Scholarships & Grants

New Teacher Classroom Grant

CTA Classroom Setup Grant is a program to provide financial assistance for new educators towards the purchase of materials, resources, supplies, tools, and other educational instruments to create and promote a positive learning environment in a classroom.

Maximum grant award is $300.

There are three eligibility requirements:

1. You must be a brand new Active Full-Time CTA member in good standing who is in your first year as a TK-12 classroom educator.
2. You must have joined CTA for the first time as a California educator within 12 months from your Employment Start Date.
3. You must submit an application within 12 months from your Employment Start Date.

IFT Educator Grant

The CTA Institute for Teaching offers competitive, strengths-based school-year grants for CTA members to design innovative, creative, practical, action-oriented, student-centered projects that implement IFT’s Strengths-Based Strategy and address its core pillars.

• Individual Grants (up to $5,000): Led by one educator, supporting a classroom or single group of students.

• Team Grants (up to $20,000): Led by two+ educators (three suggested), supporting multiple classrooms or sites within a district.

Sign up for Video Conference

Deadline to apply: April 2027

LGBTQ+ Safety in Schools Grant

The LGBTQ+ Safety in Schools Grant and Scholarship Program in Honor of Guy DeRosa was created to promote human and civil rights by making our public schools safe for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning+ persons. The program was renamed in 2009 in the memory of CTA member and educator Guy DeRosa. Guy was a lifelong advocate for civil and human rights and LGBTQ+ issues.

ITA had two awardees in 2024-2025!

• The grant program will support groups, projects and presentations that promote understanding of and respect for LGBTQ+ persons.
• The scholarship program will support self-identified LGBTQ+ active CTA/CTA Aspiring Educators (CTA-AE) members enrolled in a teacher/counseling credential or graduate program who are pursuing a career in public education and who understand the importance of LGBTQ+ educators as role models in our public schools.

Email for Grant Questions

Deadline to apply: May 2027

CTA Members & Dependent Children Scholarship

These educational scholarships support CTA members and the dependent children of active members throughout the academic year, with funds to be used for education-related purposes.

Scholarships Categories

• Dependent Children
• Dependent children in Honor of Del. A Weber (attending
  continuation high school/alternative education
  programs)
• CTA Members

Email for Grant Questions

Deadline to apply: February 2027

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship Program

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship Program encourages Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students to become educators, school nurses, school counselors or school therapists and to promote professional growth for BIPOC educators.

Scholarship Eligibility

• Dependent Children of Members
• CTA Member
• Pursuing a degree, credential, or certification for a teaching-related career in public education in an accredited institution of higher education
• Enrolled for classes in the fall

Email for Grant Questions

Deadline to apply: February 2027

Learning Leadership Grant

Learning and Leadership Grants are available to individual educators or groups of educators who are pursuing high-quality professional learning experiences that will enhance their classroom teaching, leadership skills, or professional partnerships.

• Individuals to participate in high-quality professional development like summer institutes, conferences, seminars, travel abroad programs, or action research.

• Groups to fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson plan development, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff.

Register for Info Session on August 19

Deadline to apply: September 15, 2026

Student Success Grant

Student Success Grants support educators who strive to implement innovative and effective forms of learning, helping students find joy in learning and achieve their potential.

• develop and implement a project that will enhance students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills;
• support students’ cultural understanding and appreciation;
• support students’ mastery of essential academic content;
• promote students’ communication and collaboration skills; or
• enable students to engage in learning experiences connected to real-world issues and challenges.

Register for Info Session on August 19

Deadline to apply: September 15, 2026

Envision Equity Grant

Envision Equity Grants are available to educators, specialized instructional support personnel, and education support professionals who are pursuing project-based learning, partnerships, or resources rooted in advancing equity in the classroom and beyond.

• Bring trainers to your school to support culturally-sustaining teaching and learning;
• Purchase new social and emotional learning curriculum materials;
• Develop stronger education-focused community partnerships;
• Access resources to deepen students’ understanding of racial equity and anti-racist commitments and actions;
• Implement projects elevating student voice and supporting students’ engagement in civic and community life.

Register for Info Session on August 19

Deadline to apply: September 15, 2026

Global Learning Fellowship

Through the NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship, public school educators develop the knowledge and skills to integrate global competency into their daily classroom instruction, advocate for global competency in their schools and districts, and help students to thrive in our increasingly interconnected world. Fellows transform their classrooms to give students a global perspective.

Over the course of a year, NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellows immerse themselves in:

• Ongoing workshops and webinars with global competency and education
• Independent study followed by group reflection and discussion
• Group mentoring
• A two-day in-person conference
• Completion of a capstone project incorporating one or more of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals into classroom instructions
• A summer 10-day international field study to examine the education system, culture, and historical context of another country (2027 location TBD)

Fellows meet with policymakers, community and nonprofit leaders, educators, students, and school administrators. The NEA Foundation carefully selects field study destinations where fellows can forge fruitful relationships while deeply immersing themselves in a new environment. In 2026, fellows will be visiting South Africa. Previous field study destinations include Peru, China, Brazil, and Costa Rica.

Watch past informational session

Deadline to apply: passed, check next year!

Other NEA Grants

• NEA’s Read Across America State Affiliate Event Grant 
• Professional Excellence Grants 
• Great Public Schools Fund 
• Community Advocacy and Partnership Engagement Grant 
• Racial Justice in Education Grant 
• Disability Rights and Inclusion (DRI) Coalition Grant 
• Disability Rights Community Action Grant

Potential Grants from Partners

We take pride in the number of outstanding grant proposals we receive. Sadly, we can’t fund every worthy proposal, so we encourage you to consider multiple funding sources when putting together a grant application.

In addition to grants and fellowships offered by the NEA Foundation, the following are available from others who believe in the power of educators.