Ada Sunrise Rotary is now accepting applications for its Teacher Grant and School Support Grants, with $5,000 available to teachers, nurses, office staff, and maintenance staff at Pontotoc County-area schools. Funded by the Fireball Classic Memorial Race, the grants cover classroom and school needs that fall outside the regular budget. Applications open now; review begins November 1.
Ada Sunrise Rotary is accepting applications for its Teacher Grant and School Support Grants, a new program that puts $5,000 directly into the hands of local educators and school staff for needs their school budgets don't cover.
The grants are open to teachers, nurses, counselors, front-office staff, and maintenance staff at any of the club's partner schools, which include Ada, Allen, Latta, Byng (including Francis and Homer), Coalgate, Vanoss, Stonewall, Roff, Millcreek, Konowa, Asher, Sasakwa, and Tupelo. Requests can range from classroom supplies to larger needs for a nurse's office, front office, or school building. The club expects most requests to fall between $200 and $1,000, and one grant is available per person per year.
The application is designed to be simple. There is no lengthy paperwork and no reimbursement process: Ada Sunrise Rotary purchases the requested items directly or pays the vendor's invoice, with a preference for buying locally. Applicants can expect a response within about two to three weeks. In return, the club asks only for one photo and a short note about the impact once the grant is received.
The club will begin reviewing applications on November 1, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis after that until funds are disbursed.
The grants are part of Back to School Basics, an Ada Sunrise Rotary program that began in 1992 as a backpack drive and has grown into a year-round effort to fill gaps other programs don't reach. Each year the program provides backpacks and hygiene kits to more than 1,000 students across Pontotoc County and surrounding districts, delivers bulk supplies such as copy paper to schools mid-year, and gives a dictionary to every third grader each fall.
The program is funded entirely by proceeds from the Fireball Classic Memorial Race, held every July 4 at Wintersmith Park, along with the support of community sponsors.
School faculty and staff who want to share what their school needs, whether or not they are applying for a grant, can also complete a short school-needs survey on the club's website. The club uses the survey to plan service projects and direct funds where they will help most.
To apply for a grant or complete the school-needs survey, visit https://adasunriserotary.org/page/b2sb and click "Apply for a Teacher Grant and School Support Grant" or "Share Your School's Needs."
Ada Sunrise Rotary meets Fridays at 6:45 a.m. at the Aldridge Ballroom, 200 S. Broadway in Ada. For more information, visit https://adasunriserotary.org/.