The Learning for Justice Educator Fund supports educators who embrace and embed social justice, anti-bias and anti-racist principles throughout their classrooms and schools.
Donor Name: Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)
State: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/12/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
Learning for Justice’s Educator Fund offers the opportunity to work with LFJ to address systemic inequities within education. Throughout the partnership, they offer ongoing guidance and critical resources. With help from your expertise about your own school community, they intend to collaboratively generate innovative solutions that promote affirming school climates, promote student action and raise everyone’s consciousness.
The LFJ Educator Fund funds three types of projects: classroom level, school level and district level. For all project types, they seek to fund projects that culminate in measurable student outcomes and sustainable systems change. Educators throughout the U.S. may apply. Priority will be given to eligible proposals operating in the SPLC’s core states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.
All Learning for Justice Educator Fund projects must incorporate at least one LFJ resource, framework or publication. Each applicant must also demonstrate how the endeavor addresses one or more of the following key outcomes:
- Restorative discipline: an increase in schools and districts shifting from punitive discipline policies to restorative discipline policies;
- Youth civic engagement: an increase in student civic engagement, especially supporting the rights of marginalized students and communities;
- Dismantling oppressive narratives: an increase in schools and districts shifting from white supremacist or oppressive policies and curricula to policies and curricula that are anti-racist or support the safety and self-determination of all students.
Grant Types
- Classroom Level
- Classroom-level grants are offered to individual educators or small peer groups. Proposals should focus on creating safe and welcoming classrooms that reflect the outcomes described in the LFJ Social Justice Standards. This includes programming that promotes positive identity development, perspective taking, critical thinking about injustice and collective action. Preference is given to projects that emphasize student action and promote student perspectives.
- Classroom-level grant amounts will range from $500 to $2,500. Projects must be completed within six months of receiving grant funds.
- School and District Levels
- School- and district-level funds are offered to educator networks and school or district leadership teams. Proposals should focus on improving school climate, responding to and preventing incidents of hate and bias, or embedding the concepts found in the LFJ Social Justice Standards into the school- or district-wide curriculum. These projects may also focus on improving teaching capacity to adopt the practices articulated in Critical Practices for Anti-bias Education and in the school climate resources, implement an LFJ topic-based framework like Teaching Hard History, or to promote dialogue among school community members about anti-bias, anti-racist (ABAR) issues at school.
- School- and district-level awards range from $2,500 to $25,000. Applicants may apply for up to three years of project funding. Applicants seeking multi-year funding will be expected to provide clear strategies, action plans, milestones and timelines for achieving project objectives over the course of the project period, in addition to the standard application. Multi-year funds will be released annually, based upon review and approval of annual progress evaluations.
Project Criteria
Funding decisions are based on the following criteria:
- Demonstrated need:
- The project addresses a clear and specific need by students, the school, and/or the community.
- The project is tailored to fit the unique needs of the student population.
- Social justice alignment:
- Applicants must use at least one Learning for Justice resource, framework or publication.
- Outcome alignment (in one or more areas):
- Restorative discipline: an increase in schools and districts shifting from punitive discipline policies to restorative discipline policies;
- Youth civic engagement: an increase in student civic engagement, especially supporting the rights of marginalized students and communities;
- Dismantling oppressive narratives: an increase in schools and districts shifting from white supremacist or oppressive policies and curricula to policies and curricula that are anti-racist or support the safety and self-determination of all students.
- Outcomes and assessment:
- The project defines SMART objectives (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely).
- The applicant has a clear and practical plan to assess the project’s impact and report results.
- Student-centered approach:
- Students are meaningfully involved in the planning or implementation of the project.
- The project ultimately relates to or improves students’ experiences.
- Sustainability and support:
- The applicant can demonstrate how the project affects long-term structural change.
- The applicant can articulate how the project will be sustained over time.
- The applicant has the support and commitment from a school or district leadership team.
- The applicant has the support and buy-in from relevant stakeholders, such as administration, students and parents.
- Geography and priority populations:
- Educators working in the United States are eligible to apply. Priority is given to applicants from the SPLC’s core states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.
- Priority given to projects implemented in Title I schools or schools with high percentages of students and/or educators of color.
Eligibility Criteria
People who meet one of the following descriptions are eligible to apply:
- Educators, administrators and school personnel who work in public and private K-12 spaces;
- Educators, administrators and school personnel who work in facilities where students receive their main education, such as juvenile justice facilities, therapeutic schools or alternative schools;
- Faculty and staff in schools of education in colleges and universities.
For more information, visit SPLC.
