Welcome to the Baker’s Dozen of Top Mimio Educator Blogs for 2023! Delve into subscriber favorites, including how ed tech enhances young learners' education and tips for maintaining vocal health. So, grab a warm drink and explore the valuable insights that can boost student learning and enrich teaching experiences.  

District, schools, and other local education agencies (LEA) oftentimes work with limited resources and budgets. Decision-makers and educators have become adept at locating education funding opportunities. For example, Grants.gov is a valuable resource for finding a variety of federal grants that can be searched by category, eligibility, and agency. For an improved opportunity of winning an award or grant, it is critical that decision-makers note key information such as requirements and deadlines, as submission dates vary throughout the year. 

Many educators envision a “dream” learning space where materials, resources, and tools truly enhance the instructional experience for every student. What could that space include? A variety of manipulatives for hands-on learning, interactive displays for dynamic collaboration activities, and STEM equipment like 3D printers to boost creativity. Of course, the “reality” budget doesn’t always align with the “dream” classroom. Educators have learned to look outside of school budgets to acquire the materials needed to keep the fires of learning motivation going. For example, Grants.gov is a valuable resource for finding various federal grants that can be searched by category, funding, eligibility, and agency. Award amounts range, and deadlines vary.  

As we begin this new year, we need to look at the grant possibilities – those currently open but will quickly close in the coming months, and funding that will be made available throughout 2022. To do this, I’ve compiled a list of grant funding possibilities that includes the funding source and website, the purpose of the grant, areas covered by the grant, funding size, and other information.  

Last month, we talked about the status of all the COVID-19 funding and how it has progressed. The situation for many of the states in their effort to obligate funding under all the ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) and GEER (Governor’s Emergency Education Relief) I, II, and III are ongoing. To see the progress of funding allotments and progress by state, district, and for Higher Education, click here: U.S. Department of Education – Education Stabilization Fund. On this site, you will notice a substantial difference among states on how much allocated funding from ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) each has. In many cases, you will see that the ARPA status in states is below 5% meaning that the application process has not started. In other states, the application phase has stopped but funding has yet to be sent out.  

The following is an excerpt from the Federal Relief Funding Guide provided by Boxlight.

While we all hear “It's the time to act!” and “Don’t wait! There’s something you need to do!” acting on those reminders is a different story. But, you guessed it, the time is now for several federal funding opportunities which all have been extended for the last time.  Let’s briefly look at the status of some significant ones and hopefully, if you have not already taken advantage of these funding opportunities, you will very, very soon.