Classroom Enhancement Grants

The Classroom Enhancement Grants aim to improve the quality of life in rural Oklahoma by providing funding opportunities for Pre-K through 12th-grade educators. These grants enable teachers to enhance their curriculum and enrich the learning environment with resources that may not be available otherwise. Established by the Carolyn Watson Rural Oklahoma Community Foundation, these grants support innovative projects that foster hands-on learning experiences and benefit students in designated rural areas.

NOTE: The "pre proposal" deadline listed above is the deadline to request access to the application.
Improving the Quality of Life in Rural Oklahoma
Carolyn Watson was a woman of action and understood the value of blessing others with the gifts she was given. The longtime chair and CEO of Shamrock Bancshares wanted to improve the quality of life for the residents living in the rural southern Oklahoma communities where her banks are located.
Born in Ada, Oklahoma, and a graduate of East Central University, Carolyn knew well where the needs and opportunities existed. In 1995, she established the Carolyn Watson Rural Oklahoma Community Foundation and in 2010, the Carolyn Watson Opportunities Scholarship.
Through these permanent endowment funds at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, she has provided teaching enhancements for classrooms, community literacy programs at public libraries and scholarships for students in designated rural Oklahoma communities.
Carolyn died on March 17, 2014, at the age of 86. She leaves behind a truly meaningful legacy that will benefit future generations of rural Oklahomans.
Designed to improve the quality of life in rural Oklahoma, classroom grants provide an opportunity for Pre-K through 12th-grade educators to go beyond traditional curriculum and enrich the teaching environment for their students and provide students with resources they would not otherwise have access to in their everyday classroom activities.

Eligibility

Public schools (grades Pre-K through 12) located in the counties and corresponding school districts below are eligible to apply.  Eligible public schools (grades Pre-K thru 12) must be located within the counties and districts listed below:Eligible counties: Adair, Atoka, Bryan, Caddo, Cherokee, Choctaw, Coal, Greer, Harmon, Haskell, Jackson, Johnston, Kiowa, Latimer, McCurtain, McIntosh, Okfuskee, Pushmataha, Tillman, WashitaSpecifically, the following school districts are eligible to apply:Adair County: Cave Springs, Dahlonegah, Greasy, Maryetta, Peavine, Rocky Mountain, Stilwell, Watts, Westville, ZionAtoka County: Atoka, Caney, Harmony, Lane, Stringtown, TushkaBryan County: Achille, Bennington, Caddo, Colbert, Rock Creek, SiloCaddo County: Binger-Oney, Apache, Carnegie, Cement, Cyril, Fort Cobb-Broxton, Gracemont, Hinton, Lookeba-SicklesCherokee County: Briggs, Grand View, Hulbert, Keys, Lowrey, Norwood, Peggs, Shady Grove, Tenkiller, WoodallChoctaw County: Boswell, Fort Towson, Hugo, SoperCoal County: Coalgate, Cottonwood, TupeloGreer County: Granite, LakesideHarmon County: HollisHaskell County: Keota, Kinta, McCurtain, WhitefieldJackson County: Blair, Duke, Navajo, Olustee-EldoradoJohnston County: Coleman, Mannsville, Milburn, Mill Creek, Ravia, Tishomingo, WapanuckaKiowa County: Lone Wolf, Mountain View-Gotebo, SnyderLatimer County: Buffalo Valley, Panola, Red OakMcCurtain County: Battiest, Denison, Eagletown, Forest Grove, Glover, Haworth, Holly Creek, Lukfata, Smithville, Valliant, Wright CityMcIntosh County: Eufaula, Hanna, Ryal, StidhamOkfuskee County: Bearden, Graham-Dustin, Mason, Okemah, Paden, WeleetkaPushmataha County: Albion, Antlers, Clayton, Moyers, Nashoba, Rattan, TuskahomaTillman County: Davidson, Grandfield, Oklahoma Youth Academy, TiptonWashita County: Burns Flat-Dill City, Canute, SentinelRequests to support Accelerated Reader must be supplemented with activities and/or curricula that go beyond the traditional AR approach.

Ineligibility

No virtual or distance learning projects will be considered for funding.Funding for the following items will generally not be supported unless essential to the success of the project:Office equipment or furnitureComputers (including Chromebooks), SMART boards, projectors, televisions, iPads, hot spots, or any hardware designed for virtual/distance learningAthletic, extracurricular or service-learning activities or equipmentVideos or DVDs