The Downingtown Community Education Foundation is dedicated to inspiring, enhancing, and enriching the Downingtown Area School District community by providing innovative educational programs and services to all 13,000 students.  Our Teacher Innovation Grant programs seeks teachers’ ideas that emphasize new approaches to teaching, integrate curriculum, and are inventive and ground-breaking. DCEF serves as an incubator, funding programs and initiatives on a small scale to determine viability, impact, and scalability for all students in the district.

DEADLINES:  Applications will be reviewed twice a year, once in the Fall (for implementation in January) and another in late spring (for implementation the following school year). 

PROPOSAL DUE DATES  - first Friday in October and last Friday in March

Friday, October 5, 2018          Friday, March 29, 2019

Friday, October 4, 2019          Friday, March 27, 2020

Awards will be announced in May and December.  Applications submitted after these dates will be considered in the next review cycle. 

ELIGIBLE PROPOSALS: Imaginative, innovative projects, services and/or other activities that emphasize new approaches to teaching, stimulate thought, integrate curriculum, are forward looking, advanced, original, novel, fresh, unusual, inventive and ground-breaking will be considered.

Ineligible requests include standard school supplies and equipment, field trips, other standard curriculum items, or replication/duplication of prior grants.  Additionally, DCEF grants will not fund salaries of teachers, administrators, or personnel

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: Teachers, administrators and other school personnel of DASD.

EVALUATION & SELECTION CRITERIA: Applicants will be reviewed on a competitive basis.  Priority will be given to projects that are ready to proceed and enhance DASD’s existing curriculum by creating interconnected and unique learning opportunities.

The review committee uses the following matrix to evaluate all applications:                     

                    

	Criteria	rating
1	Submitted prior to deadline
2	Met application criteria - all 4 parts included (cover, narrative, budget, signatures)
3	Initiative has the ability to be replicated at other schools
4	Innovative
5	Funding is not available from another source
6	Aligned with DCEF grant priorities - support innovation in education, inspire children & enrich the curriculum
7	Clearly defined need and purpose
8	Clearly defined and measurable goals and outcomes
9	Plan of action adequately specified (includes materials, personnel & time/schedule)
10	Impact easily seen or documented
11	Initiative has impact beyond initial educational purpose
	TOTAL

 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:         

• Complete Cover Sheet, Application narrative, and Budget sheet
• Principal and Chief Academic Officer must sign application.
• Submit Application Electronically:  to Jackie Fenn  jfenn@dcedf.org

 REPORTING REQUIREMENT: At the conclusion of the project, all approved grants must submit a written report with a financial accounting statement (including copies of receipts) for our audit. This report should be submitted to DCEF by the end of the school year. Pictures and testimonials (comments by students, teachers, parents) should be included with your written report.

 

As of September 2018 over $125,000 has been awarded to teachers with innovative ideas to support learning in DASD. We want yours to be the next! If you would like additional insights and assistance in completting your grant application, please contact Jeff Singleton (jsingleton@dasd.org)