Professional Development Scholarship Fund
The Goleta Education Foundation believes that every child should have the chance to excel in school and build character. To that end, GEF pursues resources with equity of opportunity in mind, taking into account the unique needs of the Goleta Valley education community. We promote ancillary programs that enhance the opportunity for enrichment experiences that contribute to academic and personal success.
GEF believes that GUSD’s educators are experts in their fields. We encourage and support the ongoing learning that happens through professional development, and recognize that our differences bring strength to GUSD.
I want to say thank you to the Goleta Education Foundation (GEF) for the award you generously granted the GUSD Librarians. To be in a space with like minded individuals learning about various tools that can make us stronger librarians and, in turn, enrich the lives of our students was remarkable…Without the GEF’s assistance this would not have been possible.
Guidelines for Applicants
GEF and its donors seek to fund meaningful professional development to enrich the education of GUSD students. We are looking for thoughtful proposals that include tangible ways to share new learning with GUSD colleagues and to incorporate new learnings into teaching practices.
We want to reach a wide range of educators: any employee who has the potential to enhance the education of our students can apply for this grant, e.g. teachers, specialists, principals, etc. We encourage you to apply as a team or group of educators. Please discuss your idea with your principal or supervisor before completing the application.
Please include a detailed explanation of the costs of your proposal. If your professional development plan requires a substitute, please include that cost in your proposal and the plan for covering your absence, as well. If you are traveling to a conference as a group (two or more), there might be opportunities to save on cost. Please explicitly state applicable cost savings in your proposal. Car travel is calculated at $0.67 per mile.
NB: Because of the District’s continued emphasis on PLCs, GEF is seeking to provide professional development opportunities outside of this specific initiative.
Timeline
Applications will be reviewed monthly.
Reimbursement
GEF will reimburse you for the costs that are approved in your Professional Development grant. Please make sure to keep your receipts and submit them with the reimbursement form.
Reporting
Each recipient of a Professional Development Scholarship is required to write a reflective statement about the use of the funds. If a team receives a grant, each member of the team should write his/her own reflection. Reflections should be a minimum of 500 words.
The reflective statement should include a description of the Professional Development and how you grew, changed, or learned something. Include how you have incorporated your learning into your daily instruction and how you have shared your learning with others.
More information on applying for a Professional Development Scholarship can be found here. Email programs@goletaed.org with any questions.
All thanks to GEF’s Professional Development Scholarship, I had the honor of attending the Institute to Support High-Leverage Writing Instruction for Students Learning English as a New Language at the historic Teacher’s College, Columbia University… What made the trip even more meaningful was to be immersed in coursework that would give me the skill-set needed to help English Language Learners reach their fullest potential.
GUSD Librarians
Six GUSD Library Media Specialists attended the California School Librarian Conference in Pacific Grove, California in March 2023.
