Professional Development Grant Guidelines

 
 
 
 
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT GUIDELINES
Please return completed package to:
 
WESTFORD EDUCATION FOUNDATION 
P.O. BOX 535 
WESTFORD, MA 01886
or

 BACKGROUND

Westford Education Foundation (WEF) is a non-profit community organization that promotes innovative educational initiatives and champions life-long learning. We do this by building a wide community of support, fostering ideas, channeling resources, and funding exceptional learning programs.

 WHAT DO WEF GRANTS SUPPORT?

  • Encourage and support new innovative projects in teaching and learning that are beyond the scope of the approved school budget;
  • Promote innovation and creativity on the part of teachers, students, parents and other community members by granting funds for new endeavors consistent with the Westford Public Schools and/or Nashoba Valley Technical High School curriculum;
  • Impact a significant number of students and have a lasting benefit to the Westford community;
  • Encourage collaboration among teachers, administrators, parents and community groups to enrich education.

 WHO MAY APPLY FOR A WEF GRANT?

WEF invites all Westford Public School and Nashoba Valley Technical High School faculty and administrators to apply for grants that support professional development initiatives during the summer months. Professional Development Grants were created to support teachers who wish to expand their content knowledge, acquire new skills, seek out intellectual renewal, and bring new, innovative ideas into the classroom.  Applications may be made by individuals or groups.

GRANT POLICIES    

  • Funds awarded may be used to pay costs associated with attending a one-day or multi-day workshop, course, institute or special program. Costs may include tuition and materials.
  • WEF funds proposals that are consistent with Westford Public School and Nashoba Valley Technical High School curriculum but not covered by the approved school budget.  This does NOT include course work for degree candidates, national board certification, re-certification, self-directed programs, travel related expenses, retroactive expenses or stipends for staff. 
  • WEF expects teachers to share information with their coworkers and staff upon return from their professional development course.  Therefore, we will not fund duplicate programs by either the same educator or school if the Grant Committe determines that the program could have been shared with staff at that specific school. Additionally, WEF will give preference to programs NOT already being offered as a professional development seminar by Westford Public Schools.
  GRANT CRITERIA 

The WEF Grant Committee will review all proposals. In making its decision, the Committee will use the following criteria:

  • Applicant must be a teacher or administrator who works directly with the children
  • Proposed initiative must bring innovative ideas back into the classroom
  • Application must describe in detail the professional development initiative, statement of goals and objectives, and a detailed budget which includes a website, if applicable. 
EVALUATION OF FUNDED GRANTS AND PUBLICITY
 
Grant recipients must agree to account for and write a brief evaluation of the project at its conclusion. Also, grant recipients must attend the awards ceremony and assist WEF in publicizing their projects to other Westford Public School and/or Nashoba Valley Technical High School faculty, administrators, parents, students and the community through various press publications. When issuing oral and written statements and/ or press releases and when presenting the result of any grant, grant recipients must include the following statement:
 

“THIS PROJECT IS MADE POSSIBLE (IN WHOLE OR PART) BY A GRANT FROM WESTFORD EDUCATION FOUNDATION”