Learning Excellence Grants Program Guidelines
2009-2010

Mission. The Foundation for Belmont Education is a community sponsored, independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to raising and allocating funds to enrich the Belmont Public Schools. The Foundation is not a substitute for public support of education through tax dollars. Rather, the Foundation's goal is to make a significant difference in the quality of Belmont's educational programs.

Applicant Eligibility. The Foundation invites proposals for Learning Excellence Grants from the entire Belmont school community. Any employee of the Belmont Public Schools (including teachers, professional aides, administrators, and non-teaching staff) is eligible to apply for support from the Foundation and may serve as Project Director on a funded project. While they may not apply directly to the Foundation for support, students, parents, and other interested members of the community are encouraged to collaborate with professional staff in designing and developing worthy projects.

Grant Purposes. Learning Excellence Grants will be available to enhance and broaden the knowledge of students, to develop and refine teaching techniques, and to provide teachers with opportunities that will support and enrich the curriculum of the Belmont Public Schools. These grants may support such projects as enhancing activities and services for students; designing and piloting new courses or curriculum units; strengthening teacher skills and subject mastery through courses, workshops, and guest speakers; encouraging collaboration with colleagues in other schools, subject areas, or grade levels; and expanding staff awareness of successful educational practices in other school districts. The Belmont Education Foundation is open to and interested in considering any creative project that has the potential to contribute substantially to the educational excellence of the Belmont Public Schools.

Small Grants of up to $1,000 will be available to support activities of individual teachers or administrators based in a single classroom or administrative unit. Major Grants of up to $5,000 will be available for those projects that involve several teachers and/or administrators and promise to have broad school-wide or system-wide impact. Projects appropriate for Major Grant awards should focus on high priority issues for the Belmont Public Schools (e.g., integrating technology into the curriculum, meeting new state educational standards, internationalizing the curriculum, strengthening staff development programs). Learning Excellence Grant Projects may be undertaken over the summer or during the school year. Ordinarily, the Foundation expects that projects will be completed within one year of the notification of funding. Requests for funding of guest speakers or consultants will require the submission of a Social Security Number, address, and phone number prior to reimbursement.

Funding Restrictions. The specific amount of a given award will be based entirely on the strengths and needs of each individual project. Funds may be used to support any costs necessary for the success of the proposed project (including consultants, guest speakers, books and tuition, subscriptions, duplicating, postage, long distance telephone, computer upgrades and software, equipment, and supplies). Given its limited resources, the Foundation is not able to provide stipends to staff or pay for refreshments or travel. All proposed expenditures should be clearly and directly related to proposed project activities.

NOTE: The Foundation cannot consider requests for funding that should be included in the regular school budget (e.g., substitute teachers, classroom supplies, and on-going curriculum or staff development activities normally sponsored by the School Department).

Application Procedures. Grant application forms for both the Small Grant and Major Grant Programs are available in the Educator's Corner of the Grant section of the Foundation's website.  A master copy of each application form is also available in the Superintendent's Office and in the Principal's Office of each school. All grant proposals must be submitted on these forms.

Before preparing a proposal, applicants are encouraged to discuss project ideas with their colleagues, principal, appropriate central administrators, and other interested parties. Proposals should be signed by the proposed Project Director(s), countersigned by the appropriate building principal or principals to confirm awareness of the project, and submitted to the Superintendent's Office, where they will be reviewed and forwarded to the Foundation's Program Support Committee. Please note that there are separate forms for Small Grant and for Major Grant applications.

Review Process. The Program Support Committee will review all proposals. In making its decision on which projects to recommend for funding, the Committee will consider the strength of the need for the project, the clarity of goals and objectives, the feasibility of proposed plans, the qualifications and directly related experience of key participants, and the anticipated impact of the project on the Belmont Public Schools.

Deadlines. All proposals are due on or before the deadlines listed below.

Please submit the signed original and one copy of your proposal (including all attachments) to:

The Office of the Superintendent
Belmont Public Schools
644 Pleasant Street
Belmont, Massachusetts 02478

Thank you for your interest and participation in the Learning Excellence Grants Program. To facilitate communications, the following Program Committee liaisons are available for any questions.