The 2026 Grant Cycle opens May 1st at 9:00 AM!

Be inspired by a PD of your choosing – get creative about a new skill, a new approach or deepening your current knowledge.

This annual grant opportunity is for K-12 educators who want to level up their teaching and student learning by participating in an in-person or virtual Professional Development.

Check out the Application Questions here

• Attend a conference in person or virtually
• Bring a subject matter expert to your school or district
• Collaborate in a work session with other educators
• Visit a school locally or out of state

Eligible schools are those with a qualifying zip code in our service area.

St. Louis Public School (SLPS) educators, we invite you to explore grant opportunities through our friends at the St. Louis Education Fund. While ITEF cannot currently make direct grants to SLPS institutions, we look forward to supporting your work in other ways.

*Please Read 2026 Lean into Learning changes before applying* 

• Lean into Learning will open May 1, 2026 instead of June 1. 
  
• Lean into Learning is a rolling grant cycle. Applications are accepted until funding has been spent.  There is no predetermined application end date.
• ITEF will fund a maximum of five professional development (PD) grant requests per school/district.
• At least two educators must be represented on one application, with a funding request maximum of $5,000.
• Up to $25,000 may be requested for a group of five or more educators attending the same conference. At least five educators must be in attendance for a $25,000 request. Your budget must include expense details for all participants. 
• Priority will be given to unrepeated applicants. Submitting or being named on multiple applications does not guarantee that more than one application will be funded.
• Exceptions may be considered for school-wide or department-level initiatives. For example, an educator may apply for a PD opportunity for themselves and a colleague and separately submit a request for a speaker to present to the entire school community.
• Check with your district’s professional development approval process prior to submitting your application to ensure your request is eligible at the district level.
• Expect at least a 30 day turn around between submission and notice of award, and an additional 15-day turnaround for grant payment, or longer, if your school does not accept electronic payment through Bill.com 
• Reach out to ITEF prior to submitting if multiple schools or districts are interested in collaborating to co-host an expert speaker or local conference.

    Email ITEF@innovteched.com with any questions!