Grant Application Outline
Great Opportunities Grants are Awarded once per year. Read the background information, and fill out our grant application: Great Opps Grant
The teacher application process will now follow this schedule:
a. The application due date is Sept. 30th.
b. Winning grants will be notified before Thanksgiving break.
c. Grant funds must be spent and final reports submitted no later than April 30th. Additionally and to help further our cause of raising money for teacher grants, KEF requests awardees recognize Kalispell Education Foundation as the funder of this grant.
d. The award maximum is $2000 per application.
e. New applicants receive bonus points for their applications. Previous grantees may apply each year. If you have not filed your report for your last grant award, you may not apply for a new grant until that report has been filed.
f. Grant expenditure date can be extended from April 30th for those projects where implementation falls in September or October the following year from the application date. Please request a special extension from KEF and the KPS business office. Great Opportunities Grants applications with a technology component should be cleared with each school’s technology site specialist before being turned in. District IT Director Richard Lawrence should be consulted with any unresolved questions.
Mike Block-Glacier High School
Cy Glastetter- Flathead High School
Ben Kolar- Kalispell Middle School, Peterson Elementary and Linderman
Casey Love- Russell Elementary, Elrod Elementary, Hedges Elementary and VOAG
Rob Leonard-Glacier High School, Edgerton Elementary
Richard Lawrence – Central Office
Grant Application Process
What is the Great Opportunities Program?
The Great Opportunities Grant Program was developed to enrich education in the Kalispell Public School System. It is designed to put money directly into the hands of classroom teachers, helping educators take ideas for innovative teaching strategies and make them a reality. Specific goals include:
- Supporting and encouraging teachers to infuse new elements of creativity into their classroom
- Helping teachers extend student learning with innovation
- Encouraging teachers to strengthen ties between the classroom, other teachers, parents, students, business leaders and the larger community
- Providing funds for projects to enhance student learning that would otherwise not be possible within the District budget or with any other funding source
Who is Eligible?
All full or part-time teachers employed by the Kalispell School District are eligible to apply for Great Opportunity Grants. Support personnel, students, parents, administrators, business leaders and community members are encouraged to partner with teachers, though they may not submit a grant as the primary applicant. Applicants may apply as individuals or as part of a group. Educators within specific grades as well as across grade levels, subjects and schools are encouraged to collaborate. There is no limit to the number of applications that may be submitted by individuals or groups. However, if a candidate has received grant funds within the previous two years, they are ineligible to apply. If a grant recipient leaves the district, the funding and acquired materials will be left with the school and classroom or revert back to the Foundation. The decision will be based on the ability of the school or teacher to continue the project. Grant applications must be approved by the school principal.
Grant Amounts
Individual and collaborative grant recipients may now apply for funding up to $2,000. Occasionally, due to unclear requests on the grant application or requests to adjust budget items, grant recipients may receive only partial funding and will be asked to revise their budget.
Grant Period
Grant recipients have until April 30th of the school year to complete their project and use grant funds. Funds not used by that time will be returned to the Foundation and redistributed through the application process.
How Many Grants Will be Awarded?
Up to $20,000 will be awarded to teachers in the Kalispell School District each school year. The number of awards will vary depending on the total funds requested, the quality of the applications and the funding available.
How Are Grant Applications Reviewed?
Grants applications will be reviewed by a committee of volunteers determined by the Board of Directors of the Kalispell Education Foundation. The committee may include: Foundation Board members, Honorary Foundation Board members, Foundation donors, community members, and educators within the Kalispell School District. The review process will follow a standard protocol determined by the Foundation. No quotas will be set by school, grade or subject matter and each application will be evaluated individually and on its own merits, subject to the grant application format and grant review criteria below.
On What Criteria Will Grants Be Awarded?
Priority will be given to projects that:
- Are new projects, not a current or past program for which funding is not longer available.
- Promote effective and innovative teaching and challenge teachers to improve student performance.
- Show evidence of teacher growth and development as a professional educator.
- Show collaboration with other teachers, parents, business, and/or community individuals or groups.
- Are student centered.
Click link to begin filling out application below. Please note that due date for applications is Sept. 30th.
Start the grant application by clicking to this link: Great Opps Grant.