Fund for Teachers

Design Your Own Professional Development Program

With a fellow grant from the Fund for Teachers (FFT), preK–12 educators with at least three years of classroom experience who work at eligible schools can custom-design a summer experience that enriches their professional lives and helps them affect students on a daily basis.

Grant fellows have designed a wide variety of learning experiences—from exploring volcanoes in Hawaii to studying the effect of chemicals on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico; from a hands-on study of Beluga whales to a trek across Laos to learn about Hmong culture; from studying Islam through Morocco’s political, social, and economic development to sharpening Spanish skills in Guatemala.

Grants fund up to $5,000 in expenses for individuals and $10,000 for teams of two or more. But here's the catch: because of funding limitations and availability of administrative partners, grants are not available in all areas. To find out if you work for a participating school or district, visit www.fundforteachers.org. You can also meet previous winners and read about their adventures around the globe.

The deadline for submitting an online application is January 30, 2009.