Education may be one of the few occupations in which employees regularly have to buy their own supplies in order to succeed.  

In a single year, teachers across the country spend an average of $610 on school supplies for their students—things like pencils, notebooks, lab materials, and even food and hygiene items.  

In under-resourced communities like West Dallas, it can be especially challenging for teachers to meet students’ needs, simply because schools tend to have fewer funds and many families have limited incomes.  

That’s why United Way of Metropolitan Dallas has partnered with Toyota Motor North America to help teachers better serve their students. Through the DRIVE program, last year United Way and Toyota awarded more than $120,000 in grants to local educators to support special projects, big ideas and everyday needs. The initiative is driving progress toward our Aspire United 2030 goals, which include improving access to education for local students. 

Read on to learn more about the DRIVE partnership and how change-seekers like you can create opportunity for local students to thrive.  

Empowering Local Teachers and Students 

We know that students learn best in environments where they feel safe, inspired and free to explore. Achieving that ideal requires ensuring that educators have the resources they need to help children thrive in the classroom—and beyond. 

That’s why United Way of Metropolitan Dallas partnered with Toyota Motor North America to create the Driving Resilience, Inclusion, Value and Enrichment (DRIVE) grant program, one part of Toyota’s commitment to expanding access to opportunities that strengthen North Texas. The program provides grant funding to local educators, with a goal of benefiting children ranging from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. 

In North Texas, the DRIVE program is open to educators in 10 West Dallas schools identified as underfunded and that are part of the Pinkston feeder pattern. Nearly anyone involved in education can apply—including teachers, librarians, principals, assistant principals and counselors, as well as music, art and theater instructors.  

Grant requests can be for as little as $500 and up to $3,000 and can cover nearly any specific need. In previous years, DRIVE has awarded funding for projects that include classroom and building beautification and updates; technology upgrades to improve efficiencies, access and learning opportunities; professional development to enhance teachers’ impact on student learning; curriculum and innovative initiatives that drive and support learning outcomes; and experiential opportunities for students, such as field trips. 

We worked with Toyota to launch DRIVE during the 2019-2020 school year, and the program has continued to expand every year, thanks to Toyota’s generous support. Last school year, the program distributed more than $120,000 to enable educators to better serve their students.  

“Without the support of Toyota, United Way would not be able to drive this level of impact in our communities,” says Daniel Bouton, vice president of health and wellness at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. “Through our collaboration, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and Toyota are expanding opportunities for West Dallas students by combining our expertise and resources to enhance the learning experience. Together, we’re not only supporting academic achievement, we’re also equipping teachers with the tools they need to help every student thrive.”

Expanding Educational Horizons 

The funds from DRIVE grants enable educators to engage students in school in new and exciting ways—which isn’t always possible given the limited funds at many schools.  

Since the program launched in 2019, $380,000 has been distributed to 171 educators, positively impacting an estimated 14,000 students across West Dallas. Because of the interest shown by educators and the amount of money needed to achieve the goals of specific projects that the school district can’t fund on its own, the total amount of funds distributed has grown over the years. Two years ago, DRIVE resulted in $78,000 in grant awards, and last year the total was more than $124,000. 

The program has been such a success in North Texas that last year Toyota decided to work with United Way of Metropolitan Dallas to launch DRIVE in eight schools in Huntsville, Ala., as part of the larger Driving Possibilities Initiative, which Toyota announced in 2023. The initiative funded 64 projects for a total of $131,000, and more than 3,400 students participated in a project funded by DRIVE. 

One example of what DRIVE has made possible is a program proposed by Magella Knight, a teacher at Dr. Elba and Domingo Garcia-West Dallas STEM School. Magella told The Dallas Morning News that she wanted to start a robotics club for kindergarten through third-grade students to expose them to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from a young age.  

“The school funds are limited, and I want to do robotics,” she told The Dallas Morning News. “So, after they told me I could apply, I decided to apply for the whole amount.”  

Magella received a $3,000 grant to kick off her STEM program. 

“Robotics is a really good program for them to come [to] after school and [it gives them] experience so that they can go into those [STEM] jobs,” she said. “I think it’s really, really necessary here, and we just don’t have the money. Toyota has done a whole lot. They provide school supplies for the kids and backpacks, so I’m not surprised that they’re giving something like [these grants], because they see that we have that need. They do a lot of stuff for the communities.” 

Are You a West Dallas Educator? Apply for a DRIVE Grant! 

Applications for 2025-2026 DRIVE grants are open now through September 5.  

To participate in the process, educators must work at one of 10 West Dallas schools identified as underfunded in several categories in the Pinkston feeder pattern. Based on supply costs to support the programs they pitched, applicants can request any amount between $500 and $3,000 to fulfill various initiatives. 

We are encouraging and promoting projects that:  

• Demonstrate a direct impact on academic achievements, including areas of STEM   

• Enhance learning opportunities and student experiences, including career exploration 

• Support social and emotional learning through room beautification efforts  

This year, United Way and Toyota are expanding our support by adding an incentive to recognize the schools with the highest number of applications submitted. The school that submits the most applications will receive a $3,000 bonus, and the second-place school will receive $1,500. Awards must be used for teacher appreciation projects or activities that impact all staff. Funds will be awarded directly to the school’s principal, and all funds must be utilized during the current school year. 

To start your application, visit our Toyota DRIVE webpage.  (Are you an educator in the Huntsville, Ala., area? Click here to apply.)