Enhancing educational experiences with grant support for activities outside the normal scope of funding

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Criteria

• Creative learning opportunity not supported by the classroom supply budget
• Defined objectives and evaluation plan
• Enhances students’ educational experiences and/or addresses particular weaknesses or focus areas
• Preference for STEM projects and/or projects that encourage problem-solving, teamwork, and collaboration

How To Apply

All Lexington One teachers are eligible to apply. The maximum grant award is $500. A detailed budget must be submitted with the application.

Apply online

Important Dates

• August 15: Application deadline
• August 31: Grant awards announced
• May 1: Final report due

Examples of Recent Grant Awards

• A table that combines light play and magnet play, which will encourage curiosity and development in STEM with hands-on, collaborative activities for students at Gilbert Elementary School
• Two Jumbie Jam steel pan drum kits to help students at Midway Elementary School explore the science of sound waves and vibrations
• Field study visits for Meadow Glen Middle School students to local industry partners that utilize robotics in their operations or use innovation specific to a STEM career field
• Stuffed animals and supplies for 4th and 5th grade students at Oak Grove Elementary School to research, build prototypes, and use 3D printing to create functional prosthetics for animals
• Supplies for a special education student-run drink and snack cart at Beechwood Middle School, which gives students hands-on experience counting money and making change, interacting with customers, and preparing orders

The Educational Foundation will award grants for innovative projects that are creative, unique and benefit the majority of the school’s student population. Each school must guarantee a 10% cash match for the total requested dollars.

The grants were developed based on the Lexington District One’s Competency-Based Standards in the areas of Strategic and Situational Decision-Making, which includes engagement and encouragement of strategic innovations. Elementary and middle school applicants should propose a school program that addresses this area and promotes students’ paths toward college, career and citizenship preparedness.

For full details, please download the linked application.  All applications are due to the Educational Foundation Office no later than 4:00 pm on the annual deadline listed below.

Innovation Grant applicants must make a brief presentation to the Educational Foundation’s Allocations Committee members on a date TBD. 

Application Deadline: January 30, 2026

Innovation Grants for K-8 Schools Application

The Lexington One Educational Foundation sponsors the Joseph M. Bedenbaugh Administrator of the Year Award. Named in memory of Joe Bedenbaugh, a loyal Lexington County School District One employee for 36 years, serving as a middle school math teacher and principal, as well as Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and Federal Entitlement Programs before retiring in 1982.

The award is given each school year to a deserving administrator who best exemplifies the criteria established for the award. Nominations must be submitted to the Lexington One Educational Foundation in early spring and presented in August.

Joseph M. Bedenbaugh Administrator of the Year Information:

• Bedenbaugh Nominations
• Bedenbaugh Admin of the Year Award Recipients

Deadline for Nominations for 2025-2026 School Year: April 10, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.

The Bucks for Books Grants provide essential literacy resources to classrooms across Lexington District One, ensuring students have access to high-quality reading materials for hands-on learning. These funds have consistently supported elementary education by equipping classrooms with books focused on science and social studies.

Beyond the elementary level, the program has previously addressed secondary education needs by providing specific reading recovery resources for high school English teachers to support their students. More recently, the foundation prioritized early childhood literacy by supplying kindergarten classrooms with books designed to enhance state-mandated reading programs. Overall, the initiative continues to strengthen student literacy skills by integrating specialized texts into core academic subjects.

These grants are determined by Educational Foundation board members working closely with Lexington District One’s Instructional Services administrators to determine  the areas of greatest need. The Bucks for Books Grants aim to positively impact and strengthen students’ literacy skills in Lexington District One schools.  

The Lexington One Educational Foundation’s Health Fund Grants support Lexington School District One students in a variety of ways by assisting with or supporting students’ health needs. Thanks to generous donors who care about the health and well-being of Lexington District One students, the Educational Foundation has funded more than $30,000 in Health Fund Grants that have provided vitally important medical grants to the Lexington District One nurses and the students they serve. 

The Educational Foundation is incredibly grateful for its partnership with Michelin, a dedicated corporate ally and generous benefactor. The leadership at Michelin USA in Lexington, SC, has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to investing in our VEX robotics school teams through multi-year pledges. These recurring contributions are driven by Michelin executives who witness firsthand the invaluable skills students gain through the program.

Michelin’s continued investment in the next generation of engineers, programmers, and architects within Lexington County School District One remains vital in empowering our robotics teams and fostering student success across the district.

The Educational Foundation offers small grants to new international teachers in an effort to help them get settled in the USA as they begin their teaching career with Lexington School District One. The grants are need-based.

International Teacher Grants provide three needed ways of support: 1) a grocery gift card for food, 2) a grant for breakfast and lunch meals at the home school’s cafeteria for the first few months, and 3) a small grant stipend towards the first month’s rent payment.