Teacher Mini Grants
Empowering Shelby County Teachers. Enriching Student Lives.
The Shelby County Education Foundation Mini Grant program provides educators with funding to assist them in providing engaging, experimental, hands-on and vibrant learning experiences that extend beyond the traditional classroom. We believe teachers are uniquely positioned to spark curiosity, nurture creativity, and connect learning to students’ interests, experiences, strengths, and aspirations.
The Mini Grant program gives educators the opportunity to transform innovative ideas into vibrant learning experiences that align with school and district goals and academic standards. Through our Mini Grant program, the Foundation seeks to support educators who create learning opportunities where students are curious, empowered, connected, and excited to learn.
Our purpose is to invest in ideas that give students opportunities to take ownership of their learning, make meaningful connections, and demonstrate their knowledge and skills in authentic ways.
Our Vision for Vibrant Learning
In partnership with families and communities, students are agents of their own learning, engaged in relevant, authentic, and joyful learning opportunities. Vibrant learning honors students’ cultural wealth, gifts, and interests. Vibrant learning culminates in the application of knowledge and skills demonstrated through personalized products.”
We invite Shelby County educators to use the mini grants as a catalyst for Vibrant Learning! Learning that is relevant to students, rooted in their strengths and interests, connected to the world around them, and designed to culminate in something students can create, demonstrate, share, or apply.
Through your ideas and innovation, the mini grants can help make learning more personal, purposeful, and joyful for Shelby County students.
Past Recipients
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Caytie Burgin
Growing Beyond the Classroom: Cultivating Student Leaders Through a Student-Led Agriculture, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship Initiative
Shelby Academy
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Gari Grider
School Mission Mural Project
Painted Stone Elementary School
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Rosemary Stone
Stitching Skills for Life: Student-Made Quilts
Shelby County High School
Frequently Asked Questions
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Any certified teacher employed in a Shelby County public school is eligible to apply. Projects must directly benefit students and demonstrate clear educational value.
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Proposals are reviewed by a Foundation committee and scored on a 100-point rubric across seven categories:
Alignment with Goals or Standards (20 points): Strong proposals connect clearly to school or district goals and address a real, identified student need.
Project Description (15 points): We're looking for a clear, realistic plan: what you'll do, how you'll do it, and a timeline that shows you're ready to carry it out.
Student Impact (15 points): Tell us how many students will benefit and how deeply—whether academically, socially and emotionally, or through enrichment and extended learning.
Innovation & Creativity (15 points): The best proposals go beyond typical classroom practice. We love seeing new strategies, tools, or experiences that spark engagement and hands-on problem-solving.
Budget Quality (15 points): Provide a detailed, itemized budget that's directly tied to your project goals and demonstrates cost-effectiveness.
Evaluation & Measurable Outcomes (10 points): How will you know the project worked? Include a clear plan with both qualitative and quantitative indicators of success.
Sustainability (10 points): Projects that build lasting capacity—through reusable materials, skills that carry forward, or experiences that benefit future students—score highest here.
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Clearly articulate how your project connects to school or district goals.
Emphasize the number of students impacted and the depth of that impact.
Provide a detailed, realistic plan with a clear timeline.
Highlight innovative practices that actively engage students.
Prepare an itemized budget directly tied to your goals.
Include a concrete evaluation plan with measurable outcomes.