GRANT APPLICATION FOR

INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

 

2025-2026

General Information about the Grant Program:

The Oley Valley Community Education Foundation (OVCEF) is pleased to provide the Grant Application for the 2025-2026 school year. The grants will be available in two different buckets, and we anticipate the total to be around $130,000.

• OVCEF will provide approximately $30,000 in general grants, and
• OVCEF, through the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program, anticipates being about to provide about $100,000 in grants.

OVCEF invites teachers, departments and/or grade levels to submit applications for grants, so that educational opportunities for our Oley Valley students will be enhanced. We are especially encouraging the development of programs and projects that focus on creativity and innovation, and that enhance and/or enrich the existing curriculum. Such innovative programs typically have one or more of the following characteristics:

• They are integrated with the core instructional program of our school district;
• They supplement revision of district curriculum or academic programs;
• They provide a different focus, delivery, or methodology that enhances a current academic program;
• They may be offered in addition to the school curriculum or academic programs;
• They may be offered before or after school hours, on weekends, or as year-round programs or an extension of the school year;
• They provide for use of specialized instructional materials, technology, guest instructors, or programs not currently provided by the school district;
• They provide internships and other work-based learning opportunities that support and enhance the district curriculum;
• They offer instruction that leads to credits/advanced standing at a two-year or four-year college or university authorized by the Department of Education;
• They reconfigure or re-equip a classroom to create a specialized educational environment for students.

Important Note: Grant proposals may not be requests for technology only. However, technology requests may supplement a proposal. Grant applications should focus on how the implementation of this program will enhance the students' educational experience.

Timeline for 2024-2025 Grant Preparation and Submission:

• Google Form application submission due date - Friday, January 31, 2025
• OVCEF to review applications received with building principals and superintendent - February 2025.
• OVCEF initial application review and submission of potentially EITC qualifying submissions to the DCED for approval - February 2025.
• OVCEF Board meeting at which a final decision on awarding of the grants is made - Thursday, June 12, 2025
• Awarding of grants - Friday, June 13, 2025 (pending notification of approval by the DCED)
• Purchasing of items for grants - July and August 2024
• Implementation in classrooms - Beginning August 2024

All grant applicants should follow the Specific Guidelines for Preparing Your Application that follow; completed Google Form applications will automatically be submitted to Jennifer Schorr, OVCEF Executive Director. Please direct any questions to her (OVCEF@ovsdpa.org).

Note: It is our preference that we receive all grant proposals during this timeframe so we can consider them all at the same time and fund the grant so it is available for the entire school year. However, we realize that opportunities to request funding for grants may occur throughout the school year. As a result, we encourage the submission of grant proposals at any time. Grant proposals will be considered for funding at the time of submission, subject to approval of the DCED, if required.

Specific Guidelines for Preparing Your Application:

1.     Complete the Grant Application Form.

2.     In the narrative itself, do not focus on technology required to implement the program; rather, focus on the benefits to the students.

3.     Complete the separate Budget Request Form provided and include it with your narrative. If your proposal involves any          technology requests, include them on the Budget Request Form. Consult with District Technology Director, Jim Rothenberger, about pricing for any technology requests.

Note:

This format is intended to comply with the Innovative Educational Program guidelines provided to us by the DCED.

Follow-up:

Once each grant is implemented, the Foundation requests that each grant recipient contact our Executive Director, Jennifer Schorr, to schedule a time for her to visit your classroom to see each "Education Grant in Action". While we appreciate photos you take and send yourself, we are able to provide a more in-depth narritive to accompany the photos if Jen is able to see the grants in action & see for herself how the students are benefitting and what they are learning. Feedback in the form of teacher and student testimonials including how the grant has impacted them in the classroom are extremely helpful and can be emailed to Jennifer Schorr at OVCEF@ovsdpa.org