Grants

Teacher grants are awarded to individuals and small groups of teachers or administrators on the basis of short written proposals. These grants typically fund professional or personal development activities. They are not intended to provide curricular materials or fund classroom programs that the school department and PTOs support.

A request for proposals is sent out in January and a presentation is made at each school. In addition, the school system's grants administrator offers a workshop for teachers who wish to apply. The Teacher Grants Committee, which consists of teachers, principals, Foundation Board members, and administrators rank the proposals in April. At a second meeting, committee members determine the size of each grant. Generally, teacher grants are limited to no more than $2500 for an individual or $5000 for a group. The grants are announced at the Foundation's annual meeting, "Celebrating Teachers," in May.

Brookline Education Foundation Collaborative Grants are designed to promote cooperative efforts across disciplines, across grade levels, and among schools. The Collaborative Grants category enables the Foundation to bring the core value of Collaborative Relationships to the forefront by promoting opportunities for professional teamwork and cooperative learning throughout Brookline.

Systemwide grants support growth and innovation in the system as a whole. Systemwide grants may be renewed to provide funding over a three-year or greater period. Smaller leadership grants have traditionally been used to provide continuing education and professional development opportunities to principals, curriculum coordinators, and other administrators. Systemwide grants are developed and administered in collaboration with the Superintendent of Schools and his staff.