Southwest energy provider offers teachers grant for school supplies
(The Center Square) – Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) is offering $500 grants to Arizona teachers at Title 1 K-12 public schools for school supplies through their Supply My Class program.
They will give the first 100 grants to teachers who have been teaching for three years or less to encourage new educators. Teachers can apply as soon as Thursday. APS will be randomly selecting 100 recipients per week from Aug. 6 to Sept. 3.
APS established the Supply My Class program in 2018. The Phoenix-based energy provider serves 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties.
On average, teachers spend $459 in their own money annually, according to a 2011-2012 data analysis collected by the National Center for Education Statistics. Eligible teachers can deduct $250 in personal expenses spent on teaching materials such as professional development courses, books, supplies, and computer equipment on their federal taxes. That’s double for eligible educators filing jointly.
To be eligible for the program, grant recipients must be a K-12 public or charter school teacher, teach at a Title I school in APS’s service territory, and complete an online application form. Winners from previous years are eligible to enter and win again.
APS offers several additional grant opportunities to Arizona teachers and schools, including STEM Teacher Grants for hands-on science, technology, engineering and math classroom projects.
“While no one could have predicted the challenges that the past year brought upon our education system, Arizona schoolteachers stepped up to the plate and found innovative ways to continue to enrich students’ lives,” Tina Marie Tentori, Director of Community Affairs for APS, said in a statement. “The Supply My Class grants program is just one way we hope to show gratitude for educators, who are important partners in our state’s prosperity.”
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