Supporting Classroom Success

Empowering Classrooms Through Enrichments

The Bend-La Pine Education Foundation offers Classroom Enrichment Grants twice a year — Fall and Spring. These grants support innovative projects that bring education to life and provide hands-on learning experiences for students.

What is a Classroom Enrichment?
A classroom enrichment is a creative, engaging project that deepens learning and inspires students beyond the traditional curriculum. Examples include: A science lesson on objects in motion where a teacher purchased derby cars, allowing students to experience physics concepts firsthand. A watershed study project where students tested water samples with lab supplies, connecting classroom learning to real-world environmental issues.

The Bend-La Pine Education Foundation is excited to share several updates to its Classroom Enrichment opportunities for the 2026–27 school year.As the Foundation looks ahead to the coming year, Classroom Enrichment funding is being refocused around its core mission: supporting meaningful projects, activities, and experiences that bring curriculum to life and extend learning beyond the traditional classroom experience. This renewed focus, along with a new funding opportunity through St. Charles Health System, will provide educators with several ways to bring innovative and enriching opportunities to Bend-La Pine students.

‍2026–27 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AT A GLANCE

     Signature Classroom Enrichment - Up to $10,000 for larger-scale, high-impact enrichment projects

      IInnovation Classroom Enrichment - Up to $2,000 for creative, hands-on and experiential classroom learning

      SSocial-Emotional Learning (SEL) - Up to $500 for projects supporting student connection, resilience and well-being

‍‍Signature Classroom Enrichment - Up to $10,000: New this year, the Education Foundation will fund one Signature Classroom Enrichment. Educators may apply in the fall for a Signature Classroom Enrichment, offering up to $10,000 in funding for larger-scale, high-impact projects. Signature funding may support an individual school project or a collaborative effort involving a department, grade level, school team, or group of educators.The goal is to provide the funding and time needed during the school year to bring meaningful, innovative enrichment opportunities to life for students.

Innovation Classroom Enrichment - Up to $2,000: Innovation Classroom Enrichments will continue to provide funding of up to $2,000 for creative, engaging projects that enhance or extend classroom instruction. These grants are designed to support hands-on, experiential, and project-based learning that brings innovative ideas and enriching opportunities directly to students.The Signature Classroom Enrichment application is included within the Innovation Classroom Enrichment application, allowing educators to apply through a single application process.

NEW SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING FUNDING OPPORTUNITY SEL Funding - Up to $500: The Foundation is also excited to offer a new funding opportunity specifically for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) projects, activities, and materials.Through St. Charles Health System’s Community Benefit Grants program, the Foundation has the opportunity to submit requests throughout the year for grants of up to $500 to support projects that positively impact the social and emotional well-being of students. To take advantage of this opportunity, a separate SEL Application will be available to Bend-La Pine educators.

Requests may support areas such as: Student belonging, connection, relationships and classroom communityEmotional regulation, coping skills and resilienceReducing loneliness or social isolationOther identified social and emotional needs of students.

‍How the SEL Application Works: The SEL application window will coincide with the Classroom Enrichment application period, opening August 31 and closing September 27. Applications will be placed into a pool of eligible SEL projects for consideration throughout the year as funding opportunities become available through St. Charles Health System. Projects within the applicant pool that meet the applicable funding criteria will be considered for these opportunities. St. Charles Health System makes the final funding decision, with awards limited to a maximum of $500 per request. Because funding is limited and competitive, submitting an application does not guarantee that a project will be forwarded to St. Charles or receive funding. The SEL application is intentionally brief and is designed to provide an understanding of:
      -The proposed activity and materials needed to support the project
      -The SEL need being addressedHow the project will benefit students
      -The number of students impacted and the intended outcomes
      -How the requested funds will be used

This SEL funding opportunity is separate from the Classroom Enrichment program and is specifically intended to support projects and resources that address students’ social-emotional learning and well-being.

Funding Priorities:
Our goal is to impact as many students as possible. Priority is given to:
      -Projects with multi-year impact
       -Title I schools without parent organizations to provide support
       -Projects reaching a large number of students
       -Innovative projects that inspire new ways of learning.

We Do Not Fund: