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Grants for Excellence 2024-2025
The Escambia County Public Schools goal with the Grants for Excellence program is to keep students engaged and excited about learning while simultaneously improving their performance and furthering Escambia County School District's goals outlined in the Strategic Plan.
Grants for Excellence are funded by the Escambia County Public School Foundation and matching grant funds from the School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program through the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations. Grants are available for teachers of students in grades K-12.
Grants for 2024-2025 will be awarded in the priority areas:
- Career/Technical Education
- Increasing Graduation Rates
- Literacy
- Low-Performing Students
- STEM Education
- Teaching Quality/Improving Classroom Instruction
Please be sure to read and follow all instructions before proceeding with the application process.
Grant Guidelines 2024-2025:
All grants will be High Impact Grants - $2,000 - $7,500
- Collaboration across grade levels, subject areas, departments, or even schools to further the academic goals and vision of the District will be a large factor in determining awardees.
- One teacher/person shall be designated as the Project Leader. The Project Leader is responsible for keeping track of receipts and submitting the mid-year and end-of-year reports and evaluations. Should the Grants Committee have any questions, this is the person they will contact. Please note that the higher the amount requested, should reflect the higher number of students that should be impacted.
- Projects should focus on any one of the Priority Areas that engage and excite students about learning while simultaneously improving their performance and furthering Escambia County’s District goals.
- There is no limit to the number of grants that may be submitted from each school.
- A total of $100,000 will be awarded.
- All grant awards will be used for the purchase of supplies, materials, other equipment, hardware, software, or travel, etc. to support the project. The purchase of food, rewards or incentive prizes is not a priority for these funds. All funds spent on those type of items must be paid by the Foundation’s private donations as they are not allowable from the Consortium State Matching grant funding.
- Original, creative and innovative teaching approaches that address student needs.
- Appropriate, complete, and detailed budget.
- Defined outcomes with clear objectives stating what students should know and be able to do at the end of the project. (See Outcomes – think Initial, Intermediate and Long term; and Outputs in Resources section on the right-hand side of the application in the Definitions section).
- Any technology that is requested MUST be appropriately incorporated and vital to the project.
- Principals will be required to certify (approve) Grant Applications, so please include them in discussion and planning.
THERE WILL BE A REQUIRED ONE HOUR IN-PERSON CHECK PRESENTATION, TWO (2) REPORTING ZOOM CALLS, AND A GRANT SURVEY (from the Consortium) FOR ALL GRANT RECIPIENTS.
How to Apply
Application Requirements
- All applications must be submitted on time, be complete, and follow all directions.
- Official applications for the 2022-2023 process will only be accepted using the online system.
- Anonymity is crucial to the fairness of the process. Mentioning names (school, student, mascot, school newspaper, personnel) in the body of your grant request or anywhere will result in application disqualification.
- Funds for the project should not be available through the regular school budget or District budgets.
Process
1. Register
Click on the "Register" button and complete and submit the registration form.
2. Login
Login to the award with your email and password.
3. Create
Create your online application.
4. Save
During the Call for Applications period, your application can be saved as DRAFT until all the required information is completed and attachments uploaded. As each section is complete, you will see a 
appear in the category tab when the application is saved. At any time, you can download and print your application by clicking on the 
icon in the Application Summary section.
5. Submit
On completion, save your Submission as FINAL. Download and print a copy of your application for your records by clicking on the icon in the Application Summary section in the right column. Note: If an update is required prior to the Grant deadline, you can make the update and resave as FINAL.
If you require assistance or additional information, please contact Jo McArthur, Executive Director ECPSF.
Frequently Asked Questions for Grants for Excellence
What if my Principal does not approve my project or someone else is working on something similar?
Have a conversation and revise your grant or discuss collaboration with the other applicant.
When do we get our money?
Checks will be distributed at the Grants for Excellence Awards Ceremony October 5, 2023, 5 p.m., Hall Center, Room 160.
What if something costs less than what I budgeted? Can I use the money on something else related to my project?
Absolutely, as long as the expenditure is allowable in the Grants for Excellence program. Just be sure to include the item(s) in your budget report along with receipts. (We really want you to spend the money you are awarded!)
What if my final expenditure budget does not match the budget I included in my application?
No problem. Your application budget is your best guess on how you will spend the funds. In your final expenditure budget, show us how the funds were actually spent. We will look at proper use of funds as well as make sure you spent your total allocation over all your projects.
Can I pay myself or my project team members a stipend for our time?
This is discouraged and must be approved prior by your Principal. If you can specifically tie your time to the project, particularly outside of regular working hours, and can clearly document through your school bookkeeper/Secretary with proper documentation and time reporting, it is allowable. If approved, it should be a small portion of your budget.
Can my school apply for more than one grant?
Yes. Through the review process we do evaluate grade levels (elementary, middle and high) and locations to ensure fair distribution of funds. This is the secondary level of review, as we want to award impactful grants that are well written and demonstrate the best use of funds and effective measurement and reporting techniques. INNOVATION and CREATIVITY count!
If I have applied for a grant before and got funded, can I reapply for the same grant or ask for funds for the same project?
No, the Review Committee will be looking for new ideas, creativity, innovation and highly impactful (lots of students!) projects.
If I leave my school, during or after the project is implemented, can I take the supplies or equipment with me?
If you move to a school within the district at a similar level of students or subject area, you may take the materials with you to your new school. If you leave Escambia County Public Schools the supplies and materials are the property of the school where you worked when you received the funding.
Key Dates
Contact Us
30 E Texar Drive
Pensacola, Florida 32503
Phone: 850 469 5354
Email: Foundation@ecsdfl.us
