Innovation & Leadership Grants

Donors to Foundations in Education provide the resources for annual competitive grant programs that fund INNOVATION in classroom teaching and provide support for LEADERSHIP formation within Diocese of Bridgeport Catholic Schools. Innovation Grants support educators’ creative projects or initiatives that may benefit multiple grade levels and have a long-term impact on student learning. Leadership Grants promote professional development and leadership formation.

Teachers and administrators in Diocesan-sponsored Catholic Elementary, Middle and High Schools in Fairfield County are eligible to apply. Previous grantees must wait one year before being eligible to submit another grant proposal.

Applicants must:

1. Complete an application and submit it prior to the deadline for that grant cycle.
2. Provide the metrics and measures that will be used to evaluate a “successful” grant.
3. Garner the appropriate approval of their supervisor.
4. Provide applicable supporting documents (i.e. budget/cost estimates for innovation grants [inclusive of those requiring multi-year funding] and tuition or conference costs for leadership grants).
5. Identify other available funding sources for the project.
6. Agree to a release of personal image and information for advertising and marketing purposes.
7. Agree to present on the outcomes of his/her grant in Diocese wide faculty development forum or other suitable venue.

Complete and submit the online grant application form. Proposals must be reviewed and approved by School Principals prior to submission. Deadline to submit a grant application is October 31.

A Grants Committee reviews and evaluates each proposal and submits recommendations to the Foundations in Education Board of Trustees for approval. All applicants will be notified by Foundations in Education beginning early January. Grant funding will be effective July 1.

Priority may be given to unique and innovative approaches to teaching that will maximize the impact on learning for our students.

Grants may range in size up to $15,000 and may be made in one year or over several years if the project so requires.

Parameters for the size of the annual grant may include the following:

1. Size of grants will be recommended by the Innovation and Leadership Grants Committee and approved by the Foundations in Education Board.
2. May, at the discretion of the committee, be made to maximize impact in Innovation and Leadership.
3. May, at the discretion of the committee, be coupled to assist the Diocese of Bridgeport in meeting priorities of the Diocese.
4. May, at the discretion of the committee, be considered for multi-year program development.
5. May, at the discretion of the committee, be focused in a given year to specific priorities set forth by the Diocese and/or by the Innovation and Leadership Grants Committee (i.e. – focus on curriculum improvement, Mathematics, STEM, Arts, Robotics, Coding etc)