Bonnie Chambers Grants

Recognizing the extraordinary challenges elementary and middle school teachers face, a $6,000 in grant money will be awarded to purchase books for K-8 students in an Ohio public school buildings. Bonnie Chambers Grants are designed to help teachers who strongly promote the use of quality literature in their classrooms. Teachers will use the grant money to select and purchase their own book choices (fiction or non-fiction) that encourage literacy.

Application Criteria

• This grant is open to any* Ohio public school teacher(s) in grades K-8 who demonstrates a need for money in the purchasing of classroom books for their building.
• If a group of teachers apply, one teacher will apply on behalf of the building and serve as the contact teacher.
• Need can be demonstrated through free/reduced lunch ratios, recent school-levy results, extraordinary events, etc. 

*No standing OCTELA Executive Board member may apply or benefit from this grant.

Application Materials

The Bonnie Chambers Grant applications for 2025 will be linked here soon. 

Proposals for the grant shall include an application, a brief narrative describing need, and a brief description about how students in the building will benefit from the grant. Recipients of the grant will be contacted for a follow-up debriefing at a later date.

All applications are completed online. If you have questions about the grant or the application process please contact Allison Volz at allison.volz@gmail.com

Review Process: Applications will be reviewed by the Bonnie Chambers Committee. Winners will be notified no later than mid-January. Awards will be dispersed to the school district’s treasurer in the name of the applicant and presented at the OCTELA conference in February/March.

Previous Winners

2024

Carly Corbitt – South-Western City Schools

Lauren Foley-Groveport-Madison Schools

2023

Celine Quinn – Mt. Healthy School District

2022

Rashaun James – Columbus City Schools

2021

Angela Akers – Columbus City Schools

2020

Taite Ackley – Northridge Elementary

2019

Abigail Arnett – Finland Middle School

2018

Kristine Gillespie

Erika Reynolds

2017

Rachel Henry

2015

Pattie Niese

Stephanie Davey

2014

Marissa Covelli

2013

Jennifer Baker

2012

Laura Krebehenne

2010

Krystal Nemo

2006

Alyson Workman

2005

Melissa Jane Williams

2004

Joy Bowman

2003

Nicole Fort

2002

Sara Harley

2001

Deidre Travis

2000

Amy Furr