Community News: GoldStars Club Launches Micro-Grants for Classroom Innovation

GoldStars Club is thrilled to announce a new micro-grant program to support creative classroom pilots that use recognition systems — including gold stars — to promote engagement, social-emotional learning (SEL), and equity. We’ll fund 25 projects with up to $1,000 each, awarded in the first quarter of 2026.

Why This Program?

Teachers are the best designers of classroom interventions. Small grants can catalyze experimentation that leads to scalable strategies. We want inventive, humane approaches that center student voice and measure meaningful outcomes.

Who Should Apply?

Public and private K–12 teachers, instructional coaches, and school teams in the U.S. are eligible. Teams with strong family engagement plans or partnerships with community organizations are prioritized.

Grant Themes

• Attendance and engagement strategies
• SEL and restorative practices tied to recognition
• Hybrid physical-digital recognition systems
• Equity-focused interventions that use recognition to reduce disparities

Selection Criteria

Applications will be judged on clarity of goals, feasibility, equity considerations, student involvement, and plans for measuring impact. Preference will be given to projects with clear sustainability beyond the grant period.

How to Apply

Submit a one-page proposal and a short video (up to 2 minutes) describing your idea. Include a basic budget and a brief data plan. Applications open January 15 and close February 15, 2026. Winners will be announced March 1.

Support and Coaching

Selected teams will receive light coaching from GoldStars Club advisors to help with data collection and reflection. We’re committed to building a learning network — grantees will meet in an online cohort and share learnings publicly.

Transparency and Reporting

Grantees will submit short progress reports at 6 and 12 months. We’ll compile a public brief summarizing lessons learned and promising practices.

Quotes from the Team

“Small investments can unlock big classroom creativity. We want teachers to try bold, humane ideas and to share what works.” — GoldStars Club

Apply Now

Visit goldstars.club/grants to view the full guidelines and application portal. If you’re not ready to apply, consider joining an informational webinar on January 20 where our team will walk through examples and answer questions.

Final Note

Whether your idea is a tiny tweak or a multi-classroom experiment, we encourage teachers to apply. Our collective goal is to surface practical, equitable strategies that brighten classrooms — one star at a time.