Matching Funds Available to San Diego Teachers for STEM Projects

With a new school year underway, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is providing $250,000 in shareholder funds as matching dollars to help teachers supplement classroom education with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) projects.

“For our region to thrive, it is important that we invest in building the next generation of scientists, engineers, doctors and other STEM professionals,” said SDG&E Community Relations Director Kazeem Omidiji. “STEM education is crucial to developing solutions to society’s most pressing challenges.”

A long-standing advocate for STEM education and making it more accessible to students of all backgrounds, SDG&E first launched its partnership with DonorsChoose in 2018. The matching funds make it possible for teachers to enhance their students’ learning experiences without having to spend their own money to buy supplies, such as robotics kits. According to DonorsChoose, teachers spend an average of $500 out of pocket on their classrooms each year.

“SDG&E’s ongoing support provides teachers with much-needed resources to enrich the learning experiences for students across the region,” said San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Gothold. “Thanks to SDG&E’s focus on equity, students from schools serving low-income communities have expanded access to STEM learning projects that make a connection between academic subjects and real-world applications.” 

How It Works

Eligible teachers can visit the DonorsChoose website to apply for matching funds for STEM projects. The matching fund program will run from today until funds are exhausted.  

In support of educational equity, SDG&E will provide a double match (2-1) for eligible teacher projects at schools in disadvantaged communities as determined by CalEnviroScreen.  

About the Partnership

This is the sixth year that SDG&E is partnering with DonorsChoose, an education nonprofit that empowers public school educators to post funding requests for their projects online and crowdfund donations for them.  

Over the past five years, SDG&E has provided a total of $1.4 million in matching funds to teachers for STEM projects. To date, the STEM collaboration between SDG&E and DonorsChoose has supported more than 2,100 teachers at more than 1,000 schools in school districts throughout SDG&E’s service territory in San Diego and southern Orange counties.