Computer Science Teacher Equipment and Community Grant

The Georgia Department of Education, through its Office of Teaching and Learning, administers the Computer Science Teacher Equipment and Community Grant using state funds to support the growth of computer science education in Georgia public schools. The grant is designed for the 2026-2027 school year and is described as non-renewable and non-transferable. GaDOE has made a maximum of $350,000 available through the program, with no individual grantee receiving more than $10,000 and only one discretionary grant awarded per school system. The grant has two related purposes. Its primary purpose is to build a community for computer science teachers that provides professional support for instruction, practice, and pedagogy. Its secondary purpose is to expand the use of physical computing as a way to engage students in computer science education. Each grant is intended to support up to five teachers in joining a professional organization for computer science educators, such as the Computer Science Teachers Association, and in paying registration costs for a local or national computer science-focused conference. The RFA estimates these membership and conference costs at $500 per teacher. Funding also supports the purchase of a class set of physical computing devices and the professional training necessary for implementation and use, estimated at $1,500 per teacher. Awarded funds must support computer science instruction occurring during the regular school day. At the high school level, supported instruction must occur through discrete, state-approved computer science courses beginning with the 11.XX course prefix. At the middle school level, computer science instruction may be embedded in any state-approved course when meaningful computer science content is intentionally included. Eligible equipment and consumable supplies must develop or supplement quality physical computing initiatives, increase access to computer science instruction, be implemented as part of a graded state-approved computer science or related course during the regular school day, and directly relate to the Georgia Standards of Excellence for Computer Science. Examples listed in the RFA include 3D printers, programming drones, LEGO weDo, Vex, Arduinos, Microbits, and Raspberry Pi devices. The RFA does not state a cost-share or matching requirement. All Georgia Local Educational Agencies are eligible to apply on behalf of eligible educators. An eligible educator must teach at least one computer science course during the current school year in a K-12 Georgia public school. Eligible instruction includes both discrete computer science courses and courses that integrate computer science, including gifted or STEM courses. Only one application submission is permitted per school system. Grantees must participate in one orientation meeting addressing program goals and objectives, implementation procedures, progress, and programmatic success and effectiveness. LEAs may purchase only items approved in the Grant Funding and Budget section of the application, and any required budget adjustment must receive GaDOE approval before the budget is amended. Applications must be completed online using the CSTEC Grant Application Link referenced in the RFA. Faxed, emailed, and paper proposals are not accepted. The application consists of the Grant Application Form and a Signature Form uploaded within the application form. Supplemental or revised proposal formats, attachments, or information from the applicant agency or other sources are not accepted. Applicants are advised to submit early to account for technical issues or other unexpected delays. Applications are reviewed and scored by a GaDOE-approved and trained reviewer using a rubric addressing eligibility, completeness, responsiveness to the RFA, merit, federal indicators of need, and special considerations such as satisfactory completion of previous grants, including spending and reporting. Reviewers assign numerical scores and comments, and the grant review team meets to determine consensus. Awards are made to the applicants with the highest scores. The application was released August 3, 2026, and completed applications are due October 2, 2026, at 5 p.m.; under the specified data-entry convention, the time is treated as Eastern Time because the RFA does not specify a time zone. Grant selection is scheduled for October 16, 2026, followed by State Board of Education approval of award allocations on November 4-5, 2026. Grant Award Notifications are expected in November 2026, at which time funds are also expected to become available through the Consolidated Application on the MyGaDOE Portal. Awards are not final until State Board approval and issuance of the official Grant Award Notification, and grantees may not obligate funds before receiving that notification. The period of performance begins in November 2026 and ends in October 2027, although all funds must be invoiced by June 30, 2027, and grant close-out in ConApp is due July 30, 2027. Grantees must also complete required fiscal reporting in GAORS. The named program contact is Lavita Williams, Lead Computer Science Program Specialist, at lavita.williams@doe.k12.ga.us. The RFA does not state that the opportunity recurs annually or on another defined schedule.

Submit early to allow for technical issues; ensure the application is eligible, complete, responsive to the RFA, and demonstrates merit; address applicable federal indicators of need and prior-grant spending/reporting considerations; identify clear project goals and measures of success; request only allowable and approved budget items; do not submit supplemental or revised materials.