Ohio State Funding
Central Ohio STEM Innovation Grant
Eligibility
- Must be a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization
- Located in or serving students from Central Ohio (Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, or Union counties)
- May apply as a single organization or as a consortium
Goals
- Support new or early-stage informal K–12 STEM programs
- Programs must occur out-of-school (before/after school, weekends, breaks)
- Must align with one of these focus areas:
- Career Readiness (e.g., internships, career exploration)
- Student Success (e.g., tutoring, SEL integration, engagement strategies)
Application Due Date
- June 25, 2025, by 11:59 p.m.
Grant Cycle
- One-time grant with the opportunity to apply for continued funding in a future cycle (up to two additional years for a single project)
- Programs must begin no later than June 2026
Grant Award Total Amount
- No minimum or maximum stated
Allowable Purchases
- LEGO® Education solutions like SPIKE™ Essential and SPIKE™ Prime, along with LEGO® Education Science kits and hands-on PD, align well by:
- Supporting out-of-school STEM learning
- Encouraging collaboration, creativity, and inquiry-based problem solving
- Fitting informal settings like summer camps or weekend programs
- Strengthening career readiness and student success through hands-on engagement
Program Implementation Requirements
- Must be innovative and different from current offerings
- Must provide a timeline, delivery method, location, and participant recruitment strategy
- At least two measurable goals are required, with clear evaluation methods
- Collaboration with other organizations is encouraged (letters of support required)
- Grantees must complete an annual Student Impact Report
Keep in Mind
- Programs should be informal and community-based out-of-school time (OST) programming, not school-day focused
- Innovation and engagement are major scoring criteria—programs should be fresh, fun, and impactful
- Clearly explain the budget and intended outcomes
- Be concise and focused in the narrative (character limits apply)
- Late or incomplete proposals will not be accepted
- Technical assistance is available via Teams on June 10 and June 16