The Olympia School District Education Foundation (OSDEF) is accepting Teaching & Learning Grant Requests for the 2019-20 school year. Please note there are two new grant categories:

1. Thanks to Browsers Bookshop, first-year teachers who want to establish a classroom library are eligible for a limited number of Browsers Back to School Build a Library Grants (up to $250 per grant request; one grant request per teacher).
2. The OSDEF is launching a new program this fall to help ensure that all OSD students can advocate for the social, physical and mental wellness of themselves and others; the OSDEF Board created a Mental Health Initiative Grant as part of the new program.

Another exciting change: With the exception of the Browsers grant, grant requests in all categories — Building Student Character, Closing the Opportunity Gap, Creativity & the Arts, Innovative Teaching & Learning, Meet a Need and Mental Health Initiative — may now be made in the amount of up to $1,500.

One more difference this year: To ensure there is no bias in the grant evaluation process, all identifying information (e.g., teacher name and school) will be removed from grant requests before they are reviewed by the OSDEF Board.

Grants must be received by the last Monday of each month to be reviewed before and considered at the Board’s next meeting (e.g., a grant would need to be submitted by 5 p.m. on Monday, August 26 to be eligible for consideration at the September 10 board meeting, or on Monday, September 30 for consideration at the October board meeting).

As always, grant requests are reviewed on a first come, first served basis. Once the grants funds are exhausted, the OSDEF will close the grant application process for the school year. Get those grant requests in early. The OSDEF looks forward to reviewing yours soon!