Application Process Overview

Choose Your Project Idea & Team Lead

Before you begin the formal application process, decide on a project idea and choose a leader for your project team. The Team Lead will serve as the main point of contact and be responsible for stewarding the application and project. The Team Lead will coordinate with the grant recipient entity and is responsible for communication with the LIGHT Awards staff.

The Team Lead must be a teacher. Submissions by staff or administrators will not be considered.

Feel free to contact us if you have questions.

See Questions to Spark Your Brainstorming

Create An Account

If you are the Team Lead, please visit our grant application system, available via a link on this website in our top navigation—available after the LOI (Letter of Inquiry) process opens on October 17, 2017—and create a user account for your team.

Confirm Your Eligibility & Complete LOI

After creating your account, you will be asked to complete our Letter of Inquiry (LOI) which includes a grant eligibility checklist. For the current grant cycle, the LOI deadline is 5:00pm PST on November 17, 2017.

If your project idea and team meet the criteria and your LOI is selected, you will be notified by email in early December. The next time you log in you will be able to access the whole application.

See Team Criteria See Project/Selection Criteria

Fill Out Your Application

When you login to the application, you will be able to download the question set and work offline with your team to prepare your answers; you can add answers online when you are ready.

Get Letter(s) of Support

Along with your application, you will be prompted to upload a letter from your school principal, explaining how they will help the project succeed. If team members are from multiple schools, you will need a letter from each school principal.

Submit Application By Deadline

For the current grant cycle, the deadline is January 11, 2018.  For more info, see our Application and Technical FAQ page.

See Frequently Asked Questions