In November, the Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING awarded more than $153,000 in grants to a number of its participants to support projects and professional learning taking place in the 2015-2016 school year.
Funds will support such projects as Teaching Our Children Student-Centered Mathematics, Targeted Classroom Discussions That Work, Ways to Inspire Mathematical Conversations, Effective and Efficient Math Instruction: Letting Students Take the Lead, Falling in Love with Reading, Using Technology to Collaborate and Create Powerful Learning Opportunities, and Upper Grades Parent Math Education, among others.
This year’s recipients hail from a variety of school districts in both Northern and Southern California, including Culver City, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Lawndale, Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Los Angeles, Oak Grove, Pajaro Valley, Pomona, Rowland, San Lorenzo, Santa Monica-Malibu, Scotts Valley, Soquel, Tustin, and UCLA Lab School.
Each year, the Foundation offers several types of grants, including Cotsen Parent Involvement Grants, Cotsen Alumni Group Grants, and Cotsen Strategic Opportunity Grants. Offered to fellows in their second year as well as alumni, Cotsen Parent Involvement Grants seek projects that involve parents in learning. Open to alumni, Cotsen Alumni Group Grants support teachers in their ongoing, collaborative learning with a particular focus. These grants cover release time, professional books and materials, as well as fees for conferences and other educational needs. Cotsen Strategic Opportunity Grants are open to Cotsen alumni schools and seek to strengthen and improve professional practice at schools. To qualify for Cotsen Strategic Opportunity Grants, schools must exhibit certain criteria, including effective principal leadership, among a number of other factors.
Since 2006, the Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING has awarded nearly $80,000 in Parent Involvement Grants, $373,000 in Alumni Group Grants, and $650,000 in Strategic Opportunity Grants.