Rural Schools Collaborative is accepting applications for its 2026-27 Grants in Place program, which provides rural public-school teachers with classroom grants of up to $2,500 for innovative Place-Based Education projects. The application deadline is October 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM CDT.
Eligible teachers must currently work in a public, rural school district with an NCES locale code of 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43. Only one application may be submitted per project, and selections are limited to one total award per school. Rural Schools Collaborative intends one award within each Regional Hub Partner service area and says a small number of additional awards may go to rural educators outside its Regional Hub Network. South Dakota is not listed as a current Regional Hub, so South Dakota applicants should be treated as outside-network candidates rather than guaranteed hub-region slots.
A current South Dakota eligibility pathway is verified: NCES lists Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6 as an open public district with locale Rural, Remote (43). Rural Schools Collaborative also documents historical South Dakota Grants in Place recipients. Each applicant should still confirm the current NCES locale for the specific school and the prior-recipient rule before applying.
Selection considers the quality of the place-based education design, the problem being addressed, student-led involvement, connection to local community assets and stakeholders, and whether the budget and scope are realistic. Prior Grants in Place recipients are ineligible only for the immediately following grant cycle. Selected educators must participate in two virtual cohort and professional-development calls, share project updates and photos, and attend a virtual Celebration of Learning.
The controlling public program page does not state a mandatory match or cost-share requirement, a separate solicitation number, the total 2026-27 funding pool, or a detailed eligible/ineligible cost list. Applications are submitted through the Google Form linked from the official Rural Schools Collaborative page.
Atlas assessment: Atlas Opportunity Score 46/100. N9+ Fit Score 0/100. QC Healthcare Fit 0/100. This is a teacher-led education grant and does not establish a clinical-care, telehealth, remote-examination, or clinician-services purpose, so Dr. Miltie technology or clinical services should not be forced into the opportunity.