YEF Grants
The Yarmouth Education Foundation’s (YEF) mission is to promote and enhance educational excellence by generating independent funding for innovative educational projects, enrichment programs and other creative educational initiatives that fall outside the standard budget and support the curriculum. The Foundation will allocate funds during two grant cycles (fall and spring) each year.
YEF has awarded more than $500,000 in grants to provide innovative programs impacting each school and thousands of students in Yarmouth.
2025–2026 Grant Application Deadlines
FALL 2025
October 17: Applications due
November 3–7: Grant presentations and committee voting (1–2 evening meetings)
Mid-November: Grant Winner Announcements
SPRING 2026
March 20: Applications due
April 6–10: Grant presentations and committee voting (1–2 evening meetings)
Mid-April: Grant Winner Announcements
PREVIOUS GRANTS
STEAM Family Night
With support from YEF, Nicole Colfer launched the inaugural STEAM Family Night in 2024 at Yarmouth Elementary School—a dynamic evening filled with engineering design challenges, science experiments, math activities, programming and robotics games, and team-building exercises. Now a part of the school’s curriculum, STEAM Night continues to inspire curiosity and hands-on learning for students and families alike.
YES Playground communication boards
Yarmouth Elementary School is working to make recess more inclusive for every student. With support from a YEF grant, YES added communication boards to both school playgrounds — giving all students, including those with expressive or receptive language challenges, the tools to connect and collaborate with their peers.Communication boards use pictures and symbols to help bridge language barriers, ensuring no student feels isolated during unstructured social time.
eDNA Testing for Threatened Species
Students can investigate the presence of both invasive and threatened species in aquatic environments by testing for the presence of eDNA (environmental DNA). The technology will allow students to explore water samples from Casco Bay, the Royal River and other locations to detect the presence of native fish like alewives, brook trout and brown trout, and also look for the presence of European green crabs, a non-native invasive species.
Building Leaders With Outdoor Adventure
Third grade students were able to spend a day on Mackworth Island with Rippleffect, a Maine outdoor education-based organization. They participated in outdoor activities designed to promote critical thinking and cognitive reasoning, build confidence, develop leadership skills, strengthen peer relationships, and foster appreciation for the outdoors.
Additional YEF Grants
Electric Car Project – Yarmouth High School
Printmaking Press– Yarmouth High School
Biology Biotechnology – Yarmouth High School
Shellfish Nursery – Harrison Middle School
Digital Microscopes – Harrison Middle School
Standup & Pedal Desks – Harrison Middle School
Compost Club – Yarmouth High School
Salmon Hatchery – Yarmouth Elementary School
Girls As Engineers – Yarmouth Elementary School
Butterfly & Vegetable Garden – Harrison Middle School
Wakami Gatherers– Yarmouth Elementary School
Starry Night Event – Harrison Middle School
Water Rockets – Harrison Middle School
Salon Camara Drumming Residency –Yarmouth High School
Model UN Conference – Yarmouth High School
Defining Place: Personal Narratives in Clay – Yarmouth High School
This application is accessible only to Yarmouth School Department employees on the district intranet. Yarmouth students should visit the student intranet page for resources and information relevant to them.
In addition to our traditional grant cycles, the YEF Board of Directors is excited to share that we have awarded more than $30,000 in professional development scholarships. We are pleased to give Yarmouth teachers the opportunity to attend the innovative and world-renowned Learning & The Brain Conferences. Educators attend these programs and return to share their knowledge with YEF, with their peers, and in their classrooms. These educators come home with excitement and inspiration. This partnership has been a huge success, and YEF is proud to help Yarmouth classrooms meet their continuing education needs.
How do I apply for a Professional Development Grant?
Prepare proposal and work with your school leadership as needed to align your proposal with school and district priorities.
If approved by school leadership, district office manages the granting and implementation of funds.
Note: YEF funds Professional Development Grants through the district office, which manages distribution. Professional Development Grants are not accepted directly from individual teachers.