Learning for Equity: A Network for Solutions North Carolina (LENS-NC) – a network partnership between nine NC-based organizations, the Oak Foundation Learning Differences Programme and MDC – is expanding and invites North Carolina organizations working at the intersection of educational equity and learning differences to apply to join the LENS-NC learning and action network.
Donor Name: Manpower Development Corp. (MDC)
State: North Carolina
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 01/18/2022
Size of the Grant: $25,000 – $75,000
Grant Duration: 2 years
Details:
For the LENS-NC Network, the learning differences population includes students who have diagnosed or undiagnosed specific learning disabilities (such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia) as well as individuals who may have other related neurological processing challenges that can impact learning (such as attention deficits, sensory processing disorders, and executive function challenges).
Selected organizations will receive funding to advance their work to reduce race and income disparities in educational outcomes among students with diagnosed or undiagnosed learning differences and create learning environments where students will thrive. More significantly, selected organizations will also join a network of organizations that regularly meet to learn, address common challenges, and explore opportunities to amplify effective strategies for change at classroom, school, community, district, and state levels.
Priority Areas for Interested Organizations
LENS-NC invites both organizations working at the exact intersection of learning differences and equity and others working on one or more crucial components of this complex intersection. Both types of organizations are crucial to the Network. In order to address the Network’s gaps and to build on the strengths of the network, in this round of funding they are prioritizing organizations that focus on work in one or more of the following areas:
- Organizations that serve rural North Carolinians or organizations focused on the eastern and western regions of the state (Current members of the LENS-NC network work primarily in metropolitan areas and in the state’s central regions)
- Organizations working directly with students of color or low-income students with diagnosed and undiagnosed learning differences and their families
- Grassroots organizations
- Organizations focused on serving Indigenous or Southeast Asian communities in North Carolina. The network currently is represented by organizations focused on serving Latinx, African American, and White students and their families.
While these are the priority areas, organizations working in other ways to support students at the intersection of economic, racial, and educational equity for students with learning differences will also be considered and are welcomed to apply.
Funding Information
- General Operating Support
- $25,000 – $50,000 over two years
- Project-based Support
- $25,000 – $75,000 over two years
Criteria for Applying
Organizations interested in applying should meet the following criteria:
- Be working at grassroots, local, regional, or state level to address inequities faced by K-12 students with learning differences who experience further marginalization due to racism and/or poverty
- Have the capacity to participate in the learning and action network fully, including providing a consistent two- or three-person team that actively engages in convenings, participates in additional learning opportunities, and carves out time for internal reflection and application of learnings
- Be a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization, or have a fiscal sponsor with a 501(c)3 tax status
- Be a North Carolina-based organization or a North Carolina-based affiliate of a regional or national organization
- Have a mission that explicitly works at the intersection of educational equity for students with diagnosed or undiagnosed learning differences, which are also low-income or students of color
- For organizations not yet working at this intersection, propose an existing or new project that works to address this intersection
- Organizations seeking funding for collaborations between two or more organizations are also eligible and welcome to apply. The funding range for collaborations will be the same as all other projects
Please consider your organization’s capacity to commit the time and resources for a two to three-person team to engage in the network. After applying, organizations demonstrating project ideas and learning approaches that best align with the network’s goals will be invited to provide additional financial and organizational information beginning in February of 2022.
For more information, visit MDC.
