$20K+ in classroom projects, every year.
Each year Piedmont Makers awards grants to teachers across Piedmont Unified School District for hands-on STEAM projects: soldering kits, laser cutters, ceramics kilns, physics equipment. We fund what classroom budgets can't.
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$81K+
awarded over the past 3 years
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60+
classroom projects funded
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6
PUSD schools, all served
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100%
of grants go to PUSD teachers
$25,694 across 6 schools.
20 projects · 27 applications received requesting $62,000
The 2025-26 round funded 20 projects across all six Piedmont public schools, from TK manipulatives at Beach to a $5,000 physics equipment upgrade at Piedmont High.
| School | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Beach Elementary | 4th Grade LED circuit project | $175 |
| Beach Elementary | TK manipulatives | $904 |
| Havens Elementary | Library maker space materials | $500 |
| Havens Elementary | TK items | $525 |
| Havens Elementary | Foam blocks | $1,000 |
| Havens Elementary | 5th grade math materials | $300 |
| Havens Elementary | Sensory tools | $300 |
| Wildwood Elementary | Library maker space | $500 |
| Piedmont Middle School | Spanish piñata supplies | $300 |
| Piedmont Middle School | Retablo supplies | $300 |
| Piedmont Middle School | Rubik's cubes | $250 |
| Piedmont Middle School | Math licenses | $2,784 |
| Millennium High School | Room organization materials | $800 |
| Piedmont High School | Ceramics kiln funding | $2,464 |
| Piedmont High School | Anatomy kits | $6,192 |
| Piedmont High School | Biology exoneration lab | $1,050 |
| Piedmont High School | Food safety lab | $300 |
| Piedmont High School | Chemistry labs | $350 |
| Piedmont High School | Glassware | $1,200 |
| Piedmont High School | Physics equipment | $5,000 |
| Total | $25,694 | |
From the classroom
By analyzing ECG waveforms, students learned to identify both normal and abnormal heart rhythms — deepening their understanding of how healthcare professionals interpret these signals in real-world patient care. Through this hands-on experience, students gained insight into how ECG sensors track the heart's electrical activity and how this data reflects overall cardiovascular health.
My students created panoramic posters depicting Indigenous Californians to accompany research reports, and used Prismacolor pencils and watercolors to paint California poppies. These aren't just beautiful keepsakes — the process of making art deepens students' understanding of the content.
AP Physics C — approved.
After years of advocacy from parents, students, and Piedmont Makers, the Piedmont Unified School Board unanimously approved AP Physics C for Piedmont High School starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. This rigorous calculus-based course fills a critical gap in the district's physical sciences curriculum and better prepares students for engineering and science majors in college.
Past years
Two earlier rounds. Tap to see each year's breakdown by school.
2024–25 $31,472 across all 6 PUSD schools.
24 projects · 32 applications, $60,000 requested
$31,472 across all 6 PUSD schools.
December 2024 set the all-time record: $31,472 across 24 projects, a 24% jump over the prior year. Funded solar car kits at the middle school, cardiac dissection tissue and gel electrophoresis machines at the high school, ceramics glazes for the Japanese tea ceremony unit, and Maker/STEAM books across every elementary library.
Tri-School (Beach, Havens, Wildwood)
$3,950- · Beach TK: manipulatives, activities, experiences
- · Beach 4th grade: sewn LED circuit project
- · Havens kindergarten: science books + math tiles
- · Havens: Variquest die-cut machine needles
- · Wildwood 4th grade: art supplies
- · Library Maker/STEAM books (3 campuses)
Piedmont Middle School
$6,980- · Science: solar-powered car kits
- · Fab Lab: computer + monitor
- · Fab Lab: projector
- · Music: flex-arrangement chamber music
- · Spanish: piñata-making supplies
- · Slime Club + Fish Keeping Club materials
Piedmont & Millennium High School
$20,542- · Health Science: cardiac dissection tissue
- · Biology: gel electrophoresis boxes + micropipettes
- · Guitar Engineering: speaker project parts
- · Chemistry: ECG and blood pressure sensors
- · AP Physics C: professional development
- · Math: graphing calculators + tools
- · Ceramics: special glazes for Japanese tea ceremony
- · Computer Science: Raspberry Pi parts + Arduino PD
2023–24 $24,677 across 5 schools.
19 projects · $20,977 in classroom grants + $3,700 for engineering lab storage infrastructure
$24,677 across 5 schools.
December 2023: $20,977 in classroom grants plus $3,700 for Engineering Lab storage. Funded the laser cutter at the middle school, gel electrophoresis machines at the high school, and the playground blocks the elementary kids still ask for.
Tri-School (Havens, Beach, Wildwood)
$3,196- · STEAM library books
- · Playground blocks
- · Engineering toys
- · Resin keychain materials
- · LED plushie materials
Piedmont Middle School
$8,855- · Laser cutter
- · Solar car kits
- · Repair tools
- · Piñata materials
Piedmont & Millennium High School
$8,926- · Gel electrophoresis machines
- · Bluetooth speaker materials
- · Robotics supplies
- · 3D printer filament
- · Arduino components
- · Tutoring
- · Library books
- · Art supplies
How to apply for a grant.
Grant applications open in October each year. Any PUSD teacher (TK through 12th grade) can apply for funding for hands-on STEAM projects. Awards are announced in December for spending during the current academic year.
The application is short: a one-page description of the project, who it serves, what it costs, and what students will make or learn. We fund the things classroom budgets miss.
The grant application form for next round will be posted here when applications open. In the meantime, email grants@piedmontmakers.org with questions.
For donors
Every grant dollar is funded by donations from Piedmont families.
We don't take operational overhead from grants. 100% of donations earmarked for teacher grants go directly to classroom projects.
Donate to teacher grants →