Projects We’ve Funded

As of Spring 2023, we have supported the professional learning of nearly 450 Bay Area teachers as part of 96 funded projects.

Year Awarded

Level

Subject

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Using Science and Social Justice to Raise Teaching Practice

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy, Sausalito Our project will serve teachers of students in a historically Black, disadvantaged, and low-income community facing severe environmental and social issues. This grant will fund an educational consultant skilled in the Lesson Study collaborative approach to professional development to work with our team of passionate teachers at the […]

The Power of Play

William G. Paden Elementary School, Alameda Play theorist Brian Sutton-Smith concluded, ‘The opposite of play is not work–the opposite of play is depression.’ While research supports this, traditional schools continue to treat play as frivolous and double down on the pressure to raise students’ standardized test scores. Meanwhile, teachers are leaving the profession and students […]

Raising a Community of Writers

Project Based Geometry and The Trades

El Cerrito High, El Cerrito The project will help train teachers in how to implement a more rigorous math curriculum that will better prepare students for an advanced level of math. In addition, our team will find innovative ways to develop projects that make Geometry more relatable to the real world focusing on vocational careers. […]

PBL for Newcomers: Language Development, Engagement and Empowerment

Sequoia High School, Redwood City We are a team of interdisciplinary teachers committed to the equitable and engaging education of newcomer English learners. We seek to leverage our expertise as we create and implement Project Based Learning (PBL) units specifically designed for our students. First, we will attend professional development workshops to establish a common […]

Our Changing Planet – Community of Practice

Maya Lin School, Alameda Wood Middle School, Alameda Island High School, Alameda We want to deepen our understanding of environmental justice, indigenous wisdom and creative practice, to better understand our world, and as educators advocate for just climate solutions. Working with local experts/organizations in our community, we will deepen our knowledge and our facilitation practices […]

Engaging Diverse Youth through Strong Dual Immersion

Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 Community School, San Francisco Our project focuses on increasing our school community’s knowledge & abilities around best practices for teaching in a Spanish Dual Immersion (DI) program. Through study (common texts, conference presentations, school tours) & discussion, our grant team will become experts & will share their knowledge through a […]

Building the Structures: Effective and Lasting PBL

Lazear Charter Academy, Oakland Our school was slated to be closed by OUSD and families organized to keep the school open as a hub for interdisciplinary arts and science education for the Fruitvale community. Staff, families and students have worked hard to dream up our new school vision to ‘use quality education as a tool […]

Oct 5 – Nov 14, 2023	LOIs Accepted for 2024 Grant Cycle (rolling submissions)
By mid-Dec 2023	Invitations to Apply Extended to Selected LOI Submissions
Spring 2024	LIGHT Awards Grants Made

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