Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation Accepting 2026 Grant Applications
The Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation (TPSF) is now accepting applications for the 2026 grant cycle! The deadline to apply is Sunday, November 1st. Teachers across Tahlequah Public Schools are encouraged to submit their ideas, and TPSF looks forward to helping bring even more opportunities, resources, and innovative learning experiences into classrooms across the district.
Each year, the TPS Foundation provides grants to help teachers bring ideas to life that may not otherwise be possible through traditional school funding. These grants can provide technology, classroom materials, books, educational resources, and other tools that directly benefit TPS students and teachers.
Last year, TPSF was proud to award six classroom grants totaling $9,668.70 to teachers throughout Tahlequah Public Schools. The funded projects represented a variety of needs and creative ideas designed to support student learning.
Grant recipients included Jasmine Smith and Yazmin Quezada at Heritage Elementary, Delaney Wallace and Charity Bardell at Cherokee Elementary, Deena Jones at Greenwood Elementary, and Gabriela Veith at Tahlequah High School. Projects included “Technology for Teaching and Tracking Success,” “Reaching All Learners,” “Hop to Fund It,” “Classroom Chromebook Crisis,” “Tokens for Tigers,” and “Calculator for Science.”
These grants provided teachers with resources ranging from technology and Chromebooks to books, classroom incentives, and science calculators. While each project was different, they all had one thing in common: they were designed by teachers who recognized a need in their classrooms and found a creative way to meet it.
TPSF depends on the generosity of our community to make these grants possible. Many individuals, families, and local businesses support the Foundation throughout the year through donations, sponsorships, and other contributions. We are incredibly grateful for everyone who continues to invest in Tahlequah Public Schools and believes in the importance of supporting our teachers and students.
In August, TPSF participated in the TPS Opening Meeting to recognize teachers, highlight classroom needs, and grow our donor base. We had a wonderful event, and we were excited to see that payroll deduction donations from TPS employees increased this year! These employee contributions are an important part of the Foundation’s ability to support classrooms and provide additional opportunities for students.
Following the Opening Meeting, TPSF also provided Vidalia’s lunch for all TPS sites returning to school. We are especially grateful to the businesses and organizations that sponsored this event and helped us welcome teachers and staff back for another school year. A huge thank you goes to our event sponsors: American Fidelity, Cheer It Up, Keys Eye Care, Statewide Cleaning, Dotson Vision Care, 2 Sisters Financial, Edward Jones, Tahlequah Lumber, Armstrong Bank, and Spring Hollow Feed & Supply.
Looking ahead, TPSF board members and trustees are working hard to prepare for the upcoming grant cycle and are already thinking about ways to make next year’s Opening Meeting even better. Our goal is to continue growing the Foundation so that we can provide even more support to TPS teachers and students in the years ahead.
If you are a teacher with an idea that could make a difference in your classroom, we encourage you to apply for a 2026 TPSF grant by Sunday, November 1st.
Community members who would like to support the Foundation through a donation, sponsorship, or by serving on the TPSF board can find us on Facebook, visit our website at https://www.tahlequahschools.org/page/tps-foundatiom, or email us at tpsfoundation@gmail.com.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support the Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation. Together, our community can help provide teachers with the resources they need and give TPS students even more opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed.
Written by Brittany Williams, Tahlequah Public Schools Foundation Member