Classroom Microgrants for Language Educators

Classroom Microgrants for Language Educators is sponsored by American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). ACTFL provides microgrants to K-12 language educators for projects that support diverse perspectives and cultural competence.

ACTFL | Classroom Microgrants This program is open to all K-12 language educators regardless of setting.

Eligible individuals may apply for grants of $300 to fund a variety of projects, including: Organizing cultural events or activities for their learners, including those in collaboration with relevant community organizations; and Creating projects that support diverse perspectives and provide opportunities to develop cultural competence.

100 microgrants of $300 each will be awarded between August 2026 and April 2027 The three funding cycles include: August 17 - November 12 , with awards announced on Tuesday, November 17 November 13 - February 4, with awards announced on Tuesday, February 9 February 5 - April 22 , with awards announced on Tuesday, April 27 Please note the approximate dates of grant disbursement when making your request.

Proposals should not include basic classroom supplies (eg. markers, pencils, storage solutions, headphones, etc.).

Applicants should be aware that eventual payments to selected recipients are made via ACH which will require you or a school representative to enter either your personal banking details or details from your district account, or school club, etc, into our fully encrypted online system; candidates who are not comfortable with the payment process or whose school policies prohibit completion of this step will not be eligible to receive funding.

See examples of successful applications Exam­ple 1 : Lei Mak­ing Workshops Description of need and purpose: Our students put on community performances. This grant would help with the cost of lei making supplies that are used to prepare pūpūs and lei that are given out at these events.

These performances are essential for strengthening languages within our community by providing opportunities for people to hear and use their language actively while preserving traditions through songs, stories, and performances. These events offer enjoyable ways for individuals, especially younger generations, to learn their language from elders and artists, fostering a sense of identity and belonging.

They inspire language learning, promote community bonding, celebrate linguistic diversity, boost local economies, showcase the beauty of the language through artistic expressions, and document its history for future generations, ultimately ensuring the continued vitality and relevance of the language within the community.

Description of anticipated expenses: 5 Lei Prep Scissors - $50 Exam­ple 2 : Immi­gra­tion Poet­ry Club Description of need and purpose: A major part of teaching language is about guiding students to be more empathetic towards others. In a Spanish classroom, that means covering immigration and environmental issues at a human level. What is more human than poetry?

I would like to be able to purchase two books of poetry written by a fellow teacher in my state to enhance students’ understanding of these two globally and locally important human issues. The books are written with comprehensible input, so they will be accessible to their level of language. The author, Diego Ojeda, is a native of Colombia.

I hope to be able to incorporate his experiences to enrich the cultural perspective of an immigrant educator in our state. I hope to invite him to a virtual chat to supplement their experiences. Finally, I would like students to create with language, so they will write and share their own works.

Description of anticipated expenses: 15 copies of Acuerdo Natural ($9. 00 each) = $135 15 copies of Nostalgia Immigrante ($9. 00 each) = $135 Exam­ple 3 : Fla­men­co Bal­let Com­pa­ny Tickets Description of need and purpose: To incorporate culture into the classroom, I would like to take my students to a performance of Flamenco dancing by the Flamenco Ballet company.

I would use the grant to give students access to the field trip who could not afford to go otherwise. This would bring Spanish culture to my rural community. Description of anticipated expenses: Student tickets for dual performance = $33 each.

A $300 grant would allow about 9 students to attend the performance who overwise would not be able to afford their ticket. With a group of 30-50 in second year Spanish, other students pay for their own ticket and field trip fees would cover transportation expenses.

Application Requirements and Process Applicants must be K-12 language educators and provide a well-articulated need and purpose, including an itemized list of anticipated expenses—sharing all materials/services to be purchased and their prices. Applications that are not complete, or do not include the itemized list with budget will not be considered.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis , and applicants that don’t receive a grant in a given funding cycle (three per year) can reapply. Applicants are invited to submit one proposal per funding cycle. Awardees must agree to submit a short video (30-45 seconds maximum) within a week of grant notification to be used to promote the microgrants program.

Videos should answer the prompt: "I teach a language because..." and should share the grantee's name, language and level taught, and anticipated use for the funds. Recipients are limited to one award annually across the three funding cycles.

Recipients may reapply (if applying for the same project as a funded proposal, please provide rationale). Interested in supporting an impactful initiative like this? We invite you to contact ACTFL Executive Director Larry Paska to discuss customizable options.

Please check the below to show your eligibility I am a K-12 language educator Email: * To prevent potential issues with firewalls and other restrictions, applicants are encouraged to enter an email address that is not affiliated with their school district.

Demographics State Abbreviation * Description of need and purpose: * (Maximum of 150 words) Description of anticipated expenses: * Provide a brief itemized list, sharing all anticipated materials/services to be purchased & their prices. If your overall budgets exceeds $300, please also confirm your source for the remaining funds. Have you previously received an ACTFL/Vista Microgrant during the program's previous year?

* Your selection below does not affect your eligibility to receive funding in the current academic year. Recipients are limited to one award annually. Yes, I was awarded a microgrant previously!

No, I have not yet received a microgrant. I grant to ACTFL and Vista Higher Learning, their representatives, and employees, the right to use my or my organization’s video/photo, in connection with the Microgrants Program, including using and publishing it electronically.

I agree that ACTFL and Vista Higher Learning may use my video/photo for any lawful purpose, including but not limited to publicity, illustration, advertising, and Web content, so long as they give me credit as the creator/owner of the video.

If the video/photo I upload depicts any individuals other than myself, it is my responsibility to provide ACTFL with a signed photo release form for each person shown at the time of submission (releases must include a parent/guardian signature for minors).

Video agreement * I understand that selected awardees must submit a short video (30-45 seconds maximum) within one week of grant notification, answering the prompt "I teach a language because..." and sharing my name, language and level taught, and anticipated use for the funds; I agree to the video permissions listed above.