Equipping classrooms. Empowering futures.
The Biggest Little Classroom Project supports K–5 public and public charter school classrooms in Washoe County, Nevada by providing essential school supplies at no cost to teachers or families. Our mission is to reduce the financial burden of classroom materials, help schools stretch their resources further, and make sure students have the supplies they need to learn and succeed.
OUR WHY
It Takes a Village
According to the National Education Association, 94% of teachers spend their own money on classroom necessities. At the same time, about 97% of U.S. educators say the median school-provided supply budget of $200 is not enough to meet their classroom needs.
Teachers consistently go above and beyond for their students, often filling these gaps with money from their own pockets. Founded in 2026, the Biggest Little Classroom Project was created to help ease that burden. By partnering directly with local elementary schools, we aim to provide essential supplies for students and teachers of Northern Nevada — leaving teachers and families with one less expense to worry about each school year.
Who Can Apply
Public K–5 teachers and school administrators in Washoe County are invited to apply on behalf of their school community. Selected projects help provide classrooms with essential supplies and learning materials.
How It Works
Through a simple application and random selection process, approved projects receive support for essential classroom supplies.
Community Relief
Our goal is simple: help ease the cost of classroom essentials for local educators and families, while making sure students have the materials they need to learn and thrive.
HOW IT WORKS
Three simple steps. One big impact.
One teacher applies on behalf of their grade-level team and selects the supplies their classrooms need most. Eligible applications are entered into a random drawing, and selected grade levels receive supplies purchased and delivered directly by the Biggest Little Classroom Project.
A Teacher Applies
01
One teacher submits an application on behalf of their grade-level team and identifies the supplies their classrooms need most.
02
Projects Are Selected
Eligible applications are entered into a random drawing, giving each qualified grade level an equal chance of being selected.
Supplies Are Delivered
03
If selected, approved supplies are purchased directly by the Biggest Little Classroom Project and delivered for distribution across the grade level.
WHY IT MATTERS
Supporting classrooms supports the whole community.
When classrooms are better equipped, teachers spend less, families carry less of the cost, and students have more of what they need to succeed.
01
For Teachers
Reduces the amount educators have to spend out of pocket on essential classroom materials.
02
For Families
Helps ease the back-to-school burden for parents by providing essential supplies students need.
03
For Students
Ensures students begin the school year with the materials they need to learn and succeed.
Frequently
Asked Questions
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The Biggest Little Classroom Project has several eligibility requirements. Applicants must be K–5 educators working at an eligible public school located within Washoe County, Nevada, be able to verify their current employment, and meet the requirements for our current award cycle. Previous award recipients must also wait at least one year before receiving another award.
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We currently support K–5 public schools and public charter schools throughout Washoe County, Nevada. At this time, private, parochial, and other tuition-based schools are not eligible for funding.
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Applicants may be asked to provide a school email address and authorize the Biggest Little Classroom Project to verify current employment with their school.
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Applications are first reviewed to confirm that all eligibility requirements have been met. From the pool of eligible applicants, recipients are then selected at random for each award cycle.
While we would love to support every classroom that applies, the Biggest Little Classroom Project is still a new and growing program with limited funding. As our community support grows, we hope to help more teachers, students, and classrooms each year.
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There is no limit to how many years you can apply. Educators are welcome to submit a new application each year; however, previous recipients must wait one full school year before becoming eligible to receive another award.
To keep the selection process fair, please submit only one application per grade level at each school. Multiple applications from teachers in the same grade level at the same school will not increase that grade level’s chances of being selected.
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No. The Biggest Little Classroom Project is designed to support the entire grade level at a selected school, not just one individual classroom.
Our goal is to reduce the financial burden on teachers and families as fairly as possible. For that reason, awards are structured to benefit all classrooms within the selected grade level.
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The Biggest Little Classroom Project can currently support grade levels with up to five classrooms.
Award amounts are based on the size of the selected grade level and the funding available during each award cycle. Because our goal is to support the entire grade level, larger grade levels may receive a higher total award, while the amount available per classroom may be lower.
Funding is divided fairly among the participating classrooms, and the final award amount may vary based on the number of classrooms, number of students, requested supplies, and available program funding.
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Not necessarily. The Biggest Little Classroom Project is designed to reduce the financial burden on teachers and families, not necessarily replace every item on a school’s supply list.
For selected grade levels, we use the available award amount to purchase as many high-need, shared, and replenishable classroom supplies as possible. This may include items such as pencils, glue sticks, notebooks, folders, Expo markers, tissues, wipes, paper, and art supplies.
Whenever possible, we purchase supplies in bulk so the award can stretch as far as possible. Teachers and schools may still need to provide or request some individual student items that fall outside the award budget.
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Not yet. The Biggest Little Classroom Project is currently a small, independently funded community initiative, and our first awards are being supported personally by the founder.
As the program grows, we hope to build community partnerships, accept donations, and develop a more formal nonprofit structure so we can support more classrooms each year. For now, every dollar committed to the project goes directly toward helping local teachers and students.
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Families should still expect that they may need to purchase some individual student supplies. However, they should not be asked to purchase items that are already being provided through the Biggest Little Classroom Project award.
Schools and grade-level teams are expected to update their supply lists accordingly and avoid duplicate requests. If the grade level normally charges a classroom or supply fee, that fee should also be reduced to reflect the value of the supplies being provided through the award.
Our goal is for the award to create a real, visible reduction in the amount families are asked to spend—not simply add additional supplies on top of the existing list.
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No. The Biggest Little Classroom Project does not provide cash or gift cards directly to teachers or schools.
Instead, we work with the selected grade-level team to determine which approved supplies will have the greatest impact, and we purchase those items directly on their behalf. This helps ensure award funds are used for their intended purpose while also allowing us to stretch the budget through bulk purchasing whenever possible.
