Educational Spotlight

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be a full-time educator teaching in a K-8th grade classroom.
• Teach in a classroom located within PEC’s service area or a community served by PEC.
• Teach at a public school or nonpublic school recognized by the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission (TEPSAC) and the Commissioner of Education.

Additional requirements are outlined in the Educational Spotlight Grants Eligibility Requirements.

Please note: Individuals and teams that receive funding through the Educational Spotlight Grants Program must wait one application cycle before applying for another grant.

PEC’s Educational Spotlight Grant funds can be used for expenses directly tied to the approved project, including but not limited to:

• Classroom supplies and materials.
• Educational tools and instructional resources, including field trips.
• Consumable items needed to complete the project.

More information is available in the Educational Spotlight Grants Eligibility Requirements.

Approximately 10 $500 grants and five $1,000 grants will be awarded for qualified projects located within or in a community surrounded by our service area, up to $10,000 annually.

PEC’s Educational Spotlight Grants are funded by our members’ voluntary contributions to the Power of Change Program with the cooperative’s support. Learn more about our Power of Change Program.

Documentation of costs and possible vendors should be submitted as part of the project budget.

Once an application is received, our staff will review the organization and the proposed project for eligibility. The application will be scored based on the evaluation factors listed in the Educational Spotlight Grants Eligibility Requirements. A separate five-person committee of our employees will then review the scoring to ensure it is consistent. The highest-scoring applications will be selected.

Recipients will be notified via email and will be required to complete paperwork for funds to be distributed.

If you have questions not listed above regarding our Educational Spotlight Grants Program, email [email protected].

PEC will work with each school district’s Education Foundation to fund specific classroom projects in the chosen teacher’s name. If certain schools do not have an active Education Foundation, we will work directly with the school to fund the project.

To support program accountability, grant recipients must submit a final report to PEC’s Community Relations team within one calendar year of receiving the funds.

If selected, grant winners must submit the following information to PEC digitally:

• A brief written summary of the completed project.
• A 100-word statement explaining how the grant benefited students, staff, or the department.
• At least five photos and/or a two-minute video showcasing the project in action.