While director of edtech in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (FL), the fourth largest district in the USA, Dr. Rita Oates won grants exceeding $10 million. At Barry University, she taught a graduate course, Grant Writing for Edtech, while leading the graduate program in computer education and technology. As president of Oates Associates, a consulting firm, she has presented grant writing webinars for edWeb.net, workshops for CoSN, ISTE, FETC, and at state conferences from New Hampshire to Mississippi. She’s evaluated large federal grants for teacher training in three universities and in magnet schools. She's helped schools and teachers win grants from $500 to $1.9 million -- for her children’s middle school. She recently wrote an ebook about getting grants for VR tech. Rita’s presented about edtech at nearly a thousand PTA meetings. She’s worked with large districts in edtech planning, PD and procurement. Her passion is finding innovative ways to involve female and minority students in STEM activities and careers and finding funding to support cutting edge pedagogy.