Public School Proud Grant Application Guidelines

The Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation champions teachers and students by encouraging, promoting, and funding creative and innovative teaching strategies in order to enhance and enrich education in all Sioux Falls Public Schools. We want educators to bring us their next big idea, whether it’s in the classroom, their grade level, their building, or the district. This is a competitive process. Grants are blindly screened by an independent review committee, and the highest scored applications receive funds.

• Public School Proud Grants are due one time a year for implementation the following academic year. For an application, please email Allison Struck, the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation's Executive Director.  (Allison.Struck@k12.sd.us.) 
• Grants for the 2022-2023 school year are due Monday, December 5, 2022 at 5 p.m. 
• Grant applications may be for any amount up to $10,000. Educators requesting more than $3,000 may be asked to give a formal presentation to the committee that reviews the grants.

• Support district goals and curriculum content standards

• Have unique or creative components (pilot projects or experimental efforts) 

• Include clearly stated purposes, student performance outcomes, methods, and evaluation processes

• Enrich the educational experience for a large number of students or provide a greater intensity for a smaller group of students

• Positively impact the equity issue among schools

• Have a long-lasting impact on participating students or can be replicated for students in other classrooms or in future years (for example, through lessons learned or continued use of materials) 

• Require start-up support rather than ongoing funding. Educators may apply for additional funding in a future grant cycle but should not rely on or assume subsequent funding. 

• Educators can submit one proposal per year.
• Administrator approval is required prior to submission.
• If you are requesting technology, please contact the SFSD's technology team to ensure they can support the materials. For example, the district does not use Kindles, so the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation would not fund a grant to purchase Kindles, but an applicant could submit with a request for iPads.
• Items the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation cannot fund:
  • Classroom pets/support animals
  • Food/prizes that will be used as an incentive for good behavior
  • Travel to work-related conferences 
  • Stipends for staff time spent using the grant-funded materials 
  • Flexible seating 
  • Book vending machines