Pyramid Awards

A keystone program of the Oldham County Educational Foundation (OCEF) since its founding in 1989. These are individual competitive grants awarded to teachers or staff for engaging classroom projects.

Geographic Scope: Oldham County Schools, Kentucky

Eligibility:

• Teachers and staff in Oldham County Schools
• Applicants must develop innovative projects introducing unique, new, or different instructional methods
• Projects must be designed to actively involve students in the learning process and increase student learning outcomes
• Projects are evaluated by a panel of OCEF Board members and non-school affiliated community members using rigorous scoring criteria
• Projects must meet a certain scoring threshold to receive funding

Funding Focus:

• Innovative instructional strategies to increase student learning outcomes
• Student engagement through hands-on, active learning
• Novel or different teaching methods

What Can Be Funded:

• Instructional materials
• Equipment
• Partial stipends for guest instructors
• Partial admission costs to community resources

What Cannot Be Funded:

• Transportation costs
• Consumable items
• Teacher stipends

Background: Since 1990, OCEF has awarded grants to classroom teachers. The program was formalized in 1995 as the Pyramid Awards. In 2025, a record-breaking $52,109 was awarded to teachers and staff. Over the 30+ year history of OCEF, over $600,000 has been awarded through this program.

Application Process

Submission Requirements:

• Teachers submit project applications
• Applications are evaluated using rigorous scoring criteria by OCEF Board members and non-school affiliated community members
• Projects must achieve a certain scoring level to receive funding

Required Information (based on evaluation criteria):

• Description of innovative project
• Instructional methods to be used
• How the project will actively involve students in learning
• Expected impact on student learning outcomes
• How the project encourages student engagement through hands-on, active learning
• Budget detailing how funds will be used (instructional materials, equipment, guest instructor stipends, or community admission costs)
• Justification that funds are necessary and cannot be covered through other means

Note: Specific application form, deadline, and detailed submission instructions are not provided in the available website content.