Fund For Teachers (FFT) – Boston

Students aren’t the only ones who need experiences that spark their imaginations and cause them to fall in love with learning. Teachers need them too. FFT-Boston provides the city’s public school teachers with opportunities to pursue rich, engaging learning experiences around the globe that will have lasting impact on their practice, their students, and their school communities. FFT grants support teachers’ professional growth and, ultimately, their love of teaching.

How it works

An affiliate of the national Fund for Teachers based in Houston, FFT-Boston offers competitive grants for self-designed summer study projects, often in the form of travel. Grant recipients, many of whom apply as teams, spend their summers exploring topics that will help them engage their students more effectively during the school year.

Since the start of the program, FFT-Boston has awarded more than $750,000 to almost 250 teachers. Any full-time teacher or instructional coach who has worked in Boston’s public schools for three or more years is eligible to apply.

• Read project reports from previous grant recipients: "The Borderlands: Haiti and the Dominican Republic," "Managing HIV in Vietnam," and "Ecuador: Science Adventure in the Galapagos Islands"

Why it matters

Every leap in student achievement comes down to one factor: good teaching. But good teaching isn’t easy. Teachers need and deserve the time and resources to restore their own love of learning and to dig into areas of study in ways that are impossible during the busy school year. FFT-Boston honors teachers’ hard work by supporting them to pursue their professional interests and to rediscover the energy and passion that draws them to teach — and that inspires their students to learn.

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Grants

Who is eligible: Teachers, grades pre-K through 12, with at least three years full-time teaching experience in the Boston Public Schools (including the current year) and who are planning on returning to BPS for the 2010-2011 school year.

• Read about past grant recipients and their projects.
• Download exemplary proposals from past grant recipients.

Grant amounts: Individuals may apply for up to $5,000. Teams may apply for up to $10,000.

Application and additional information: www.fundforteachers.org

Deadline: The application deadline has passed for summer 2010 grants. Applications for 2011 will be posted in the late fall.

Questions: Please contact Dottie Engler, 617-275-0709.