The Indiana Department of Education announced the opening of the K-12 Robotics Competition Grant today. This grant supports state-accredited schools in establishing or maintaining robotics competition programs in accordance with IC 20-20-45.5. This grant is funded by the Indiana General Assembly and aligns with the mission of Indiana’s Priorities for STEM Education to provide Indiana students with engaging STEM learning experiences that prepare them for emerging careers and educational opportunities.

Important Highlights:

We did it! This grant is the result of HEA 1382 passing, thanks to the efforts of all of those who advocated for money from the state for competitive robotics for schools.
Public schools, including charter schools (as defined in Indiana Code (IC) 20-24-1-4) or state-accredited non-public schools, are all eligible to apply. Further eligibility guidelines can be found in the full grant overview linked below.
Public school corporations with robotics teams from multiple schools must submit one application on behalf of all eligible teams seeking funding. So if your district has more than one team, you must work together to submit one application for all schools/teams.
The grant is due Friday, September 29 – so move fast!

Next Steps:

Review the grant. The grant guidelines and online application can be found here. Applications are due Friday, September 29. Contact TLgrants@doe.in.gov with grant-specific questions.
If you have questions about applying, contact Chris Osborne – cosborne@firstindianarobotics.org or Trisha Thompson – tthompson@firstindianarobotics.org
Visit the FIN Playbook. We have compiled a list of resources to help you prepare for the grant application in our Playbook. This includes sample budgets, sponsorship packet examples, templates for letters of support, and more.
Share this information. Coaches and mentors – please forward this to your school district administration office for support in applying for the grant. Every school is different. Some will have specific administrators who apply for grants, and others will have staff who have combined roles. Please be prepared to assist the administration in applying for these funds.
Consider starting a team. With increased access to funding, now is the ideal time to consider growing new teams. Find information on starting teams below.
Attend a Town Hall Meeting. These Zoom calls will be offered three times in the next week. See the registration links below. Program updates and Q&A opportunities with FIN Staff.