Grants & Awards

Complete and submit application via email to Foundation@ArizonaEA.org. These grants and scholarships will be considered upon submission.

Emergency Crisis Grant

To ease the financial hardship for an AEA member or public school that has experienced an unexpected, unforeseen loss impacting work performance or hindering students' achievement or progress. Emergency assistance can be requested for an Environmental Catastrophe, a Housing Misfortune, or a Family Need. Grant amounts may be awarded up to $1,500.

Emergency Crisis Grant Application- Emergency Crisis Grant Applications will be considered upon submission.

National Board Certification Scholarship

PURPOSE: The AEA Foundation for Teaching & Learning offers scholarships to teaching professionals who pursue National Board Certification, the highest professional achievement in teaching. Applicants are encouraged to utilize all available financial resources to offset their National Board Certification fees.

ELIGIBILITY: Preference will be given to AEA members (but others can apply) enrolled in at least one of the Arizona K12 Center NBCT programs, have contributed personal funds to program components and submitted an application to the NBPTS.

National Board Certification Scholarship Application- Maximum grant is $400 per component/K12 Center Support Programs with a maximum of 2 components per calendar year.

Mary Kay Haviland Angel Fund Grant

PURPOSE: The Mary Kay Haviland Angel Fund offers direct assistance to an individual student with educational or personal needs. Grants may be used to purchase items that improve an individual student’s school learning or academic performance.

ELIGIBILITY: Any school employee may apply on behalf of an individual student, who is under the professional charge of the requesting school employee.

Mary Kay Haviland Angel Fund Grant Application- Offers direct assistance to meet personal or educational needs of an individual student.

Professional Development Grant

PURPOSE: The Professional Development Grant is offered to further the teaching profession through leadership development, craft and skill improvement, or collaborative learning with colleagues.

ELIGIBILITY: Any full-time teacher or education support professional currently employed in an Arizona K-12 public school.

Professional Development Grant Application- All grant applications will be reviewed and awards will be made at the end of each calendar quarter.

Allen W. Sayler Fine Arts Grant

PURPOSE: This grant offers scholarships to develop an appreciation of fi ne arts and to enrich the lives of children by seeking way to support students in music, drama, dance and art.

ELIGIBILITY: Any organization or public school employee that offers fi ne arts program opportunities to under-served, public school students in Arizona public school.

Allen W. Sayler Fine Arts Grant Application- May only be awarded this grant once per calendar year.

All Annual Grants applications must be submitted by 5:00pm on March 1. Complete & submit via email to Foundation@ArizonaEA.org

Nell Wilcoxen Scholarship

PURPOSE: This AEA Foundation for Teaching & Learning scholarship helps defray tuition costs to pursue a teaching career.

ELIGIBILITY: Scholarships are available to AEA members or their immediate family.

Nell Wilcoxen Scholarship Application

LIFT Grant

PURPOSE: AEA Learning Improvement through Faculty Teams (LIFT) Grants are given for the purpose of enhancing student learning through the collaboration of faculty, who may include support professionals.

ELIGIBILITY: Each project must be initiated, implemented, and directed by teams of at least two AEA members.

LIFT Grant Application

Promise Grant

PURPOSE: Promise Grants support members’ small projects that are in the spirit of AEA’s mission—“Keeping the Promise of Quality Public Education”—and address one of AEA’s Strategic Objectives.

ELIGIBILITY: Each project must be initiated and implemented by an AEA member. Grants may be awarded for a broad range of projects that are designed to further one of the strategic objectives and ultimately improve student learning.

Promise Grant Application

Diversity Grant

PURPOSE: The AEA Diversity Grant offers opportunities to develop and pursue instructional programs or curriculum that promote diversity, tolerance, and respect for humankind.

ELIGIBILITY: The program must be initiated and implemented by an AEA member or team of AEA members.

Diversity Grant Application

GSA Encouragement Grant

PURPOSE: Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Encouragement Grants offer opportunities for Gay-Straight Alliances in Arizona to pursue their mission of improving the school climate for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

ELIGIBILITY: Each project must be initiated and implemented by an Arizona GSA that is registered with the GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network). It is preferred that the club sponsor be an AEA member.

GSA Encouragement Grant Application

All Annual Award nominations must be submitted by 5:00pm on March 1 to be considered. Complete & submit to Foundation@ArizonaEA.org

Christa McAuliffe Award

The Christa McAuliffe annual award recognizes an AEA educator who inspires their peers and makes them proud to be a teacher. Named for the first American civilian and teacher in space, this award honors an Arizona educator. The recipient receives a $1,500 cash award and becomes AEA's entrant to NEA Foundation Teaching Excellence Award.

Christa McAuliffe Award application

ESPecially for Kids Award

The ESPecially for Kids annual award recognizes extraordinary efforts by an education support professional in service to public education. The recipient receives a $1,500 cash award and becomes AEA's entrant in the NEA Education Support Professional of the Year.

ESPecially for Kids Award application

HCR Award

The annual Human and Civil Rights Award recognizes Arizona leaders who promote diversity; programs that lead to improved human relations; efforts leading to improved school district support of human and civil rights; or successful implementation of human and civil rights program. The recipient receives a $1,000 cash award.

HCR Award application

Diversity Award

The annual AEA Diversity Award recognizes excellence in teaching or promoting diversity, tolerance, and respect for humankind through an instructional program or curriculum.

Diversity Award application

Affirmative Action Award

The annual AEA Affirmative Action Award honors leadership in increasing the number of students of color who choose to enter teaching, efforts that improve school-district hiring practices and increase people of color employment, and successful implementation of affirmative action policies within school districts.

Affirmative Action Award application

Public Relations Partnership

The annual School Public Relations Partnership Award honors an exceptional school public relations employee who has cultivated a positive relationship between the district, the local association, and the community and improved the public's understanding about their schools.

Public Relations Partnership application

Excellence in Education News Coverage

The annual Excellence in Education News Coverage Award recognizes a print, radio, or television reporter for exceptional work in covering Arizona education issues and/or events.

Excellence in Education News Coverage application

Partners in Education

The annual Partners in Education Award honors those who support neighborhood schools. It honors corporations, local businesses, individuals, or community groups that exhibit exemplary support for local public schools.

Partners in Education application

Envision Equity Grants

Envision Equity Grants support project-based learning and help educators to advance students’ cultural understanding and appreciation, anti-racism commitments, and understanding of civic engagement and democracy.

Envision Equity grants will fund projects between $1,500 and $5,000. Grants fund activities for 12 months from the date of the award.

Online web portal application. Submit your application by September 15, 2022.

Learning & Leadership Grants

Through our Learning & Leadership grants, we support the professional development of NEA members by providing grants to: 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. Learning and Leadership grants are intended to provide resources for educators hoping to engage in professional learning that can be implemented in their classrooms.

Learning & Leadership grants will fund projects between $1,500 and $5,000. Grants fund activities for 12 months from the date of the award.

Online web portal application. Submit your application by September 15, 2022.

Student Success Grants

The NEA Foundation wants to support educators engaging students in project-based and deeper learning to support the development of skills and dispositions contributing to success and fulfillment in a changing world. We invite applications from educators, specialized instructional support personnel, and education support professionals to: develop and implement a project that will enhance students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills; develop and implement a project supporting personalized and experiential learning; support students’ mastery of essential academic content; support students’ cultural understanding and appreciation; promote students’ communication and collaboration skills; or enable students to engage in learning experiences connected to real-world issues and challenges.

Grants between $1,500 and $5,000 are available. Grants fund activities for 12 months from the date of the award.

Online web portal application. Submit your application by September 15, 2022.

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.

Applications for the 2024 cohort will open in Fall 2022.

The NEA Foundation Awards for Teaching Excellence present an annual opportunity for NEA state leaders to collectively and publicly recognize and reward exemplary educators for their outstanding instruction and advocacy to advance the profession. Each NEA direct affiliate may nominate an educator to receive an Award for Teaching Excellence between September and May.

California Casualty awardees are nominated from across the country by their NEA state affiliates and represent the best of their profession. From that pool of exceptional educators, 5 are chosen as Horace Mann awardees, and 1 is selected as the NEA Member Benefits awardee.

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The California Casualty awardees, selected by their NEA affiliates, represent educators from across the country who embody excellence in their practice, advocacy for the profession, commitment to equity and opportunity, community engagement, and leadership in professional development.

From the many California Casualty awardees selected by NEA affiliates, 5 are selected by an expert panel to receive the Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence. These top educators stand out for their leadership inside and out of the classroom – demonstrating expertise in their practice, advocating for their students and the profession, manifesting a commitment to equity and diversity, engaging their communities, and supporting other educators in the learning process.