The Berkeley Public Schools Fund has been giving grants to educators for over 40 years.
As a long-time seed-funder of innovation in Berkeley’s public schools, the Schools Fund honors the perspectives, solutions and actions of our educators and leaders. Through the two grant programs below and within 6 distinct priority funding areas, we invest in ideas on the leading edge and support educators in bringing their ideas to scale.
- LEADING for Equity Grants – up to $15,000 – District-wide projects
- LEARNING for Equity Grants – up to $10,000 – School-specific project
Connected to the three core tenets in our Theory of Change, Basic Needs, Safety & Belonging, and Love of Learning, our grants lift up the vitality of Berkeley public schools to ensure that every student can thrive. The Berkeley Public Schools Fund believes that every student and every family benefit deeply from equitable public schools.
Read more about the Schools Fund’s Commitment to Equitable Public Schools.
If you are a BUSD Educator interested in applying for a grant, fill out our Schools Fund Equity Grant Application.
PRIORITY FUNDING AREAS
Digital Equity
Digital Equity means that all students can access the hardware, software, and tech training necessary to rigorously and safely engage in 21st century digital society.
Emotional Health & Wellness
Emotional Health & Wellness means promoting the health and well-being of BUSD students, and especially those experiencing health gaps.
Diversifying BUSD Educator Pathways
Diversifying BUSD Educator Pathways means building the capacity of Berkeley public schools to attract and retain a diverse faculty so that BUSD educators at all levels better reflect and connect with our diverse student body.
Theory of Change
Equitable Family Engagement
Equitable Family Engagement includes culturally responsive and asset-based activities that connect schools to families and families to schools in ways that explicitly support student learning and/or well-being. In BUSD, equitable family engagement includes a special focus on minority, immigrant, English learner, unhoused and refugee families.
Culturally Responsive Learning/Positive Racial Identity Development
Culturally Responsive Learning thoughtfully connects students’ own cultures, languages, and life experiences to what they learn in school and how they learn it.
Positive Racial/Ethnic Identity Development nurtures a student’s positive identity and relationship with their racial/ethnic group while fostering a positive evaluation of that group.
Focused Academic Intervention & Support
Focused Academic Support & Intervention means that additional or strategically embedded academic support is designed for and given to specific student sub-groups experiencing learning gaps. In BUSD, focal students might include English Learners, students from racial groups experiencing equity gaps, students with IEPs, etc.