FAQ

Applying for a BEST Teacher Grant

Q: Who is eligible to apply?

A: Educators in P-12 schools in the following districts are eligible to apply:

If your school is not district affiliated, (for instance, if it is a charter school, independent school, or non-district affiliated preschool) you are not eligible for BEST Teacher Grant funding.

Q: When can I apply?

A: Applications open on August 1 each year. Prior to this date, you can download the Application Template to start drafting your application. 

Q: How do I apply?

A:  Applicants must first register for login credentials to access the applicant portal. Once the applicant’s registration has been approved and they have been provided with login credentials, they must complete the online BEST Teacher Grant application in the portal to be considered for funding. 

If you are a returning applicant, you may use your existing credentials to sign in to the applicant portal.

Q: What is required for the application?

A: Applicants should be prepared to describe their proposed project, provide learning objectives and concepts, articulate how learning will be demonstrated, share the curriculum framework or standards that will be addressed, and describe how the project will be inquiry-based. Applicants should also provide a budget for their proposed project.

The application template includes all fields required on the online application.

Q: I'm an educator, not a grant writer. Do I have the skills to apply for a BEST Teacher Grant?

A: Yes. The BEST Teacher Grant does not expect applicants to be experienced grant writers. Instead, we expect you to be passionate about bringing engaging, interactive sustainability and/or STEM learning experiences to your students.

We have designed our application form to be straightforward for teachers and other educators to complete. We encourage you to review the guidelines, rubric, and other support documents to help with your writing process. If you have additional concerns, please contact our team at info@besteachergrant.org.

Q: Can I apply with a partner educator or as part a team of educators? How does this affect our funding?

A: For a single applicant, funding requests may not exceed $1000. A group of up to four teachers may apply for a collaborative grant of up to $2000 in funding. Applicants for a collaborative grant should submit one application and must list the names of all applicants on the application form.

Q: Can I apply for an individual grant and a group grant?

A: You can only apply for one BEST Teacher Grant per year, either as an individual or as a member of a team.

Q: What can a BEST Teacher Grant be used to purchase?

A: A BEST Grant CAN be used to purchase:

• In-school and after-school projects/programs including, but not limited to, classroom projects, educational field-trips, and speakers.

• Interdisciplinary programs/projects that combine the subjects addressed in the BE3ST Teacher Grant program alongside other subjects/content areas.

• Software and hardware technology supporting project-based learning and to be used for a specific program or project for which learning objectives and science/math concepts are well defined.

A BEST Teacher Grant CANNOT be used to purchase:

• Projects that do not address energy, environment, engineering, science, technology and/or mathematics.

• General operations, capital projects, endowments, fundraising events

• Classroom Furniture

• Computers, laptops, and/or tablets and other such technology that are not directly related to proposed BEST project

Q: I have a question about the applicant portal.

A: The applicant portal is used by everybody applying for funding through the Bosch Community Fund. This includes (but is not limited to) BEST Teacher Grant Program applicants. 

We encourage you to use this website, and not the applicant portal, to find specific information about the BEST Teacher Grant Program. Please use the following resources for more information about navigating the applicant portal:

• Registering to apply for a BEST Teacher Grant

• Changing your password for the applicant portal

• Applying for a BEST Teacher Grant

• Resuming a previously started application

• Viewing a previously submitted application

Q: I applied for a BEST Grant last year, do I need to register again?

A: No, you do not need to register again. You will be able to sign in at bosch.fluxx.io with the username that you created last year. Your username is probably: firstname_lastname (all lowercase). If you have forgotten your login information, click "Reset or create password". 

Q: If I have received a BEST grant in the past, am I eligible to apply again?

A: Yes, past awardees may apply for a BEST Teacher Grant.

Q: I registered to apply for a grant, but I didn't receive my login details. What should I do?

A: Your registration is must be manually approved before you receive your login details. This may take up to 2 business days.

If you have not received the login email, please visit the applicant portal at bosch.fluxx.io, and click "Reset or create password". Enter the email that you used to complete the registration form, and you will receive an email with a link to set your password.

If you are still unable to sign in, please email info@besteachergrant.org.

Review Process & Decisions

Q: When will I hear back about the status of my application?

A: Decisions about funding will be made and communicated to applicants by December 8, 2023.

 Q: How are applications reviewed?

A: Each application will be reviewed by 2-3 reviewers who will score the application based on adherence to the rubric. Reviewers include subject-area experts, educational design experts, and local community stakeholders. The rubric can be found here. 

Receiving & Using Funds

Q: If I am awarded a grant, when and how will I receive my funding?

A: If an application is approved for funding, grant funding will be disbursed in  January 2024. Each grantee will receive a pre-loaded PEX Visa card with their grant amount. 

 Q: If I am awarded a grant, what is expected of me?

A: Grantees are expected to use the funds in the manner detailed in their teacher grant application. All grantees should be prepared to submit a final report on completion of their project and before the specified deadline of June 30, 2024.

Q: When can the grant funding be used?

A: Awarded funds must be used before your report deadline. Please refer to the flowchart above for more information. If there are extenuating circumstances that lead you to be unable to complete your grant project, please contact the BEST Teacher Grant team at info@besteachergrant.org.

Q: What is required for the final report?

A:  Awardees will be expected to report any deviations from the project plan, comment on the overall success of the project, share an anecdote of how their project benefitted their students, and upload student artifacts (examples of student work, photos, etc.). 

Q: Who owns the supplies purchased with this grant if a teacher moves to a different school or district? 

A: Any supplies purchased with funds from the BEST Teacher Grant program must remain with the school.

Can't find an answer to your question on this website? 

Please email info@besteachergrant.org for more information.