Ecolab Teacher Grant Program

Ecolab provides funding to Saint Paul Public Schools to support teacher-led projects that inspire and engage students. The Ecolab Teacher Grant Program offers a convenient and efficient way for teachers to apply for and receive funds that support classroom learning.

The Ecolab Teacher Grant Program consists of a regular cycle, which accepts applications at the end of the school year, and a microgrant cycle, which accepts applications for smaller awards midway through the school year.

Staff in the SPPS Innovation Office run the application and awards management process. Applications are read and scored by a team of volunteer reviewers from SPPS, Ecolab, and the greater community, with the highest scoring applications receiving funding.

The 2025 Teacher Microgrant Program is now accepting applications!

Applications for the Ecolab Teacher Microgrant Program are now open! With just a simple application, all licensed SPPS staff are eligible to be awarded a grant of up to $1,500. The Ecolab Teacher Microgrant Program will only fund individual projects, with a priority given to applicants who have not received a teacher grant for this school year. The full application can be accessed here: 2025-26 Ecolab Teacher Microgrant Application Form.

For more information, Ecolab Microgrant grant application guidelines can be found at our website: Ecolab Teacher Grant Program - Saint Paul Public Schools. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on December 21st.

The Innovation Office is happy to help you develop a competitive application and will be holding Microsoft Teams office hours every Wednesday from 3-4 p.m. (join at this link). This year, we are also hosting a 30-minute informational session to provide tips on each section of the application and review the rubric you will be scored on. This info session will take place on Wednesday, December 3rd from 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. via this Teams link.

Projects must be reviewed by the Innovation Office and school principal for eligibility before being submitted. If you are interested in applying, please either fill out our Intent for Grant Application form or email a description of your project to Grants Assistant Durowaa Agyeman-Mensah (durowaa.agyeman-mensah@spps.org).

We welcome all licensed SPPS staff with all levels of experience with grants and teaching to apply! The Innovation Office greatly looks forward to reading your application and providing any needed support!

Application Overview

Ecolab grants are generally suitable for projects that will impact a classroom or students of one grade. All SPPS teachers and paraprofessionals are eligible to apply. In the regular summer cycle, applicants can apply for up to $2,500 individually or $5,000 as a team. In the microgrant cycle, individual applicants can apply for up to $1,500 individually.

Application Requirements

Grants may fund the purchase of classroom materials, field trip admissions, transportation, and other educational supplies and resources. Substitute time for field trips is now an allowable expense as of December 2025, if approved by your principal.

Unallowable expenses include:

Furniture
Staff training
Animal dissection supplies
Technology hardware (computers, tablets, SMART Boards, etc.)
Any purchases that don’t directly affect students

These guidelines are set by Ecolab and non-negotiable.

All grant applications must:

Be approved by the applicant’s principal before submission
Be written solely by the applicant(s)
Not exceed word limits — Any words over the maximum allowed will not be reviewed
Not exceed the maximum funding request — For the regular cycle, individual requests over $2,500 or team requests over $5,000 will not be reviewed. For microgrants, individual requests over $1,500 will not be reviewed.

All materials purchased with award funds will become the property of SPPS. If you receive a grant and transfer to a different school, the grant funds and materials purchased stay with the school designated on the grant application. Funds also must be spent entirely during the school year they are awarded and will not carry over beyond June.

Durowaa Agyeman-Mensah,
Grants Assistant
durowaa.agyeman-mensah@spps.org

“Teachers have an important job to do, and we are proud to support their work and the school district through this program. Funds provided through the Ecolab Teacher Grants Program will assist educators in their efforts to enrich the learning experience for their students.”

~ Kris Taylor, vice president, Ecolab Community Relations

Application Tips

Answer directly: Make sure each response explicitly answers all parts of the question provided, rather than writing around the general topic.
Make connections: A good formula for explaining why you need a grant for this project is 1.) funds should connect to the material or service you need, 2.) the material/service you need should connect to a classroom activity, and 3.) the classroom activity should connect to a desired outcome.
Use active language: Avoid passive voice for clearer, more compelling narrative responses. For example, use "I will teach students ___" instead of "Students will be taught ___"
Use metrics: If applicable or possible, data can help make a case for the need of your project. Think about how success can be measured through metrics such as student attendance, participation, or other numeric measures that indicate growth.
Avoid jargon: Remember you are writing to an audience of teachers and non-teachers. Some proposals will be reviewed by people who don’t have the knowledge of classroom curriculum, common school acronyms, or jargon.
For team projects: Provide a detailed description of how working as a team will strengthen your project, what can you accomplish as a team you could not as an individual?
Be clear: State the specific goal or outcome you hope to see from your project.
Be transparent: Make sure every cost listed in your budget is justified in your narrative.
Consult a second reader: Another eye on your application can help notice mistakes or spots where responses may be unclear. Reach out to Abraham Teuber at abraham.teuber@spps.org if you're in need of a second reader.
Triple check: Make sure your application is complete and in compliance all of the checklist items at the top of the document. Applications that don't meet these requirements will not be eligible for review.

Application Examples

Top Scoring Past Applications

Here are some of the highest scoring narratives from the 2020 application cycle. The narrative has been modified a little every year to help applicants provide clearer and more useful project information, so these won't match this year's narrative exactly.

Districtwide Individual - to provide accessibility equipment for pool use

Elementary Individual - to increase the availability of e-books

Elementary Team - for a program that provides hands-on science and activities as taught by scientists

Secondary Individual - to provide technical theater equipment and tools

Secondary Team - for hands-on chemistry kits for each student during the pandemic