AFA Connect
AFA education grants: find the right route
AFA lists three education-grant paths: classroom educators, Civil Air Patrol units, and JROTC units. Use this guide to identify the relevant program, then confirm the live rules and apply through AFA's official links.
Educator Grants for classroom projects
Designed for teachers and instructors proposing aerospace and STEM learning projects. AFA currently lists a September 1–December 15 application window, with grants awarded in February. Review the official guidelines and rules before preparing a proposal. AFA sends applicants to SmarterSelect for submission.
Useful next step: describe the students served, the materials needed, and how the project advances aerospace learning. Keep the official rules open while you prepare the application.
What projects have past Educator Grants supported?
AFA publishes a broader recipient archive covering 2021–2024. The 2024 list includes Allison Bogart’s Drones to the Rescue at Stonecreek Junior High in Bakersfield, California; Kala Grice-Dobbins’s Coding to the Future at Madison County Career Tech Center in Huntsville, Alabama; Scott Valenta’s Student Satellite Hunters at St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Winfield, Illinois; and Robert Thomas’s Aerospace Unit at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School in Chicago. AFA’s older archive also shows 2022 examples, from robotics coding and drones to flight simulation and rocketry. These are historical awards, not a list of currently approved purchases or a promise of funding.
AFA says qualified Educator Grant applications are reviewed and scored on detailed proposals by a committee of aerospace education experts. Use the examples to shape a specific lesson plan and materials budget, then check the current guidelines and official rules before submitting.
Civil Air Patrol unit grants
AFA lists grants for CAP units supporting cadet aerospace and STEM activities. Its current page lists June 30 and December 31 deadlines. The official page links to the CAP application and provides the program contact.
JROTC unit grants
AFA also lists grants for JROTC units to support aerospace education in the classroom. Use its official grant page for current eligibility, award amount, and the application link.
Related opportunities
If you are seeking recognition for a STEM teacher, see AFA Teacher of the Year. For student or family financial aid, use our scholarship finder. The program hub also links to CyberPatriot and StellarXplorers.
Sources and review date
Reviewed October 13, 2026 against AFA's current education-grants page, its 2021–2024 recipient archive, and its older recipient list. Deadlines, amounts and selection criteria can change; the official application and rules control.