SJ Learns aims to bolster academic achievement by funding promising and innovative expanded learning programs that serve San José public school students in transitional kindergarten (TK) through 3rd grade
Donor Name: San José Public Library Foundation
State: California
City: San José
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/05/2023
Size of the Grant: $850,000
Details:
San José Local Education Agencies (LEAs; public school districts, charter schools, and charter networks/management organizations) are invited to submit proposals for funds available for the Summer 2023 and the 2023-2024 academic year through the SJ Learns program. Community-based organizations (CBO) are encouraged to apply with LEAs as lead applicants.
SJ Learns is administered by the San José Public Library Foundation, with support from the San José Public Library’s Education and Digital Literacy Team. The Library team provides leadership for the application process as well as all related administrative, programmatic, and evaluation activities.
The grant review committee will give preference to proposals that:
- Prioritize schools that serve a higher percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
- Identify a clear plan to recruit students who do not meet (or are at risk of not meeting) grade-level standards.
- Demonstrate an enhanced commitment/innovative approach to implementing SJ Learns strategies and priorities.
- Include both summer and academic year expanded learning programs.
- Focus on student achievement in both Mathematics and English Language Arts.
- Include a clear financial narrative or strategy that shows diversified funding sources other than ASES or 21 Century funds.
Priorities
- Whole Child Learning: Grantees take a whole child approach to education, ensuring San Jose students are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. More information is available at The Whole Child.
- Collaboration: Grantees partner with city agencies, community-based organizations, businesses, and other entities to improve student outcomes.
- Family Engagement: Grantees encourage trusting relationships between staff and parents, create a sense of community within programs, build parents’ capacity to help improve student outcomes, and empower parents to be active decision makers and lifelong advocates on behalf of their children.
- Continuous Quality Improvement: Grantees are committed to program improvement and ensure programs are aligned to the Quality Standards for Expanded Learning in California.
Community of Practice:
- SJ Learns partners with the Leo M. Shortino Family Foundation and Cisco Systems’ Community Impact Grant programs to organize an Expanded Learning Community of Practice. All SJ Learns grantees must participate in the Community of Practice, which meets online or in-person at least three times per year.
Funding Information
Approximately $850,000 are available for this grant opportunity.
Who can apply
- LEAs (public school districts, charter schools, and charter networks/management organizations) serving San José students in TK-3rd grade are eligible to apply as the lead applicant.
- Community-based organizations (CBOs) are considered sub-grantees of the lead applicant. CBOs are encouraged to collaborate with eligible LEAs throughout the application process.
Minimum Eligibility Requirements
- Be administered at (or by) a school site (or school sites) with a minimum of 40% of students who qualify for free or reduced price meals
- Serve TK- 3rd grade students who are residents of the City of San José and attend public schools
- Demonstrate a clear strategy for recruitment or referral that utilizes available data, including valid and reliable assessments, to ensure the program enrolls students who are both low-income and performing below (or at-risk of performing below) grade-level standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts.
- Demonstrate alignment with the LEA’s in-person or distance learning programs, as well as the Quality Standards for Expanded Learning in California.
LEAs must:
- Demonstrate alignment with SJ Learns strategies and priorities through the Local Control Accountability Plan (or Local Continuity and Attendance Plan; LCAP).
- Ensure that students who are funded with SJ Learns monies are not charged program fees.
- Participate as a member (or be open to becoming a member) in the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s DataZone project to collect program data. This is important for the SJ Learns evaluation strategy.
- Commit to participate in the Expanded Learning Community of Practice.
For more information, visit San José Public Library Foundation.
