One8 Foundation Applied Learning Grants
The One8 Foundation’s applied learning school grants for SY2023-24 are now open.
The One8 Foundation is committed to building the classrooms of the future by supporting Massachusetts schools to adopt proven applied learning programs. Over the last five years, we have funded over 550 schools across the Commonwealth to adopt or expand applied learning programs. These programs help drive higher levels of student engagement by situating learning in the context of real-world problems and allow students build the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the 21st century.
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) provides the nation’s leading K-12 engineering, computer science and biomedical science courses using an activity-project-problem based approach so all learning destinates in students using knowledge and skills to solve real world problems.
Learn more about Project Lead The Way here.
The deadline to submit a Project Lead The Way (MA) grant application for the SY23-24 school year has passed. Please reach out to Katherine Skrivan at kskrivan@mass-stemhub.org with any questions.
Start or expand your school’s PLTW program with grants from the One8 Foundation. Grants cover teacher training, durable equipment, and technology.
Qualifications:
- Open to all public schools (K-12) in Massachusetts
- Competitive preference for schools with significant number of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds
- Competitive preference for high schools applying for Biomedical Science and/or Computer Science
- Competitive preference for districts building out multi-school pathways (e.g., 6-12 or K-12)
ST Math offers an engaging, highly effective visual, conceptual math program based on the neuroscience of how the brain learns. This supplemental program is aligned to K-5 standards and delivers results for ALL students. ST Math has a proven track record of building conceptual math understanding, a love of math and confidence in math ability at early ages.
Learn more about ST Math here.
Schools awarded a grant become members of the ST Math Massachusetts Program. Members of the Massachusetts Program receive funding to offset program adoption costs, advanced teacher training to support implementation, and access to yearly events such as learning symposiums. Over 245 schools across the state currently participate in the Massachusetts ST Math Cohort.
Qualifications:
- Open to all public elementary schools in Massachusetts
- A plan for full school adoption
Application and Timeline:
Apply here.
- Info sessions offered by our partners at ST Math. Learn more here.
- February 17, 2023: Grant App Part 1 Due
- March 24, 2023: Grant App Part 2 Due
- April 13, 2023: Award Notification
Open SciEd (OSE) is an NGSS aligned core science curriculum for grades 6-8 using phenomenon-based instruction. With a focus on equitable sensemaking, students drive the learning in OSE classrooms.
Learn more about OpenSciEd here.
The deadline to submit an OpenSciEd (MA) grant application for the SY23-24 school year has passed. Please reach out to Katherine Skrivan at kskrivan@mass-stemhub.org with any questions.
In order to grow and support OSE in Massachusetts, One8 is excited to partner with the OSE Equitable Instructional Initiative (OEI) at Boston College. Schools awarded a grant become members of the OpenSciEd Massachusetts Program. Members of the Massachusetts Program receive funding to offset training and durable equipment costs, implementation support from the OEI team, priority access to in-state OSE training, as well as additional professional learning resources & student programming.
Qualifications:
- Open to all public schools in Massachusetts that have students in grades 6, 7, and/or 8
- Schools must be in districts with at least 15% of students designated as economically disadvantaged
- A three-year implementation plan that leads to whole school participation and full OSE curriculum adoption
- Competitive preference for teams that demonstrate knowledge of and commitment to OSE’s instructional approach
PBLWorks (formerly The Buck Institute for Education) builds capacity of educators to design and facilitate high-quality K-12 project based learning across all grades and disciplines.
Learn more about PBLWorks here.
Grants are available for schools in Massachusetts to implement high-quality project based learning with PBLWorks. The Massachusetts School Leader Network (MA SLN) is designed to help school leaders create the ideal conditions for PBL to thrive in their school, and to train teachers to implement high quality projects to accelerate and deepen learning.
The School Leader Network is a multi-year program (Cohort 3 runs from March 2023 – June 2025) that provides the deep levels of professional development to school leaders and teachers and the support needed for high-quality implementation – through face-to-face workshops, virtual coaching, and a peer network of local PBL leaders. Grants for Cohort 3 will cover 40% of participation fees.
Qualifications:
- Open to all public schools in MA
- Competitive preference for schools that serve high populations of economically disadvantaged, black and/or Latinx students
Application and Timeline:
Request an application here
- November 4, 2022: Letter of Intent Due (highly recommended)
- January 12, 2023: Applications Due
- January-February: Interviews
- February 10, 2023: Award Notification
- March 2023: Leader Launch workshop
Ignite! Reading is a newly launched, in-school, virtual tutoring program on a mission to ensure that every student is an independent reader by the end of 1st grade. Ignite tutors work one-on-one with students for 15 minutes each day on foundational literacy skills in order to allow students to “crack the code” of learning to read. Each student is paired with a tutor who has received 100 hours of intensive Science of Reading-aligned training to deliver highly interactive, expert-designed lessons on the student’s specific skill gaps.
Learn more about Ignite! Reading here.
Districts/LEAs awarded grants to support Ignite! Reading will receive full funding to support up to 300 1st grade tutoring seats during the 2023-24 school year. Grant awards will be based on the actual number of projected 1st graders with foundational skill gaps with the expectation that all students will be available for daily 15-minute tutoring sessions during school hours. In addition, districts/LEAs will also receive support for any student not reaching 1st grade foundational skills benchmarks by the end of the 2023-24 school year to continue with Ignite tutors during their 2nd grade year in 2024-25.
Please see the linked document for answers to frequently asked questions about the program and grant opportunity.
Qualifications
- Open to Districts/LEAs in Massachusetts with at least 40% of their students designated as low income.
- Districts/LEAs must be using a high-quality core ELA curriculum for their K-2 students. (High quality curricula are defined as: those receiving green ratings for Gateway 1 and 2 on EdReports, those endorsed by the Knowledge Matters Campaign, or those with ratings of at least Partially Meets Expectations on all CURATE ratings). If the core curriculum does not include foundational skills, the district/LEA must also be using a high-quality foundational skills supplemental program. LEAs not currently using high-quality instructional materials for K-2 ELA may still be eligible if they have plans to adopt new materials by fall 2024.
- Districts/LEAs must have provided professional learning to all K-2 teachers on the specific curriculum materials educators are using for ELA.
- Districts/LEAs must have the capacity to conduct literacy screenings for 1st grade students within the first two weeks of school using a screener that meets or partially meets expectations as indicated by MA DESE and must be able to initiate tutoring by October 1, 2023.
- Districts/LEAs must identify a Literacy Coach or Administrator to manage the Ignite! Reading partnership and must certify that the person will have up to 3 hours per week to interface with the Ignite! Reading team inclusive of a monthly data meeting.
- Districts/LEAs must be able to maintain an average student program attendance rate of 75% for the duration of the program.
Application Timeline:
- April 13, 2023: Grant information session, register here
- April 25, 2023: School tour to view Ignite (Burncoat Prep Elementary School in Worcester), register here
- May 15, 2023: Applications due- apply here
- June 1, 2023: Award announcements