The National Education Association Foundation's Learning & Leadership Grants support NEA members who are public school teachers, public education support professionals, and/or faculty and staff in public institutions of higher education for one of the following two purposes:
- Grants to individuals fund participation in high-quality professional development experiences, such as summer institutes, conferences, or action research
- Grants to groups fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson plan development, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff.
The grant amount is $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for groups engaged in collegial study. All $5,000 group grant applicants must include partner information. Deadlines for applications are due February 1, June 1, and October 15.
Restrictions
[NEA Grant Restrictions] All applicants must be current members of the National Education Association.
With the exception of study groups, applicants may not use grant funds to pay themselves stipends. Funds may not be used for lobbying or religious purposes. Identical applications will not be considered.
Grant funds may not be used to:
- pursue degrees;
- pay indirect costs, grant administration fees, or salaries; or
- support travel costs or conference fees for more than one person.
All professional development must improve practice, curriculum, and student achievement. "One-shot" professional growth experiences, such as attending a national conference or engaging a professional speaker, are discouraged. Decisions regarding the content of the professional growth activities must be based upon an assessment of student work undertaken with colleagues, and must be integrated into the institutional planning process. Grant funds may be used for fees, travel expenses, books, or other materials that enable applicants to learn subject matter, instructional approaches, and skills. Recipients are required to exercise professional leadership by sharing their new learning with their colleagues.
Learning & Leadership Grants can be used to fund collegial use of the NEA Foundation’s online courses. Explore the available online courses.
Deadlines and Notification Dates
Applications may be submitted at any time. Applicants are encouraged to plan ahead. Applications are reviewed three times per year, every year.
Application Received By: February 1 Notification by: April 15
Application Received By: June 1 Notification by: September 15
Application Received By: October 15 Notification by: January 15
Please give careful attention to the timeline of your grant. Applications that include activities scheduled prior to the date of notification will not be considered. All lead grant applicants will be notified in writing. Please do not contact the Foundation regarding the status of your application prior to the notification date.
Duration
Grants will fund activities for twelve months from the date of the award.
Click here for more information, Application Instructions and FAQ's.