Every year the Berkeley Public Schools Fund awards approximately 400 classroom and district-wide grants, serving 10,000 students, 19 schools, and 550 teachers and totaling over $500,000. By funding these grants, the Berkeley community shows its support for teachers’ needs and ideas.
Classroom Grants
The aim of our classroom grants program is to enhance teaching of core academic subjects, support differentiated teaching and multi-modal learning styles, and encourage collaboration among teachers. We fund everything from technology and equipment to field trips, guest speakers, and more. Classroom grants are awarded once a year after applications are carefully reviewed by our Board’s Program Committee. Click here to see a list of previously awarded classroom grants. Teachers can learn more about classroom grants and access all forms here and can complete their follow-up reports here.
Strategic Impact Grants
Strategic Impact Grants support bigger needs within the District and our schools, including curriculum transitions and enhancement, teacher professional learning communities, projects that target more equitable outcomes for socio-economically disadvantaged students, and pilot projects supporting goals that are aligned between Schools Fund and BUSD. Community Partnership grants are under the umbrella of Strategic Impact Grants; these are long-standing partnerships between the Schools Fund and organizations that represent the outstanding intellectual and cultural resources in Berkeley. To read more about our Strategic Impact grants, please follow this link!
Summer Teacher Fellowship
Summer Teacher Fellowships serve to broaden teacher personal and professional experiences and to encourage professional development opportunities beyond those that normal budgets and time may allow. The Fellowship may cover course fees, transportation and living expenses, professional materials, and project documentation costs. Fellowships have taken teachers to diverse places such as the Lincoln Center’s project LEAD for teaching drama to ELL students, the College Board Summer Institute Class for developing AP Chinese classes at Berkeley High, a Mississippi Delta Blues workshop, and more. Learn more!
Donor Directed Funds
Donors have the option of allocating funds for specific purposes, and they can ask the Schools Fund to manage and account for these larger donations. Currently these types of resources are supporting activities such as arts programming, K-8 science, homeless student support, the BUSD Cooking and Gardening Program, and after-school tutoring. See a few examples of dedicated funds here.
