Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs

FY2023: Civics Project Showcase Grant

Fund Code: 591

Purpose:

The purpose of this grant is to support LEAs in celebrating the work of 8^th–12^th grade students who are completing student-led civics projects, as required by Chapter 296 of the Acts of 2018.

This grant supports LEAs' work to:

Host local (school-wide or district-wide) or regional civics project showcases
Send a group of students to participate in a state-wide civics project showcase event

In partnership with civics organization Generation Citizen, DESE is supporting two state-wide civics project showcase events:

DESE's Massachusetts Civics Project Showcase in the Worcester area, tentative date Friday, June 2, 2023 (open to all LEAs except those currently partnering with Generation Citizen)
Generation Citizen's Civics Day at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate in Boston, MA on Monday, June 5, 2023 (open to current Generation Citizen partner districts only)

These state-wide events will be opportunities for students to receive feedback on their projects; engage with local legislators, subject-matter experts, and other community members; and be recognized for their work.

More information about these events (including updated dates and locations) can be found on Massachusetts Civics Project Showcase. LEAs should complete the short application form linked on this website in addition to the grant application.

Priorities:

DESE seeks to fund proposals that:

Indicate a commitment to preparing and sending students to participate in a state-wide civics project showcase and to utilizing an equitable process for selecting students to participate.
Indicate a commitment to planning and executing a local (school-wide, or district-wide) or regional civics project showcase. Showcases should be open to all students, process-oriented, and provide an opportunity for students to receive substantive feedback and engage with an authentic audience for their work.
Engage students in projects that align with the stages and characteristics of student-led civics projects described in the DESE Civics Project Guidebook.
Represent a diverse range of geographic regions.

LEAs may apply solely for funding to attend a state-wide showcase, but priority will be given to those districts that are also planning to host or participate in a local or regional showcase (whether using funds from this grant or other funding).

Competitive priority in the scoring process will also be given to:

Districts and schools in chronically underperforming status.
LEAs with a student population in which greater than 40% are designated as low income.

Eligibility:

All Massachusetts Local Education Agencies (districts, charter schools, and Collaboratives) are eligible to apply. LEAs that currently partner with Generation Citizen are eligible to apply only to participate in Generation Citizen's Civics Day.

Funding Type:

Trust

Funding:

Approximately $150,000 is available through this grant. Total amount of awards will be determined based on quality of proposals received.

LEAs may apply for up to $5,000. LEA groups applying together to host a regional showcase may apply for up to $15,000 + $1000 for each additional LEA beyond three.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Fund Use:

LEAs may apply for support in one or more of the following categories:

Local Showcase Support: Design and execution of a school-wide, district-wide, or regional civics showcase in May 2023. Showcases should include opportunities for students to share their projects with an authentic audience (e.g., other students, families, local legislators) and receive substantive feedback on their work. Additionally, showcases should be process-oriented, providing students with an opportunity to reflect on the many stages of their projects, even if they did not achieve the changes for which they were advocating.
State-Wide Showcase Participation/Transportation: Funding to support the participation of up to 30 students (depending on LEA size and space available) in a state-wide civics showcase event. Selection of student participants is at the discretion of the LEA; priority will be given to LEAs with an equitable process for selecting these students. LEAs may also apply for funds to support transportation of students to the local showcase event.

Fund use may include, but is not limited to:

Supplies (e.g., poster boards, printer ink, etc)
Stipends for teachers and administrators to plan a local showcase event or state-wide showcase participation
Compensation for teachers working outside the normal school day
Funds for substitute teachers
Transportation for students and chaperones

Funding restrictions:

No funds may be dedicated toward salaries
No funds may be used to purchase technology (e.g., Smart Boards, iPads)
No greater than 5% of funds may be dedicated toward administrative costs associated with the grant

Project Duration:

Upon approval – 06/30/2023

Program Unit:

Office of Literacy and Humanities
Center for Instructional Support

Contact:

Rebekah Judson

Date Due:

Friday, January 6, 2023*

Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due.

**All responses must be received by the due date listed above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Responses not submitted on time will not be reviewed. Applicants applying after the due date may be notified their application was received late and will not be reviewed. Applications must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions below. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. If you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to the contact person listed on this funding opportunity.

Required Forms:

Additional Information:

Additional information about the state-wide showcase events and application process can be found on Massachusetts Civics Project Showcase.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education expects grant recipients to share a description of the outcomes of the grant and products as requested to expand the impact of the grant. Each grant recipient must complete and submit a brief Grant Final (End-of-Year) Report.

In addition to this grant application, please complete the very brief application form linked on Massachusetts Civics Project Showcase.

Submission Instructions:

Please email the required forms, attached to a single email, to CISgrants@mass.gov using the following file formats:

Part I Signature Page — PDF document
Part II Budget Details — Excel spreadsheet
Part III Required Program Information — Word document

Please use the following subject line: Civics Showcase Grant –Fund Code 591 – [Entity Name].

Applicants will receive a confirmation when the required forms are received. Early submission is strongly encouraged in order to ensure the complete application is received and confirmed by 5pm Eastern on the due date.

Please submit any questions to rebekah.m.judson@mass.gov by 5:00pm on Wednesday, December 21, 2022. Responses to questions will be posted on Massachusetts Civics Project Showcase.

Curriculum Data must be up to date on DESE District Profiles for K–8 ELA/Literacy, K–12 math, and 6–8 Science by the time of the grant due date in order to be eligible. To check if this information is complete, check the statewide Curriculum report, Or, visit your District Profiles page via Profiles Home, and select Curriculum Data from the left-hand navigation. If the required data is not complete or up-to-date, details and directions on how to enter or update this data can be found on Curriculum Data Collection.

Awarded Recipients: Upon award, recipients will be required to enter the approved budget, Part I and Part III in EdGrants. Once selected, recipients will be contacted with further instructions on the process.

Last Updated: December 1, 2022