First State Educate announced Monday that applications are open for the program, which helps current school board members work with their superintendents to identify district needs, develop projects and strengthen their ability to govern effectively. Applications are due Dec. 1, and a virtual orientation for prospective applicants is scheduled for Nov. 9.
Up to $2,000 is available for board-led projects addressing local education challenges, with successful ideas designed to be shared with districts statewide.
WILMINGTON, Del. — Delaware school board members looking to turn a local challenge into a practical project can apply for grants of up to $2,000 through First State Educate’s 2027 Capacity Grants program.
First State Educate announced Monday that applications are open for the program, which helps current school board members work with their superintendents to identify district needs, develop projects and strengthen their ability to govern effectively.
Applications are due Dec. 1, and a virtual orientation for prospective applicants is scheduled for Nov. 9.
Unlike a traditional education grant aimed primarily at classroom programs or equipment, the Capacity Grants focus on the work of school boards — including how members understand issues, engage their communities, evaluate district performance and make decisions affecting students.
The goal is also to make successful projects useful beyond the district where they were developed.
First State Educate says recipients will document their work, results and lessons learned so other Delaware school boards can adapt promising approaches to their own communities.
The organization’s current grant materials describe the program as an effort to move locally developed ideas “from concept to implementation” and eventually create models that can be used by other districts.
Local problems, statewide lessons
Previous grant recipients have addressed issues ranging from literacy and kindergarten readiness to emergency communications, multilingual family engagement and student participation in school governance.
In the Cape Henlopen School District, board member Dr. Alison Myers focused on Science of Reading training designed to improve board members’ understanding of literacy instruction and their oversight role.
In Christina, Y.F. Lou explored emergency communications and the needs of multilingual families, while Monica Moriak examined opportunities for greater collaboration among New Castle County school boards.
Woodbridge board members Rita Hovermale and Timothy Banks pursued projects involving kindergarten readiness and student participation in school governance.
Lou, vice president of the Christina School Board and a first responder, said the grant allowed him to investigate an issue that otherwise might have been difficult for an individual board member to pursue.
“Board members set the guardrails for how a district reaches families in a crisis, but a board member has no resources of their own to put behind a question,” Lou said.
The grant, he said, provided resources for a tabletop emergency exercise involving students and district staff and produced findings the board could use in its governance role.
First State Educate has previously funded projects that developed practical tools involving literacy governance, crisis communication, kindergarten readiness, student engagement and multilingual family communication.
More than the $2,000
The program includes more than the grant itself.
Recipients receive guidance from First State Educate as projects move from an initial idea through planning and implementation. FSE also works with Dr. James Bridgeforth of the University of Delaware to provide additional expertise and technical assistance.
The organization says recipients can receive individualized guidance, peer learning opportunities and assistance with implementation, reporting and problem-solving.
That support is intended to help board members define a manageable project, determine what success should look like and ultimately develop resources that can be shared with other districts.
Those resources could include guides, training materials, community engagement protocols, templates or reports documenting what worked — and what did not.
First State Educate Executive Director Dr. Julia Keleher has described the program as a way to give school boards the resources to move beyond identifying problems and begin testing solutions.
“Stronger governance leads to stronger outcomes,” Keleher said in announcing previous recipients. “These board-designed projects give districts new ways to understand challenges and make decisions that reflect what students and families need most.”
Who can apply
Current Delaware school board members who participate in First State Educate activities are eligible to apply.
Applicants are encouraged to work with their superintendent and other board members to identify a specific issue or opportunity that could benefit from focused attention.
Projects can address areas such as board effectiveness, family and community engagement, student achievement, literacy, STEM education, professional learning or new governance tools and systems.
Proposals do not have to be fully developed when they are submitted. First State Educate says it will work with selected recipients to refine their plans and develop appropriate measures for evaluating the work.
The application deadline is Dec. 1. Award notifications and grantee orientation are expected between Dec. 16 and Jan. 5.
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