Hovercraft Funding Inspiration Station

No promises. Just possibilities.

Creative ways schools have gotten their STEM project day off the ground!
We’re simply sharing what’s worked for others so you can explore your own possibilities.

Shared Project Day with Nearby Schools

Bringing schools together can be a creative way to share costs — as long as the project day stays within our safety and capacity limits.

For this option to work, the total combined student count must not exceed 128 students, no exceptions. This ensures we can run the experience safely, effectively, and with the full hands-on magic intact.

A shared project day begins once all participating schools have arrived and ends when the first school needs to leave, so coordination between schools is essential.

This isn’t a guaranteed funding solution — just one of the creative ways some schools have made the day possible in the past. If it fits your community, it can be a fun way to team up and bring STEM excitement to multiple campuses at once.

Teacher Training & Professional Development Funds

Many schools simply budget for experiences like this because it directly supports STEM, hands-on learning, teamwork, and curriculum goals. Some schools combine multiple internal budget lines to make it work.

These may include:

  • School budget

  • District-level budget

  • Teacher training or professional development budget

  • Gifted program funds

Educational Service Agencies (ESAs)

These are regional public organizations in the United States (approximately 45 states) that provide support services to local school districts within a defined geographic area. Funding may be available because the project supports STEM, teacher training, enrichment, and/or community engagement.

Educational Service Agencies may include:

  • BOCES (Boards of Cooperative Educational Services)

  • ESD (Educational Service District or Educational Service Agency)

  • RESA (Regional Educational Service Agency)

  • ISD (Intermediate School District)

  • ESU (Educational Service Unit)

  • CESA (Cooperative Educational Service Agency)

  • RESC (Regional Educational Service Center) 

Schools have successfully used grants focused on:

  • STEM/STEAM

  • Innovation & enrichment

  • Hands-on learning

  • Student engagement

  • Teacher development

  • Rural impact initiatives

  • Arts in Education (yes, we count!)

  • Community education partnerships

For specific standards to help apply for grants, please download the documents below which highlights the information regarding 5th Math & 5th ELA Standards:

5th Math Standards

5th ELA Standards

Community & Private Donors

Great for schools with a strong local network.

Possible partners include:

  • Local hardware stores

  • Energy companies

  • Transportation companies

  • Local businesses

  • Tech or engineering companies

  • Famous alumni (they really do say yes more than you’d expect!)

  • Community philanthropists

  • Rotary/Lions Clubs

  • Local nonprofits

  • Museums or learning centers


(If your town has a company with wheels, wires, or wind turbines — check their “community impact” page) 

School or District Budget Options

Grants: Local, District, State, National

(Yes, this counts — and yes, it’s incredibly impactful.)

Bringing The Hovercraft Project to your school isn’t just an incredible day for students… it’s a meaningful professional development experience for teachers, too.

During Project Day, teachers experience hands-on, inquiry-based learning in action! Students are building, testing, problem-solving, asking questions, and discovering answers through real engineering challenges. It’s a live model of the exact instructional strategies teachers can take back to their classrooms immediately.

This is not a “drop the kids off and disappear” assembly. Teachers actively participate, observe engagement patterns, and pick up simple, high-impact techniques to spark curiosity and deeper thinking in everyday lessons!

Federal Funding

Many schools successfully use federal programs tied to academic enrichment, student engagement, or whole-child learning.

These can include:

  • Title I (when tied to engagement, motivation, or academic support)

  • Title IV (enrichment, STEM, hands-on learning)

  • ESSER or similar district-managed federal funds

  • Federal community partnership grants

  • Full-Service Community Schools initiatives

  • STEM/STEAM-focused federal programs

Your district office can confirm what’s available.

Education Foundations
(Any Region)

Some PTOs cover the full experience; others co-fund with the school or run a small fundraiser to support.

Fundraising has consisted of School-Wide and Student-Led Initiatives.

PTO / PTA Support

Many districts or counties have a local education foundation offering grants or sponsorships.
Schools have combined:

  • Foundation awards

  • Matching grants

  • Classroom innovation funds

  • Community-donated funds through the foundation

Even if you’ve never applied before, these programs are often designed exactly for hands-on projects like this.

  • Ask local hardware stores for sponsorships 

  • Check with science museums for outreach or education grants.

  • Look into energy companies. Many offer community grants supporting STEM or safety.

  • Contact local transportation companies (buses, trucking, logistics). They often have community engagement budgets.

  • Tap into alumni networks, especially those who’ve succeeded in STEM fields.

  • Explore philanthropic groups or local civic clubs that support education.

  • Check corporate “Community Impact” pages. Many companies offer mini-grants 

  • Parent Contributions

Additional Creative Ideas Schools Have Explored