Investing in Teachers Who Invest in Students

Every child deserves a teacher with the tools, training, and support to help them succeed, and every teacher deserves access to those tools.

Scholar Grants provide up to $5,000 to teachers in grades 2 through 8 for professional development, instructional resources, and classroom technology to raise student achievement in math and English language arts to grade-level proficiency and beyond.

Applications are accepted twice a year. Find the 2026 dates below.

• Cycle 1: February 23 – March 13
• Cycle 2: August 3 – September 4

Great teaching rarely happens alone, and neither does great learning. Scholar Grants support grade-level teams committed to growing together so their students can grow too.

• Eligibility:
  • Open to educators in grades 2 through 8 who apply as a grade-level and/or subject-area team committed to collaboration, professional growth, and peer support in math and/or English language arts.
  • Middle school teams may include multiple grade levels if needed to support collaboration.
  • Nonprofits partnering with eligible school systems may also apply, but applications must be submitted in the school's name, with funds dispersed directly to the school.

Your proposal must include:

• Teacher-Selected Professional Development: All applying teachers select PD focused on raising student achievement in math and/or English language arts. PD must be included in every proposal, even if it's free; in that case, funds may be used for other eligible resources.
• Instructional Resources and Classroom Technology: Resources and technology should increase student engagement, scaffold instruction, and improve learning in math and/or English language arts.
• Measuring Student Achievement: Describe how PD, instructional resources, and classroom technology work together to improve student achievement, and how that success will be measured.

Priority will be given to:

• Title I schools, or schools with 50% or more of their full-time students receiving free or reduced meals
• Schools serving students in Alabama Power's service territory