Contests, Grants & Scholarships

Missouri NEA, NEA, and our partners look out for our members. We offer a number of grants to help professional members further their careers, participate in global studies, and fund their BIG ideas for student-centered learning projects. Scan the list below to see which contests, scholarships, and grants may benefit you and your students. 

Questions? Contact MNEA Professional Practice Director Samantha Hayes at samantha.hayes@mnea.org or (573) 644-9625.

Public School K-12 Student Essay and Visual Art contest 2024 Contest Materials (pdf) The Missouri NEA Human Rights Committee is sponsoring the 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay and Visual Art Contest for K-12 public school students. The theme for the 2024 contest is "Leadership and Service." Students are being asked to reflect on the qualities of leadership and service that were exemplified by...
Request for Assistance Caring Help for Education Endeavors by Retirees was formed by Missouri NEA-Retired to be a public service by enhancing the learning conditions of Missouri's children. CHEER provides opportunities for MNEA-Retired members to reach out to public school district employees and provide financial and material resources. Application Process Complete the Missouri NEA-Retired CHEER...
Through its Humanitarian Outreach Project for Education Fund, Missouri NEA assists members, students, and public schools. The HOPE Fund is designed to provide relief to members, students, and/or public schools who are experiencing hardship and/or need educational-related supplies due to natural disasters. Requests for assistance should be made by a current Missouri NEA member and directed to MNEA...
Grants for Probationary Teachers and ESP. Missouri NEA understands your struggles as educators and support professionals. You want to be the best educator you can be for the students in your school. You know there's more knowledge to gain, but the budget is tight, and you're not sure how you'll swing it. Missouri NEA can help. Thanks to funding from Reliant Financial Services , your MNEA...
The NEA Foundation Grants Over the past decade, The NEA Foundation has invested more than $8 million in teaching grants to support the work of more than 5,000 educators from every state in the country to help students succeed. Each year, the Foundation awards approximately 150 Student Achievement and Learning and Leadership Grants. The NEA Foundation awards two levels of grant funding, $1,500 or...
Former Missouri NEA Executive Director Peggy Cochran and late husband Paul were both teachers. Both come from families of teachers. Two of their children are teachers in the St. Louis area. They believe that teaching is the most rewarding career anyone can choose. To encourage people to become teachers, they created a $500 scholarship in support of one of these individuals each year. Applicants...
This is a $500 scholarship established to encourage and support high school students pursuing a degree in education. Teaching is a rewarding career in many ways. With the number of candidates declining for careers in education, Educators Rising is here to offer support to those just beginning the journey. Eligibility: Applicants must be Missouri high school seniors planning to attend a college...
The Gilbert Balderrama Minority Scholarship was created in memory of one of Missouri NEA's own. For more than 20 years, Gilbert Balderrama served MNEA and its members as a UniServ director. Gilbert received numerous degrees and certifications and strongly believed in furthering one's knowledge through education. ELIGIBILITY: This scholarship is awarded to one high school senior of color...
Application Due Date: April 15 Amount: $3,500 Eligibility: Member of Aspiring Educators The NEA-Retired Jack Kinnaman Scholarship Fund was established in honor of Jack Kinnaman, the then-serving NEA-Retired Vice President. His surviving family members wished to establish a scholarship program in his memory; thus, beginning a much-needed assistance activity for worthy aspiring educators. In the...
$1,000 for a member of Aspiring Educators. Martha Karlovetz, past President of MNEA and MNEA-Retired, has been an Association Activist at the local, state, and national levels since MNEA was established in 1973. Her daughter, Linda Favero, was a building representative and an MNEA-RA delegate. Linda's seven-year career as an elementary teacher was cut short due to a brain tumor. Her courage and...
Grow your local P.R. program with an MNEA grant. Local associations across the state have the opportunity to implement their ideas for spreading the good news about public education with a financial boost from Missouri NEA. MNEA’s public relations grant program is a project of the Association’s Communications and Media Advisory Committee. Grants of up to $300 are awarded for Read Across America...
NEA’s Collective Bargaining and Member Advocacy Department (CBMA) awards grants to affiliates to design and implement student-centered initiatives through collective bargaining or other forms of advocacy. Grants made through the NEA Collective Bargaining and Member Advocacy Department support affiliate work all over the United States. Affiliates have used these grants to make collective bargaining...
MNEA Organizing Grant The Missouri NEA Organizing grant is available to MNEA local leaders who need a little extra cash for local association organizing efforts. Contact your UniServ Director for more information. Grant Writing Tutorial The NEA Foundation's grant writing tutorial walks you through what you should include in a great grant proposal. Take the time to review this resource. It may move...