A nonprofit founded by SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union and the Orange County Department of Education recently announced the distribution of more than $280,000 in grants to California educators to support innovative classroom strategies in core academic subjects.
The Education Foundation for California Schools annually awards grants of $1,000 to $5,000 to teachers from kindergarten through community college. The idea is to fund new or expanded instructional projects in areas like language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and world languages.
This year, the foundation awarded 95 grants statewide, supporting educators in 45 school districts across 12 counties throughout Northern and Southern California. Forty-six grants went to teachers in Orange County.
The funds may be used to purchase instructional materials or equipment or to develop new or expanded classroom programs in core subjects, officials said.
“For more than two decades, the teacher grant program has celebrated the passion and innovation of California’s educators,” said Josh Smith, vice president of school and community relations at SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union and executive director of the Education Foundation. “These grants help educators teach in meaningful ways by bringing new educational resources into the classroom and expanding learning opportunities for their students.”
Orange County grant recipients represent schools and districts across the county, including Anaheim, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Tustin, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Fullerton and Cypress. The grants are expected to impact thousands of students at the elementary, middle, high school and postsecondary levels.