Wouldn’t it be awesome if you did the thing…
…opened a quiet food-and-supplies shelf in your classroom?
You noticed who came in hungry. You stocked a shelf and told families discreetly. No forms, no shame.
The expertise is already in the building.
Most efforts to fix community problems are designed by people who don’t live in those communities. You do. You’ve seen which interventions stick and which ones get politely ignored. We want your idea, not a sanitized version of it: the thing you’d actually do if you had the time and the funding.
It’s the same rubric as the student track. Two trained judges score two things and confirm the idea is genuinely yours. They never judge production quality or on-camera comfort; a phone video in your empty classroom is exactly right.
A need you’ve seen firsthand, in your classroom, your hallway, or your district. Specifics are better than abstractions, and naming who benefits is better than generalities.
Logical first steps and awareness of what it would take: the costs, the partners, the first move. You know what interventions actually require; show it.
$1,000 to get started. A win pays $1,000 directly to you: supplies, a stipend for your time, an honorarium for a collaborator. You decide the line items.
Up to $10,000 to keep going. Show the idea ran in the real world (people served, milestones hit), and real progress can earn up to $10,000 more for the same project.
One short video. That’s it.
We’re not asking for a grant proposal. A 1–2 minute video of you explaining your idea (what, why, who, and what you’d do first) is the submission. We give you a browser recorder. You can re-record as many times as you want; only your chosen take counts.
The whole point is to lower the activation energy. The educators we most want to hear from are the ones with the least time to spare for paperwork.
The things you’d want to know first.
Full educator FAQ →Who counts as an educator?+
It's self-defined: teachers (public, private, charter, homeschool), principals, counselors, coaches, club and community leaders. If you work with young people in North Carolina, you can submit.
Do I need administrator permission?+
To submit, no. To run your idea inside school facilities, that depends on what you're doing, and we can help you think it through after acceptance.
What dates matter?+
Submissions open July 15, 2026 and close October 4, 2026. Submit any day in that window. Yes-or-no in 10 days.
How is money paid?+
Direct deposit or check, paid directly to you (no co-signer required, unlike the student track).
What format do I submit?+
A 1–2 minute video, recorded in your browser. No editing, no slides, no script required.
Can I submit as a group?+
No. Entries are individual. A co-teacher can absolutely help you shape the idea, but each submission comes from one educator, and any award is paid to that person. If you both have ideas, submit separately.
You’ve been carrying this idea around. Put it to work.
An answer within 10 days. Winners funded right away. Up to $10,000 more if you make real progress. No application fee. No grant proposal.