How to Get Funded
by the Eileen Finkel Innovative Teacher Award Program
The grant cycle is May 15 - October 1 every year.
Application Window Opens: May 15
Application Deadline: October 1
Awards Announced: Mid-November
What are the goals of the Eileen Finkel Innovative Teacher Award program?
The Innovative Teacher Award was created in 2011 to honor Eileen Finkel, a longtime educator, who strongly supported the innovative and creative ideas of teachers that help enrich educational opportunities for children.
The awarded projects can be for a classroom, a whole grade level or a whole department, school, or school district. The program is a collaborative partnership between the Education Foundation, Summit School District, and each school’s parent/teacher organization (PTA/PTSA/PTO/PTSO).
How will the Eileen Finkel Innovative Teacher Award Program support learning in Summit School District?
The program will focus on supporting students, teachers, and families in all learning environments in the schools. Guidelines include:
- Teachers, principals, and administrators may apply online anytime between May 15 and Oct 1.
- Each individual teacher, principal, or administrator may submit only one application.
- Projects will be awarded amounts ranging from $100 to $2,500
- Limitations: Only $500 per school for books, no teacher salary, no food, no classroom furniture, and no bus transportation for required school district field trips
- Projects will be reviewed for approval by a committee of EFS directors, PTA/PTO/PTSA/PTSO officers, and principals.
- Funding for approved projects will be allocated after Oct 1. Special consideration will be given to innovative and creative projects that support students and teachers. Examples of project materials and experiences include:
- technology devices or software for teachers and students
- support for students and families
- student social-emotional health
- equity, cultural responsiveness, and inclusion
- STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) and career education
- outdoor education and experiential learning
- literacy
- and many other creative ideas