Designing Lessons that Develop Conceptual Understanding Grant (PK-5)
NCTM's Designing Lessons that Develop Conceptual Understanding Grant funds PK-5 teachers to create, test, and share hands-on math lessons that build deep conceptual understanding, especially for underrepresented students.
Funder: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Due Dates: November 1, 2026
Funding Amounts: $2,500 per award; one-year project period
Summary: Supports PK-5 teachers in developing and sharing hands-on math lessons that foster conceptual understanding, with emphasis on underrepresented and multilingual students.
Key Information: Primary applicant must be an NCTM Essential or Premium member by the deadline.
Description
This grant, supported by the Chuck Thompson Fund and administered by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), aims to empower PK-5 educators to design, implement, and share engaging mathematics lessons that foster deep conceptual understanding. The focus is on supporting students who are underrepresented in STEM, including multilingual learners, by leveraging students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds as classroom assets. Grant recipients are expected to develop and pilot hands-on lessons using materials such as manipulatives or mathematics-related children’s literature, revise these lessons based on classroom experience, and disseminate them to colleagues within and beyond their schools.
