The Brown Foundation, through its Education Department, offers the SupportSTEM Program to support innovative STEM education initiatives for K-12 students in Louisiana and Mississippi. The Brown Foundation, formally known as The Joe W. & Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation, is a private foundation dedicated to enhancing educational opportunities and supporting community development within its regional focus. Its SupportSTEM Program seeks to identify and fund the best plans for curriculum implementation and instructional support specifically focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

The purpose of the SupportSTEM Program is to directly enhance STEM education for K-12 students by providing funding to schools, universities, and non-profit organizations for projects that enrich the curriculum and increase student engagement in STEM. Acceptable uses of funding include, but are not limited to, paid professional development, curriculum models, STEM kits, STEM conferences, transportation, consumable materials, equipment, and ongoing STEM programs designed to enhance the quality of STEM instruction.

Eligible applicants must meet specific criteria to be considered. Applicants must be either K-12 schools, universities/colleges, or non-profit organizations operating in Louisiana or Mississippi. All applicants must be in good standing with the IRS and have been operating for at least three years. All proposed budgets must demonstrate a clear and direct impact on STEM education in K-12 settings. Detailed program and application requirements are outlined in the first two pages of the official application packet.

The application window for the 2025-2026 SupportSTEM Program opens on November 1, 2024, and closes on March 15, 2025. Funded projects will have a grant period running from September 1, 2025, through August 1, 2026. The program does not explicitly mention a pre-application deadline or required letter of intent.

Applicants are required to submit a complete application packet, which can be downloaded directly from the foundation’s website. Awarded grantees from previous years are required to complete both a mid-year report, due by January 31, 2025, and a year-end report, due by August 1, 2025. There is also a form available for recipients to report programmatic or budgetary changes during the grant period.

For questions or assistance with the application process, applicants are directed to contact Tina Bouzon, the SupportSTEM Administrator, at 504-834-3433, extension 215, or via email at tinabouzon@thebrownfoundation.org. The Brown Foundation is located at 320 Metairie Hammond Highway, Suite 500, Metairie, LA 70005. Additional resources, including application packets and reporting forms, can be found on the foundation’s website, though some forms require Adobe Reader for access.