“Teachers who choose most or all of their own professional development opportunities are more than twice as satisfied with professional development as teachers with fewer options.”

In 2014, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation contracted with the Boston Consulting Group to conduct a research study on professional development for teachers to help identify needs and opportunities for improvement. In a recent article posted on the Foundation’s website, the Gates Foundation confirmed what we at the LIGHT Awards already knew to be true – “teachers aren’t just open to professional development – they crave it”. The study also reinforces the importance of teachers’ ability to self-identify their own professional development needs and choose most or all of their own professional development opportunities.

We encourage you to read the entire article here.

Important Dates

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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