Competitive Grant Inventory

The 2023-25 State Biennial Budget was signed on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, and appropriated to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (WDPI) $222,800 for each fiscal year 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 for the American Indian Language Revitalization - State Grants. As a result, we are now posting the grant application and scoring rubric. The grant deadline to apply will be Monday, May 13, 2024. We encourage you to start developing your application for your language program now. In addition to providing you with a copy of the scoring rubric that reviewers will be using to evaluate your proposal, we will also be providing you with the opportunity to connect with the grant coordinators to help answer any questions you may have regarding your planned program. These grants are to be distributed on a competitive annual basis to a school board, consortium of school boards, CESA, or Head Start agency, in conjunction with a tribal education authority. Funds may be used for language activities related to providing instruction in one or more American Indian languages as curricular or co-curricular offerings. Allowable activities include, but are not limited to, curriculum design, creation of appropriate assessment instruments, professional development activities, language-focused parent and community engagement activities, instructional delivery, and program evaluation.

Please see the American Indian Language Revitalization - State Grant Webpage for more information.

Comprehensive school health programs require youth involvement to create environments conducive to healthy, resilient, and successful learners. As part of the Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) efforts to encourage youth initiatives, we are offering the Student Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) Mini-Grant Program for the 35th year, in the 2023-2024 school year. Funds will be available on a competitive basis for schools throughout the state to support education, prevention, and intervention programs designed by students, targeting AODA and other youth risk behaviors to include commercial tobacco use, violence, bullying, suicide, and alcohol traffic safety (ATS). A primary funding priority of the mini-grant program is the involvement of youth in the planning and implementation of the project. Therefore, youth involvement in the planning and implementation of the Student AODA Mini-Grant Program is required. Consideration will also be given based on the educational value of the project and statewide geographic distribution of funds. The amount of each individual mini-grant award may not exceed $1,000.

Please see the Student AODA Mini-Grant Program Webpage for more information.

The Department of Public Instruction's (DPI) AODA program, first authorized under Chapter 331, Laws of 1979, is designed to help local school districts utilize their staff and program resources to develop comprehensive AODA programs. The DPI provides assistance to school districts to develop comprehensive AODA programs which encompass both prevention and intervention services. Prevention programs are designed to help students avoid or minimize future problems related to alcohol and other drug use, while intervention programs are designed to help students who are already experiencing problems. Resources are provided to districts in four general categories: training, technical assistance, information dissemination, and grants. The discretionary grant program supports the development and expansion of district-wide comprehensive, kindergarten through grade 12, alcohol and other drug abuse prevention and early intervention programming as part of a coordinated school health program.

Please see the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) Program Webpage for more information.

In 2023, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction was awarded a $58 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support the Wisconsin Charter Schools Program (WCSP).The five-year federal grant will help the WCSP implement a statewide strategy that strengthens public charter school authorizing, supports the development of high-quality charter schools and the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools, and promotes statewide collaboration and sharing of best practices. WCSP subgrant funds are paid to subgrantees on a reimbursement basis for allowable costs.

Please see the Federal Charter School Grants - Wisconsin Charter Schools Program for more information.

The DPI receives funds through the U.S. Department of Education for the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) grants. The DPI EHCY program offers an opportunity for LEAs to apply for an EHCY Innovation grant OR EHCY Compliance grant every three years. The EHCY Innovation grant is a 3-year grant focused on creating goals using data to implement innovative strategies to serve students experiencing homelessness. The EHCY Compliance grant is a 2-year grant focused on supporting LEAs in meeting compliance under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and identifying focus areas of identification of students or staff and community awareness. 

Please see the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Grant Applications and Guidance Webpage for more information.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) provides all children in participating schools with a variety of free fresh fruits and vegetables during the school day. It is an effective and creative way of introducing fresh fruits and vegetables as healthy snack options. Elementary schools with a free and reduced-priced eligibility of 50%, or Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) equivalent, or higher may apply for this grant opportunity each year.

Please see the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) Webpage for more information.

The purpose of the Gifted and Talented Student Education Grant is to provide gifted and talented pupils those services and activities not ordinarily provided in a regular school program, so they are able to fully develop their capabilities. The grantees will be providing systematic and continuous learning opportunities for K-12 students with gifts and talents in one or more of the gifted domains: general intellectual, specific academic, creativity, leadership, and the visual and performing arts.

Please see the Gifted and Talented Pupils Webpage for more information.

The purpose of the Gifted and Talented Student Education Grant is to provide gifted and talented pupils those services and activities not ordinarily provided in a regular school program, so they are able to fully develop their capabilities. The grantees will be providing systematic and continuous learning opportunities for K-12 students with gifts and talents in one or more of the gifted domains: general intellectual, specific academic, creativity, leadership, and the visual and performing arts.

Please see the IT Education Grant Webpage for more information.

The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants to States program is the largest source of federal funding support for library services in the U.S. As the designated State Library Administrative Agency (SLAA) for Wisconsin, the Division for Libraries and Technology implements the program on behalf of the state's public libraries. LSTA is administered at the federal level by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The grants support the purposes and priorities outlined in the LSTA and may be used for statewide initiatives and services or distributed through competitive subawards or cooperative agreements with public, academic, research, school, or special libraries or consortia.

Please see the Wisconsin Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Webpage for more information.

A 21st CCLC program strives to meet the needs of the students served, by addressing their academic, social, creative, emotional, and curiosity needs. 21st CCLC programs offer students a chance to explore new topics and deepen their understanding and knowledge of others. They invite community partners to engage with students through real world learning opportunities, collaborative partnerships, mentoring, apprenticeships, workforce development, and more. 21st CCLC programs encourage students to become active participants in their communities through service learning projects, project-based learning experiences, environmental literacy and citizen science projects.

Please see the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant Program Webpage for more information.

A competitive grant program has been established for opioid prevention programs for Wisconsin public, private and independent (2x and 2r) charter schools. This funding originates from the Opioid Settlement Funds awarded to the Department of Health Services (DHS). The purpose of this funding is to support new or existing substance use prevention programs that are supplemented with knowledge and skills specific to opioid prevention and unintentional fentanyl exposure.

Please see the Opioid Prevention Grant - State Grant Webpage for more information.

The Peer Review and Mentoring Grant (PRMG) program provides support for the development of mentoring programs and peer assistance per Wisconsin Administrative Code PI 34. As required by PI 34, Wisconsin school districts must provide mentoring and ongoing professional learning opportunities for educators during their first three years in the profession. The PRMG provides grants to consortia of school districts, independent charter schools, and Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESAs) for these new teacher supports. The PRMG is a competitive grant. Consortia may apply for PRMG funding with a limit of $25,000 per award, which also requires a 20 percent local in-kind or fiscal match.

Please see the Peer Review and Mentoring Grant Webpage for more information.

The Student Services/Prevention and Wellness Team at DPI is pleased to announce the Peer-to-Peer Suicide Prevention Grant application is now available. With a focus on training Wisconsin students to recognize the signs of suicide shown by fellow students, peer-to-peer programs use messages of hope, health, and strength to develop peer leaders and resources for students who may be struggling. Any school at which pupils attend high school grades (including public, tribal, charter, and private schools) is eligible for this grant. High schools that received a Peer-to-Peer grant previously, are eligible to renew their grant up to three times. Recipients of a grant under this program may use the grant funds to support an existing peer-to-peer suicide prevention program or implement a new peer-to-peer suicide prevention program. The amount of each individual grant award may not exceed $1,000.

Please see the Peer-to-Peer Suicide Prevention Grants Webpage for more information.

The Precollege Scholarship Program allows students in grades 6-12 who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals to experience college life on a college campus while they are attending middle and high school.

Please see the Precollege Scholarship Program Grant Webpage for more information.

This grant program provides funding for the operation of recovery high schools. A recovery high school is defined as a public, private, or tribal school that operates only high school grades and meets all of the following criteria: (a) the school is specifically designed for pupils in recovery from a substance use disorder or a mental health disorder that coexists with a substance use disorder; and (b) the school awards high school credits that either count towards a high school diploma awarded by the school or will transfer and count towards a high school diploma awarded by a school district.

Please see the Act 72 Recovery High Schools Grant Program Webpage for more information.

Eligible Entities: School districts, operators of charter schools under s. 118.40 (2r) and (2x), governing bodies of private schools, and administrators of home-based private educational programs may apply for grants to participate in one or more robotics competitions provided they are an “Eligible Team.” An “Eligible team” means any of the following: 1) A robotics competition team consisting of pupils in any of the grades 9 through 12 and at least one mentor, or 2) A robotics competition team described in subd. 1. that also has one or more pupils in any of the grades 6 to 8.