Literacy for Life Grant Program

The Literacy for Life Grants program, funded by the Oreggia Family Foundation, is a targeted initiative administered through the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (CFAITC). The foundation's mission centers on promoting agricultural literacy among California’s youth by supporting K–12 educators with classroom integration of agriculture-focused content. The funder, the Oreggia Family Foundation, sponsors this program to enhance learning outcomes through agricultural education and outreach within the state’s school systems. These grants aim to cultivate student understanding of agriculture’s role in society, sustainability, and food systems. The program specifically supports the development or expansion of projects that incorporate agriculture into everyday classroom learning. To achieve this goal, Literacy for Life Grants provide financial support in the amount of up to $750 for up to 25 California K–12 teachers, with at least two grants earmarked for agricultural educators. Teachers can propose a wide variety of project types, ranging from field trips to local farms or agricultural trade shows, to nutrition-based science experiments like taste tests or preservation studies. Classroom gardens, student-led outreach events, and literature acquisition related to agriculture are also eligible uses of funds. One applicant may also be awarded an additional $1,000 honor as the “Outstanding Educator of the Year,” a designation that includes participation in several public events and conferences. Only certified K–12 teachers employed in California schools are eligible to apply. Proposed projects must be conducted and completed within the 2025–2026 academic year. In addition, recipients are required to submit a final report to CFAITC by May 1, 2026. Teachers are encouraged to share their projects with school administrators and staff to promote awareness of CFAITC resources and to enhance collaborative educational strategies. The application process is entirely online and is currently open. Completed applications must be submitted by the deadline of October 4, 2025. Grant awardees will be announced on November 1, 2025, and funding will be disbursed in January 2026. No pre-application step, such as a Letter of Intent or concept paper, is required. Applications are reviewed directly based on submitted proposals, and the decision criteria for selection are not publicly detailed but align with the program’s goals of fostering agricultural literacy. Although there is no formal application preview or sample question list provided, it is stated that applicants vying for the Outstanding Educator of the Year award must answer a specific additional question as part of their submission. The application form includes this as the final prompt. Educators are advised to review the list of potential project ideas and past recipients to understand the program’s expectations and impactful project models. The Literacy for Life Grants operate on a recurring annual cycle, as evident from the presence of archived recipient lists for previous years dating back to 2020. Based on this recurring pattern and the fixed timeline outlined, the program is expected to reopen in August 2026 for the subsequent application cycle.

Demonstrate creativity, alignment with agricultural literacy, student reach, and curriculum integration. Share resources and secure administrative support.