Want to bring Inspired Teaching to your team or school?
Access school or district professional learning funds: Some districts have professional learning discretionary funding for schools, or other funds that can be accessed for this purpose. Principals, district supervisors, curriculum supervisors, professional learning directors, and superintendents are good people to check with. Depending on how many colleagues at your school participate, and the subject of the course, you may be able to access school improvement funds as well (e.g., for a course in Relationship-Based Classrooms, which would address school climate).
Talk to your PTA representatives. These groups often have grants and money set aside for professional learning and school improvement.
Donors Choose is an organization where educators can post projects for donors to browse and fun, including professional learning that is used to further your craft. Go to their website to create a free account and find out more. Remember to post your project to social media, so that your friends and family can see the work you’re doing and share it with others!
The NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education awards grants that support the professional learning of public school teachers and faculty in public institutions of higher education. Grants may fund professional learning experiences, such as summer institutes or action research, mentoring experiences or lesson study. Professional learning must improve practice, curriculum and student achievement, and recipients must put professional leadership into practice by sharing what they learn with their colleagues. For specific information, visit the NEA Foundation’s application instructions page.
Fund for Teachers is unique in that it awards grants for professional learning based on the principle that the teacher is the one who knows what they need to grow as an educator. These grants are self designed and allow teachers to create their own professional learning opportunity based on what is most beneficial to their teaching in their own opinions. The application encourages educators to think about their objectives, motivations and the impact their particular plan of action will have on students. Applications are due in January.
The McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation provides Teacher Development Grants for individual teachers or small teams working in K-12 education. To foster insightful and innovative professional learning and growth, the grants allow you to implement new teaching methods and strategies in the classroom. Projects can take a variety of forms, but each of them must be geared towards having a significant and lasting impact in the classroom. Winners work closely with the foundation to implement their ideas and are awarded up to $10,000 for the first three years of the project.