Fellows are bringing global connections to the rural classroom and opening up their students' eyes to the world around them.


USDA Announces Request for Applications for FY 2015 Farm to School Grants

US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm to School grants help eligible schools improve the health and well-being of their students and connect schools with local farmers, ranchers and food businesses. This grant program provides new economic opportunities to food producers and bring healthy, local offerings into school cafeterias.


Teachers for Global Classrooms Now Accepting Grant Applications for 2014-15

The Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGC) Program provides a year-long professional development opportunity for middle and high school teachers from the United States to participate in a program aimed at globalizing teaching and learning in their classrooms.


Applications for 2014 Global Teacher Fellowship Program due January 30, 2014

Teachers and other academic personnel working in a rural or small town school may apply for fellowships for self-designed summer learning experiences based in international travel.


2013 Global Teacher Fellows Share Experiences

Thirty-two rural teachers traveled the globe in the summer of 2013. Read their stories and see photos.


Rural Trust Holds Place-Based Learning Workshops for Rural Elementary Schools in Georgia and South Carolina

In July and August 2013, the Rural Trust conducted Place-Based learning (PBL) institutes for North Mitchell County Elementary School in Baconton, GA and D.P. Cooper Elementary School in Salters, SC. Both rural elementary schools recently received grants from the Leonore Annenberg School Fund for Children.


Foundation for Rural Services Grant Proposals Due Oct. 1, 2013

The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), in cooperation with the NTCA, The Rural Broadband Association, seeks to sustain and enhance the quality of life throughout rural America by advancing an understanding of rural telecommunications issues.


W.K. Kellogg Foundation Announces $5 Million Investment to Support Children's Educational Success from Birth to Age 8

On August 26, 2013, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) announced a $5 million investment to identify and cultivate innovations in the growing field of family engagement that support children's educational success from birth to 8 years old.


U.S. Department of Education Invites Districts to Apply for $120 Million in Race to the Top

On July 30, 2013, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it had finalized the application for the 2013 Race to the Top-District competition, which will provide nearly $120 million to support bold, locally directed improvements in learning and teaching that will directly improve student achievement and educator effectiveness.


Leonore Annenberg Scholarship, Fellowship, and School Funds Benefit Rural High School Student and Two Rural Elementary Schools

A high school junior from rural Vermont and two rural elementary schools, one in Georgia and one in South Carolina, have received generous support from the Leonore Annenberg Scholarship, Fellowship, and School Funds.


Aeronautics in the Future for 2013 Rural Leonore Annenberg Scholarship Winner

A high school junior interested in rocketry and engineering has been selected for a significant national scholarship.


U.S. Department of Education Announces Start of 2013 i3 Grant Competition

On March 27, 2013, the U.S. Department of Education announced the start of the $150 million 2013 Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition with the release of the program's invitation for pre-applications for the i3 "Development" grant category and the notice of final priorities for the i3 program overall.


Investing in Innovation (i3) Grant

View the latest Rural Trust i3 resources here, including archived webinars, presentations, and grant competition news. The Investing in Innovation (i3) Grant was established under section 14007 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and provides funding to support local educational agencies (LEAs) and nonprofit organizations in partnership with one or more LEAs or a consortium of schools.


Music Educator Award: Deadline to nominate your favorite music teacher is April 15

This award is open to current U.S. music teachers from kindergarten through college. The first annual award will be presented at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony and Nominees Reception in 2014, the night before the Grammy Awards.
Date: March 19, 2013
Related Categories: Administrator, Funding/Grants/Scholarships, Teacher, What's New
Related Tags: Teacher Issues


"Impact Aid" School Districts Brace for Sequester

Because most districts have already received their federal funding for the current school year, any impact from the federal sequester would affect the next school year. However, for those school districts which receive Impact Aid funding, the effects may be more immediate.


Rural School Innovations Webinar: The STAR School's "3-to-3rd Project"

Register now for the next Rural School and Community Trust webinar to be held, Wednesday, February 13, 2013, at 2:00 pm EST. This no-cost presentation will discuss The STAR School's 3-to-3rd Math Project and highlight the training films which show educators serving rural, low-income students how they can implement this innovative program.


USDA Announces Request for Applications for FY 2014 Farm to School Grants

US Department of Agriculture Farm to School grants help eligible schools improve the health and well-being of their students and connect schools with local farmers, ranchers and food businesses. This grant program provides new economic opportunities to food producers and bring healthy, local offerings into school cafeterias. Proposals are due at midnight EST, April 24, 2013.


Connecting Classrooms to the World

The Foundation for Rural Service and Discovery Education are now accepting submissions to the Connected Community Contest. The contest is open to teams of grades 4-12 students and their Teacher/Administrative sponsor from schools within the fifty (50) United States located in Rural Communities. Deadline for submission is March 15, 2013.


Rural Trust Extends Application Deadline for 2013 Global Teacher Fellowship Program

The application deadline for Rural Trust's Global Teacher Fellowship program has been extended to Jan. 30, 2013.


Global Citizen Year: Apply by Nov. 30 for 2014 Program

A year outside the traditional classroom environment before college impacts your future in ways you can hardly yet imagine.


Grants and Resources for Classroom Pets

Pets in the ClassroomPets in the Classroom helps to establish healthy child-pet relationships at an early age by supporting responsible pet care in elementary and middle school classrooms across the country.
Date: August 25, 2012
Related Categories: Funding/Grants/Scholarships, Teacher, What's New
Related Tags: Elementary School, Middle School, Teacher Issues


2012 i3 Competition: Resources, Peer Reviewers, and Application Dates

The U.S. Department of Education Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) website lists deadlines for applications and includes an archive of webinars and other resources.


i3 Development Grant Preapplication Deadline

April 9 is the deadline for i3 Preapplications for the U.S. Department of Education's 2012 Investing in Innovation grant competition.


Department of Education Launches Pre-Application for 2012 i3 Program

The U.S. Department of Education announced the third year of the Investing in Innovation grant competition for local educational agencies, groups of schools and non-profit organizations to improve student results through innovative practices.


Global Teacher Fellowships Alter Lives of Participants

New energy and a renewed enthusiasm for teaching and learning are only some of the benefits for teachers who participated in the 2011 Rural Trust Global Fellowship Program.


Rural Trust Launches Global Teacher Fellowship Program

Get ready for 2012! The Rural Trust's Global Teacher Fellowship program is now accepting applications for the Summer 2012 Fellowships.


Annenberg Public Policy Center News

Working with the Annenberg Public Policy Center, the Rural School and Community Trust provides support for rural schools in the form of scholarships and student-focused programs.


Maine Student Receives $250,000 Leonore Annenberg Scholarship Award

Kassandra Hopkins of Vinalhaven, Maine, is the recipient of a $250,000 Leonore Annenberg Scholarship to attend any undergraduate college or university in the country.
Date: July 28, 2011
Related Categories: Funding/Grants/Scholarships, In Local News, Student
Related Tags: Article


Promise Neighborhoods Grant Applications Due Sept. 6

Applications are available for phase two of the Promise Neighborhoods program. The program will again have Absolute Priorities for serving rural and tribal communities.


Peer Reviewers Needed for Next i3 Grant Competition

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement is seeking peer reviewers for the newly announced FY 2011 Investing in Innovation Fund grant competition.
Date: June 20, 2011
Related Categories: Funding/Grants/Scholarships, Investing in Innovation
Related Tags: Investing in Innovation


2010 Rural School and Community Trust / Fund For Teachers Grant Recipients

Read about the 2010 Rural School and Community Trust / Fund for Teachers grant recipients, and browse the curriculum they developed with their funds.


Full Service Community Schools Grants Due July 23

The U.S. Department of Education has released the Full Service Community Schools (FSCS) grant. The Notice of Intent to Apply deadline is June 23; the application deadline is July 23, 2010.


Foundations Launch i3 Registry

Twelve foundations are launching the Foundation Registry i3, a new online application that aims to simplify the private funding application process for potential grantees and increase access and visibility for new, especially smaller, applicants.


Education Official Visits Rural Schools Partnership Conference

The newly christened Ozarks Teacher Corps is an innovative partnership that will be worth watching to see if it can be replicated in other rural areas, said John White, a U.S. Department of Education leader who attended the annual Rural Schools Partnership conference on May 6, 2010 in Thomasville, Mo.


Rural School Districts Eligible for Federal i3 Grant Application Assistance

Through a new $1.4 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Rural School and Community Trust will address provide customized technical assistance for rural school districts seeking i3 grants.
     For more information regarding technical assistance support through the Kellogg grant, please complete this short questionnaire (MSWord document) and return it via email.


Join the Formula Fairness Campaign

Join the Formula Fairness Campaign to fix what’s wrong about the formula for distributing federal funds for the education of disadvantaged students in public schools.


Investing in Innovation (i3): A Rural School Technical Assistance Initiative Webinar

Investing in Innovation (i3): A Rural School Technical Assistance Initiative was the theme of this March 19, 2010 webinar from the Rural School and Community Trust.


Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarships

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program supports hundreds of high-achieving students with financial need across the United States...


Find Out How the Title I Number Weighting Option Affects Your School District

The Rural Trust has been reporting on disparities in Title I funding over the past year, filling you in on the reallocation of funds in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Now you can find out exactly how your school district is affected.
Date: February 22, 2010
Related Categories: Funding/Grants/Scholarships, What's New
Related Tags: School Finance/Funding, Title I


Annenberg Scholar to Attend Boston College

Lydia Ducharme, the 2009 Rural School and Community Trust recipient of the Leonore Annenberg Scholarship and a senior at Hazen Union School in Hardwick, Vermont, will attend Boston College in Fall 2010.


2009 Rural School and Community Trust / Fund For Teachers Grant Recipients

Read about the 2009 Rural School and Community Trust / Fund for Teachers grant recipients, and browse the curriculum they developed with their funds.


The Leonore Annenberg Scholarship Fund 2009 Recipient

Lydia Ducharme, a rising senior at Hazen Union School in Hardwick, Vermont has been named the 2009 Rural School and Community Trust recipient of the Leonore Annenberg Scholarship.


The Leonore Annenberg School Fund

Two rural South Carolina elementary schools working with the Rural School and Community Trust have won grants of $100,000 each to develop and implement math programs for their pre-k through 5th grade students.


Rural Education Finance Center

The Rural Education Finance Center works on all levels to improve educational opportunity for rural children by reducing inequities in state school finance systems, strengthening the fiscal practices of rural schools, and insuring the adequacy of funding to rural schools.


Guide to Session Materials: Rural Education Working Group 2009

Download selected handouts and PowerPoint presentations from REWG-2009 workshops. All documents are available as PDFs.


Governor Refusing Education Stimulus Funding

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford is refusing to use $700 million in federal stimulus funding for schools and other state agencies to avoid budget cuts and layoffs....


RSIN Webinar: Ways for Rural Schools to Invest Title I Stimulus Funds, April 29, 2009

"Innovative Ways for Rural Schools to Invest Title I Stimulus Funds" was the topic of the April 2009 Rural School Innovation Network webinar.


2008 Rural School and Community Trust / Fund For Teachers Grant Recipients

Read about the 2008 Rural School and Community Trust / Fund for Teachers grant recipients, and browse the curriculum they developed with their funds.


WKCD Speech Contest 2009: Crisis and Hope

Young people today are living through a time of economic and world crisis. But crisis also gives birth to hope and opportunity. As Graduation Day approaches, WKCD invites you to raise your voice and let others know what matters most to you, in this moment and in the years ahead. Give it your best and you may be a winner, with your voice heard around the world!
Date: April 02, 2009
Related Categories: Funding/Grants/Scholarships, Resource Center, Rural Policy Matters, Student
Related Tags: Youth


Education Funding in the Stimulus: An Overview

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides significant additional funding for public schools. Details are still forthcoming, but we outline the basic funding streams and their requirements…


Encourage Teen-Driver Safety: National Grant Competition

Project Ignition, sponsored by State Farm Companies Foundation and the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC), is an annual competition for high school students to promote teen-driver safety.
Date: March 12, 2009
Related Categories: Administrator, Funding/Grants/Scholarships, Rural Policy Matters, Student, Teacher
Related Tags: All States, High School, Youth


A New School Funding Formula Proposed in New Mexico

A new funding formula that was produced by a legislatively funded study committee and its consultants would increase overall state aid by over 15%, according to a Rural School and Community Trust analysis...


Pennsylvania School Funding Formula Report

Pennsylvania School Funding ReportPennsylvania has enacted substantial changes in its school funding formula, including a factor that adjusts a district's state aid based on estimates of the relative cost of hiring teachers in that particular district compared to the cost of hiring equally qualified teachers in other districts.


East Iberville High Gets $48,797 Grant

A State Farm Insurance youth advisory board has awarded a $48,797 grant to fund teaching of financial literacy tostudents at East Iberville High School in St. Gabriel, Louisiana.


RSIN Webinar: Financing Rural Schools, December 10, 2008

Rural school finance was the topic of the second Webinar of Fall 2008. RSIN Members can listen to the audio archive or view the presentation from this event.


Home Ownership is a Wonderful Thing: Teachers Share Their Experiences with the Arkansas Teacher Housing Assistance Program

RPM talks to four teachers who have participated in Arkansas's unique program to assist teachers in high-priority school districts with housing expenses...


State Student Loan Forgiveness Programs for Teachers, A Sampler

Many states offer programs to increase the number of teachers...


TEACH Grants Can Help Some Prospective Teachers

The new federal TEACH program can help students become teachers, and low-income schools should know how to use the program...


State Education Cuts Fall Harder on Rural Districts: A Kentucky Example

Across the country many lower-wealth rural schools are absorbing a disproportionate share of state funding cuts and feeling the downside of a commonly-used state funding mechanism intended to help them.


Review: Meeting the Challenge of Rural Pre-K

If your district is one of the many rural districts attempting to implement a preschool program, you are probably familiar with some of the challenges.


Rural Teacher Salaries: Big Threat to Teacher Quality

Rural teachers are paid less than suburban and urban teachers. This is true almost everywhere. It’s true at all levels of teaching experience and teacher education. And it’s an especially serious problem in lower-wealth rural districts...


New Mexico Devises Strong Funding Formula: An Analysis

A New Mexico school funding formula that was produced by a legislatively funded study committee and its consultants would increase overall state aid to schools by over 15% and, according to a new Rural School and Community Trust analysis, send the biggest increases to smaller districts serving the poorest, most rural, communities, those with large percentages of Hispanic and Native American students, and those with high proportions of English Language Learners...


Some Lessons from the Rural Experience in School Finance Reform

History provides some important insights about what makes funding systems work for rural schools...


2008 Annenberg College Scholarships Awarded

After an extensive and competitive application and interview process, Chevon Boone, a graduate of KIPP Pride High School in Gaston, North Carolina has been chosen as the first Rural School and Community Trust recipient of the Leonore Annenberg College Scholarship.


State Test Scores in Kentucky Reflect Socio-Economic Status

An analysis of district level scores on Kentucky's state standardized tests produces results different from a straight ranking, and offers important insight for how low-wealth rural districts can improve...


State Updates: South Dakota

South Dakota education updates including teacher salaries, consolidation, scholarships, and more...


The Rural Perspective: An Analysis of the Proposed Department of Education's Budget and How It Will Impact Rural America for FY 2008

In partnership with AASA, NEA, and NAFIS, we provide an overview of how the President's proposed budget will affect rural schools and communities.


Poorest Rural Districts Poorer Than Most Cities

The 800 poorest rural districts in the U.S. enroll nearly a million students and have poverty rates higher than most cities....