Best Professional Development Grants for Teachers in South Carolina

The Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award Trust Grant honors educators who inspire students to create impactful organizations or movements. Established in 2008, the trust has awarded over $3.5 million to 148 professors across the U.S. The grant primarily supports those teaching in psychology, medicine, or law, emphasizing the importance of community contribution. Eligibility is limited to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who have inspired their former students to make a difference.

The MG Eugene C. Renzi, USA (Ret.) STEM Teachers Scholarship, funded by AFCEA and ManTech International, offers $2,500 annually to support U.S. citizens or permanent residents pursuing graduate-level education in STEM teaching for grades K-12. This scholarship honors the legacy of Maj. Gen. Renzi and is aimed at candidates with a minimum GPA of 3.5 who are enrolled in accredited programs. It covers tuition and course-related expenses, fostering future educators in critical STEM fields.

The Ignite Leadership Program, organized by the Society of Women Engineers, empowers early-career women engineers to enhance their leadership skills. Participants will assess their strengths, identify growth opportunities, and create personalized leadership development plans. This virtual program runs from September to December 2025, featuring group discussions and peer coaching. Its goal is to broaden the leadership pipeline within SWE, preparing the next generation of women leaders in engineering and technology.

The Music Teachers of Excellence (MToE) Award, managed by the CMA Foundation, recognizes outstanding public-school music educators. This prestigious award, with a $5,000 prize, aims to support teachers who inspire students and enrich their communities through music education. The application will open on September 3, 2025, allowing full-time music teachers with at least four years of experience to showcase their commitment and impact in the field. Stay tuned for more details!

The Helen M. Heitmann Young Scholar Award, presented by SHAPE America, honors young professionals who have made significant contributions to research in curriculum and instruction within health and physical education. Eligible candidates must be current SHAPE America members and have 3 to 6 years of experience post-doctorate. This award emphasizes active involvement and scholarship in the field, encouraging innovative research that enhances educational practices for preK-12 students.

The E.B. Henderson Award, presented by SHAPE America, honors minority members who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to scholarship, mentorship, and advocacy for ethnic minorities within health and physical education. Established in 1885, SHAPE America serves over 200,000 professionals, promoting high-quality education standards. The award recognizes individuals who have significantly contributed to increasing the participation of underserved populations in the field. Limited to two awards annually, it highlights the importance of diversity and inclusion in health education.

The Curriculum and Instruction Honor Award, presented by SHAPE America, recognizes outstanding contributions to health and physical education curriculum research. This prestigious award highlights the importance of effective instructional practices that prepare students for active and healthy lives. Award recipients are selected based on their scholarship in health education and physical education, demonstrating commitment to excellence since the organization's founding in 1885. SHAPE America advocates for quality education and promotes the well-being of preK-12 students across the United States.

Practicing pre-K–12 teachers conducting classroom-based literacy research can receive US $2,000 to connect theory and current research to instructional practice, including those in South Carolina. With a mission to improve literacy learning, International Literacy Association provides teacher development and training support through its biennial Nila Banton Smith Teacher as Researcher Grant for ILA members.

K–12 teachers and music educators in South Carolina can receive US $500 to cover travel and attendance costs for the Teaching Music History Conference, plus complimentary registration. Grants from American Musicological Society support U.S. legal residents interested in American music, professional development, and historical pedagogy through cohort activities and networking sessions at the conference.

With a mission to support innovative global journalism education, Pulitzer Center provides South Carolina classroom teachers with a paid virtual Fall Teacher Fellowship focused on health inequities reporting. Eligible U.S. grades 4–12 educators, including those in detention facilities, receive US $500 and structured professional development to design civic engagement lessons using underreported global health stories.

SHAPE America members with at least five years of membership who lead health, physical education, sport, dance, or physical activity programs in the U.S., including South Carolina, can be nominated for this Hall of Fame Award. This Society of Health and Physical Educators honor recognizes nationally significant educational contributions and professional service in school or higher education settings.

Secondary school theatre educators in South Carolina can use this grant to fund professional development, workshops, travel, and classroom equipment. With a mission to connect performing arts design and technology communities, United Institute for Theatre Technology provides up to US $500 to support theatre, design, technology, management, or production teachers’ growth.

About AWS

We Move Welding Forward

Founded in 1919, the American Welding Society is a nonprofit organization with a global mission: to advance the science, technology, and application of welding and allied joining and cutting processes worldwide, including brazing, soldering, and thermal spraying.

By fostering knowledge, embracing change, and providing real-world opportunities through scholarships, fellowships, and workforce development, AWS provides the tools to help members succeed—and to inspire future generations of welding professionals.

Welding Educator Professional Development Scholarships

AWS Foundation Welding Educator Professional Development Scholarships provide funding for welding educators to advance their skills and impact in teaching. Aimed at current educators in welding-related fields, these scholarships demonstrate AWS's dedication to enriching welding education.

National Educator Scholarships

Five donor-funded scholarships worth $1,000 to $5,000

• Bechtel Group Foundation Educator Scholarship
• Earl C. Lipphardt Educator Scholarship
• Jackson Safety Educator Scholarship
• Tim Turner Educator Scholarship
• William Kielhorn Educator Scholarship

Funds are paid directly to the educational institution or organization providing the training.

The AWS Educator Professional Development Scholarships are awarded annually in May or June.

About AWS

We Move Welding Forward

Founded in 1919, the American Welding Society is a nonprofit organization with a global mission: to advance the science, technology, and application of welding and allied joining and cutting processes worldwide, including brazing, soldering, and thermal spraying.

By fostering knowledge, embracing change, and providing real-world opportunities through scholarships, fellowships, and workforce development, AWS provides the tools to help members succeed—and to inspire future generations of welding professionals.

Welding Educator Professional Development Scholarships

AWS Foundation Welding Educator Professional Development Scholarships provide funding for welding educators to advance their skills and impact in teaching. Aimed at current educators in welding-related fields, these scholarships demonstrate AWS's dedication to enriching welding education.

District Educator Scholarships

Each of AWS’s 22 Districts awards educator scholarships worth $500 to $2,000.

To see which District your school is in, view the AWS District and Section Directory.

Funds are paid directly to the educational institution or organization providing the training.

The AWS Educator Professional Development Scholarships are awarded annually in May or June.

About All Points North Foundation

All Points North Foundation is dedicated to navigating communities upward.

All Points North Foundation was founded in 2011 by a family who believes passionately that everyone has a “true North” – a place of achievement – and that everyone should have equal opportunity and access to realize their goals.

Our Vision

We envision a nation where the middle school years are seen as an important, vital time in the lives of youth, and where the public middle school education experience in underserved communities measurably improves

We also envision a nation where the integration of solar benefits families, local economies and the environment.

Our Priorities

All Points North Foundation funds grantees in two areas – public middle school education (grades 6-8) and solar – that have the power to help communities nationwide navigate upward.

Grant Making

All Points North Foundation seeks collaborative partnerships with grantees in our two priority areas.

Education

All Points North Foundation is one of the few foundations focused on public middle school education, defined as grades six through eight. We recognize the vital importance of the middle school years in shaping the future of our nation’s youth.

All Points North Foundation seeks to measurably improve public middle school education in underserved communities, whether urban or rural, through two priorities:

• Funding programs that prepare and retain middle school teachers in an ever-changing education climate.
• Helping students grow both academically and socially/emotionally.

Middle schoolers need a nurturing school environment and expertly trained, passionate teachers who can help foster academic, social and emotional growth.

It’s critical for teachers to be adequately prepared for rapidly changing classrooms and school environments, and to be continuously encouraged and inspired to serve as key role models for middle school students.

It’s also critical for middle school students to be inspired and engaged, and excited to embrace the path of learning ahead. Research clearly indicates the habits and patterns set in middle school forecast success for students in their high school years and beyond.

The Ken and Eileen Gross Memorial Scholarship, established by friends of the couple, supports Saginaw County high school seniors pursuing a teaching degree. With a focus on fostering education, this scholarship honors Ken, a dedicated educator, and Eileen, a successful property manager. Eligible students must demonstrate a minimum 3.0 GPA and financial need, ensuring that those committed to teaching can pursue their aspirations. Awards typically range from $500 to $4,000, empowering the next generation of educators.

Lilly Foundation

To extend Lilly’s charitable reach and impact, the Eli Lilly and Company Foundation (Lilly Foundation) was established in 1968 and is supported by donations from Eli Lilly and Company.

The Foundation is a tax-exempt, private foundation supporting programs that align with its philanthropic priorities.

Grantmaking Approach

The Lilly Foundation’s work is guided by a charitable vision of a world where every person has an opportunity to live their healthiest life. Through grantmaking focused on Lilly Foundation’s charitable vision, grants can serve as a catalyst for closing gaps and empowering individuals and communities to thrive.

All proposals should demonstrate clear alignment with at least one focus area and include charitable outcomes that are measurable and consistent with the Foundation’s long-term charitable goals.

Global Health, K-12 STEM Education and Economic Mobility Grant

Focus Areas

Global Health

Lilly Foundation, through its charitable grants, aims to support permissible charitable efforts to improve access to quality healthcare for resource-limited communities in low- and lower-middleincome countries (L/LMICs) and in the United States. Strengthening access to care is essential for enhancing community well-being and supporting economic stability in resource-limited settings.

The Global Health focus area aims to close gaps in quality healthcare by supporting charitable solutions that improve access, bring care closer to where people live, and address the high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in resource-limited settings. To the extent permissible, the Foundation prioritizes charitable efforts related to cardiometabolic health in resource-limited settings.

K-12 STEM Education

The K-12 STEM Education focus area aims to close the gaps for students from low-income communities by supporting programs that foster new pathways and pipelines to STEM education through focused K-12 efforts, concentrating on the critical middle school years. The Foundation’s K-12 STEM Education grants are focused on initiatives that benefit Marion County, Indiana.

Economic Mobility

The Economic Mobility focus area supports charitable and educational programs that strengthen workforce readiness, postsecondary and skills-based educational pathways, and housing stability to promote long-term prosperity. This support is focused on Marion County, Indiana, with the goal of improving economic opportunity for low-income communities and advancing community well-being.

About

It is the mission of the Community Foundation of Whitley County to inspire philanthropy, enrich community, and serve donors by creating an enduring source of charitable assets.

Whitley County Retired Teachers’ Association Scholarship

Established by the Whitley County Retired Teachers’ Association to ensure students pursue the field of teaching, this scholarship is available to a graduating senior from any public high school in Whitley County who is planning to attend a 4-year college or university in pursuit of a Baccalaureate degree. 

The Bernice Carver Scholarship of Hope, established by the family of Don and Barbara Frey, honors the legacy of Bernice Carver, a dedicated educator. This scholarship supports Whitley County seniors from Columbia City, Churubusco, or Whitko High School who have a minimum 2.2 GPA and aspire to careers in nursing, teaching, or science. Emphasizing good citizenship and a quest for knowledge, the scholarship reflects Miss Carver's admirable character and commitment to education.

The Alaska Community Foundation

The Alaska Community Foundation connects people who care to the causes that make a difference and matter most to them. We encourage and nurture philanthropy through building and managing permanent endowments, convening stakeholders, working with partners to strengthen Alaskan communities, and providing donors with flexible giving options that are strategic to their philanthropic objectives.

Scholarships at ACF

Each year, more than 60 scholarships are available to Alaska students—and it all starts with one simple application. With one login and one application, you’ll be considered for every scholarship you may be eligible for. Whether you’re taking your first step toward college, training for a career, or continuing your education, these scholarships are here to help carry you forward, backed by donors who believe in Alaska’s students and the futures they’re building. 

CARTA Scholarship Endowment Fund - Liability

Central Alaska Retired Teachers' Association Scholarship Fund was established to provide financial support for undergraduate and graduate students majoring in education or working towards certifications that will enable them to become teachers or administrators in the public schools.

Community Foundation for Mason County, MI

At the Community Foundation for Mason County, we work with donors, grantees, and advisors to address key community issues. As a leader in community philanthropy, building a vibrant community with great opportunities for all, we are focused on advancing education, increasing recreation opportunities, and community and economic development.

The mission of the Community Foundation is to engage donors and connect them with opportunities to make a lasting impact, build community endowment, provide leadership on key issues, and make grants that reflect the communities we serve.

Noble Arent Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship has been made possible by the generosity of the Ludington Area School District, which established the Noble Arent Memorial Scholarship Fund of the Community Foundation for Mason County.

This fund shall provide scholarships to a graduating Ludington High School senior member of the National Honor Society. This student must pursue a degree in the Field of Education at any four-year accredited college or university.

Napa Valley Community Foundation

We work side-by-side with local donors and nonprofits to tackle the most important challenges our Valley faces.

Our Board and staff are completely dedicated to the people and causes of Napa Valley and represent communities from American Canyon to Calistoga. They share skills, perspectives and the collaborative spirit that define our Napa Valley diversity.

Judith B. Cutcomb Scholarship

The Judith B. Cutcomb Scholarship is offered by CalRTA Napa Valley and administered by Napa Valley Community Foundation. It is awarded in memory of Judith B. Cutcomb, a St. Helena educator. The Cutcomb Scholarship supports current St. Helena Unified School District teachers who are continuing their education or graduates of St. Helena High School studying to be educators. Previous recipients of the scholarship are eligible to reapply.

Napa Valley Community Foundation

We work side-by-side with local donors and nonprofits to tackle the most important challenges our Valley faces.

Our Board and staff are completely dedicated to the people and causes of Napa Valley and represent communities from American Canyon to Calistoga. They share skills, perspectives and the collaborative spirit that define our Napa Valley diversity.

Edward W. Solomon Scholarship

The Edward W. Solomon Scholarship is offered by CalRTA Napa Valley and administered by Napa Valley Community Foundation. It is awarded in memory of Dr. Edward W. Solomon. The Solomon Scholarship is given to support current Napa County teachers/educators who are continuing their education. Previous recipients of the scholarship are eligible to reapply.

In addition, applicants must demonstrate the potential for academic success by having been accepted in an upcoming college or university upper division or graduate level education program or course. Community college courses are acceptable only for current teachers who want/need to supplement their credential authorizations, and if the community college course is acceptable to the CTC Credentialing Office.

About PLTW GatewayPLTW Gateway (6-8) opens paths that create meaningful futures. It connects students to careers in areas they can, and can't, imagine.3M has partnered with PLTW to ensure students and teachers have the tools, resources and knowledge they need to succeed in STEM. 3M inspires the next generation of science leaders through the following goals:

• Increasing STEM exposure in K-12 classrooms
• Supporting experiential learning opportunitiesEnhancing the quality of STEM teaching
• Providing professional development opportunities for students

Program Requirements:

• The purpose of this grant is to assist the grantee's implementation of the PLTW Gateway program.
• Grantee must offer at least one PLTW Gateway unit in the 2027-2028 academic year.
• Grantee may implement any PLTW Gateway unit of their choosing.

Grant Award and Distribution Schedule:

• Total Award: $10,000
  • 2027-2028: $10,000

About PLTW EngineeringPLTW Engineering students adopt a problem-solving mindset, are engaged in compelling, real-world challenges that help them become better collaborators and thinkers, and are prepared with skills to step into any career path they take.3M has partnered with PLTW to ensure students and teachers have the tools, resources and knowledge they need to succeed in STEM. 3M inspires the next generation of science leaders through the following goals:

• Increasing STEM exposure in K-12 classrooms
• Supporting experiential learning opportunitiesEnhancing the quality of STEM teaching
• Providing professional development opportunities for students

Program Requirements:

• Grantee must use their grant funds to expand their existing PLTW Engineering program.
  • Example expansion activities include but are not limited to adding an additional PLTW Engineering course not previously offered,
  • and/or adding additional class periods of an existing PLTW Engineering courses previously offered,
  • and/or training additional teachers in PLTW Engineering courses for the 2027-2028 academic year. 

Grant Award and Distribution Schedule:

• Total Award: $10,000
  • 2027-2028: $10,000

About PLTW Computer SciencePLTW Computer Science students are technology trailblazers who are empowered through transportable skills and prepared to start their career, whether that is in computer science or not.3M has partnered with PLTW to ensure students and teachers have the tools, resources and knowledge they need to succeed in STEM. 3M inspires the next generation of science leaders through the following goals:

• Increasing STEM exposure in K-12 classrooms
• Supporting experiential learning opportunities enhancing the quality of STEM teaching
• Providing professional development opportunities for students

Program Requirements:

• Grantee must use their grant funds to expand their existing PLTW Computer Science program.
  • Example expansion activities include but are not limited to adding an additional PLTW Computer Science  course not previously offered,
  • and/or adding additional class periods of an existing PLTW Computer Science courses previously offered,
  • and/or training additional teachers in PLTW Computer Science courses for the 2027-2028 academic year. 

Grant Award and Distribution Schedule:

• Total Award: $5,000
  • 2027-2028: $5,000

Council of Independent Colleges (CIC)Founded in 1956, the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) is an association of nonprofit independent colleges and universities, state-based councils, and higher education affiliates that works to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of independent higher education’s contributions to society.

CIC is the major national organization that focuses on providing services to leaders of independent colleges and universities and state-based councils. CIC offers conferences, seminars, publications, and other programs and services that help institutions improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, student outcomes, and institutional visibility.NetVUE Grants for Fostering Leadership for Communities of FaithThis grant program provides funding for institutions that are working to augment their support for students who are considering possible callings to leadership roles in communities of faith.

Grant funds should be used to develop or extend programming for students, and/or professional development for faculty members and staff, with the goal of connecting students to local faith communities and supporting them as they explore and discern their callings. Initiatives may be developed within or across a variety of academic departments and campus offices, and should involve leaders of one or more faith communities near campus. NetVUE Grants for Fostering Leadership for Communities of Faith may be requested in amounts ranging up to $60,000 for use over two years to develop new programs, or to strengthen existing programs, that support students as they consider vocations of leadership for communities of faith.