Innovation, elevation, and excellence describe the aims of the Adirondack Foreign Language Enhancement Fund. Created to inspire French and Spanish teachers within Adirondack elementary, middle and high schools (K-12) to reach for the stars, the Fund also elevates the status of language teachers in the teaching community.
Donor Name: Adirondack Foundation
State: New York
Counties: Clinton County (NY), Essex County (NY), Franklin County (NY), Hamilton County (NY), Herkimer County (NY), St. Lawrence County (NY), Warren County (NY), Washington County (NY)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 01/17/2022
Size of the Grant: $500 to $3,000
Details:
While each funding opportunity has a specific focus, taken as a whole, they fund across their five key interest areas:
- Basic needs
- Educational pathways
- Community and Economic vitality
- Arts and Culture
- Environment
Grant Amounts
Each year, AFLEF makes a limited number of grants available to Adirondack schools for initiatives that enrich and increase capacity for foreign language instruction. Grants awarded typically range from $500 to $3,000, but larger grants will sometimes be given for exceptional projects.
Geographic Focus
Grant applications will be accepted from schools located in or serving people of the Adirondack region, defined for this purpose by Adirondack Foundation as all of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, and Hamilton counties as well as the parts of Herkimer, St. Lawrence, Warren, and Washington counties within the Adirondack Park boundary. School districts within or serving a majority of students from any town in the aforementioned counties are eligible to apply.
Eligibility Criteria
All Adirondack elementary, middle, and high school foreign language teachers are eligible to apply for competitive “Innovation” grants. Priority will be given projects that go beyond a school’s budget to:
- Support immersion in French and Spanish language and culture
- Open opportunities to explore new teaching technologies,
- Promote collaborative initiatives among schools, such as partnerships with BOCES to maximize efficiency and impact,
- Support career enhancement training for teachers including workshops and conferences.
- Stretch beyond the norm through Innovative projects.
- Maximize the reach of a grant-funded project. (Examples: An annual forum for the presentation of foreign language skits performed by students from schools across the Park, a seminar for foreign language teachers that would bring new ideas or technology into the classroom, an honorarium for excellence in teaching.)
Other Important Notes
- The fund does not support college-level instructors of foreign languages.
- Applications for language/cultural immersion field trips for both students and teachers will be considered if students and teachers take responsibility for much of the fundraising.
- Please be sure to describe the need that your program addresses and why it is important.
- If your application is successful and your program needs to change after being awarded a grant, you must check in with us before changing the way the funds will be used.
For more information, visit Adirondack Foreign Language Enhancement Fund (AFLEF).
