Timeline:

Application Deadline: Rolling

Mini-Grant Recipients Announced: Rolling

Grants Payable to Applicant/Organization: Rolling

Final Report Due: June 30, 2022

Please send questions to NSPDKGammaGrant@gmail.com 

Project Overview:

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gamma Chapter of the NSPDK, Inc. is providing mini-grants to support educators responding to educational needs and psychosocial concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. All applications submitted for these mini-grants should address how the applicant(s) would use funds to prepare themselves, their colleagues, their students or school community, to adapt to educational challenges, experienced or anticipated, due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Five grants of up to $500 each will be awarded. 

Eligible Applicants/Organizations:

Applications can be submitted by principals, other administrators, individual teachers or teams of teachers serving pre-K through 12 students in Baltimore City, Baltimore County or Howard County (open to public, private, parochial, independent or charter schools).

Sample Mini-Grant Topics:

• Addressing the social and emotional needs of educators, students, and students’ families;

• Learning new pedagogy and/or adapting curricula to support distance/virtual learning and instruction;

• Addressing students’ learning loss resulting from extended school closures;

• Providing educational enrichment to support student learning;

• Strengthening educators’/schools’ engagement with families and communities to meet student needs;

• Lessening the financial impact of school-based responsibilities on families in vulnerable circumstances. 

Priority consideration will be given to those mini-grant applications identifying and addressing pertinent educational equity and opportunity gaps exacerbated by the pandemic.

Scope of Work:

The purpose of the NSPDK, Inc.,Gamma Chapter’s Educator Mini-Grant is to support educator-led initiatives that increase educational equity and opportunity, in response to student needs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the compounding implications of traditional summer learning loss. 

Successful projects will support creativity and individuality in student learning, while clearly responding to needs that emerged or worsened during the pandemic.

Funding:

These grants will be awarded for a 7-week period beginning June 1, 2020 in the amount up to $500. Applicants requesting this funding should be prepared to implement their projects during the period of June 1, 2021 - June 20, 2022. 

Evaluation Metrics and Criteria:

Submissions will be reviewed by members of the NSPDK, Inc., Gamma Chapter. Applicants will be contacted if further information is needed.

Applications will be judged on the following criteria:

• Educational Value & Impact: Potential to improve student achievement and lessen the summer slide; potential to enhance instructional skills; potential to increase parent engagement.

• Innovation: Innovative approach making learning memorable; enhance academic objective(s) within curriculum context.

• Planning: Coherent plan for project implementation; cost effectiveness and realistic budget.

Proposals will be evaluated based on how clearly and completely they address each of these components. In addition, the budget will be evaluated based on how realistic and financially prudent it is, and the extent to which it correlates with project goals, educational impact, and/or social emotional needs.

Final Mini-Grant Report: 

Evidence of student impact in the form of data tracking of funding, artifacts, to include documentation of budgetary spending/budget tracking sheet or invoices, and a one-page impact summary. 

Submission Requirements & Application Procedures:

• To be considered for this opportunity, applicants must: a) complete an online application describing the proposed project; and b) submit a project budget (You will need to download the attachment, complete and upload into the online application). The budget should indicate the total amount requested (up to $500) and the basic costs of the proposed project. This grant may not be used to cover staff or administrative salaries. 

• The online application will ask applicants to describe the following components of the proposed project: Title, Project Goals & Outcomes, Population(s) served, Date(s) & Location(s), Timeline, Action Plan and a brief Project Summary. 

• Upon submission, you will be able to view your responses. We encourage you to print a copy of your application.