Grants to Ontario School Boards, IHEs, and Nonprofits for Parent Engagement Projects

Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Grants

Agency

State

GrantWatch ID#

154172

Funding Source

Ontario Ministry of Education

Geographic Focus

Canada:Ontario;

Important Dates

Deadline: 06/05/18 11:59 PM EST

Grant Description

Grants of up to $1,000 and grants of up to $30,000 to Ontario public school councils, nonprofits, parent organizations, and IHEs for initiatives that facilitate parent engagement on local, regional, and provincial levels. Applicants can propose either initiatives that help parents overcome barriers to engagement or initiatives that enhance parent involvement on a regional or provincial basis.

Special consideration will be given to eligible projects that:

1. Support and engage parents who have not been previously active in the school community, parents from racially or ethnically diverse communities, or hard-to-reach parents; and/or
2. Support the engagement of parents from Indigenous communities; and/or
3. Promote increased access to and awareness of math strategies and resources for parents to support their children's learning at home and at school; and/or
4. Promote the value of postsecondary education (apprenticeship, college, or university) by providing parents with information on postsecondary education pathways, possibilities, and supports for their children.

There are two types of grants:

1) School councils of publicly funded schools in Ontario can apply for Parents Reaching Out Grants for School Councils for up to $1,000.

Projects must focus on informing or engaging parents in support of improved student achievement, human rights and equity, and well-being. The grants are intended to support projects that help identify and remove individual and systemic barriers to parent engagement that may prevent some parents from fully participating in their children's learning.

Projects may address the following barriers:

1. Communication – may include translation of documents into multiple/other languages, providing parents with information related to curriculum or other school-based initiatives.
2. Geography – reaching parents living in a larger or remote geographic area.
3. Parents New to the System – parents who have a child in school for the first time, have recently moved into the area, or have recently arrived as newcomers to Ontario.
4. Overcoming Local Barriers – identifying local barriers to parent engagement and finding local solutions to support more parents to get involved (e.g., socio-economic, childcare, transportation, language, etc.).
5. Other types of barriers to parent engagement.

School councils may develop proposals:
1. Individually
2. With another school council(s) in the same board (e.g. Family of Schools) or co-terminus board
3. With other groups in the school or in the community.

When working in partnership with other school councils, each school council is eligible for the maximum amount of $1,000. Each school council is responsible for submitting its own application.

2) Parent organizations, Parent Involvement Committees (PICs), publicly funded school boards, nonprofit organizations, and post-secondary institutions operating in Ontario can apply for Parents Reaching Out Grants for Regional/Provincial Projects for up to $30,000. Priority will be given to parent-led projects that have been developed in partnership with district school boards.

Projects must address at least one of the following areas:

1. Parents as Partners
These projects involve parents as partners in their children's learning. Examples are:
- Learning opportunities on how to engage parents and communities, in a way that is culturally responsive and reflective of their needs.
- Research projects where parents and stakeholders (e.g., teachers, high-school students, etc.) work together with academic researchers to explore parent engagement-related topics (e.g., strategies for reaching out to parents and communities who are disengaged or hard-to-reach).
- Fostering school-community connections and partnerships (e.g., mental health agencies, public health units, newcomer settlement agencies and Indigenous community organizations, etc.) to further inform and engage parents in areas impacting their children's learning and well-being.

2. Creating a welcoming district school board and school environment for all parents

These projects are designed to make all parents feel welcome and included. Examples are:
- Creating or translating materials in multiple languages to keep parents informed and engaged about important topics.
- Workshops on how to identify and address individual biases and systemic barriers to parent engagement to help more parents get engaged in their children's learning and well-being (e.g., inclusion, diversity, racial discrimination, human rights, gaps in traditional knowledge and culture, etc.).
- Outreach strategies to engage hard-to-reach parents, Indigenous families, and ethnically and racially diverse communities who have not been previously active in the local school community and at the school board level (e.g., volunteer events, school councils, board advisory committees).

3. Skill-Building Opportunities for Parents

These projects provide parents with the knowledge, skills and tools needed to support their children's learning at home and at school. Examples are:
- Projects that provide information or resources for families on supporting their children's learning and well-being
- Enhancing leadership skills in parents (e.g., parents as leaders, coaches, mentors, etc.).
- Projects that provide information to parents about promoting core values and respect for principles of equity, inclusion and human rights as outlined in the ministry's Education Equity Action Plan

4. Enhancing Communication between School and Parents

These projects develop outreach initiatives to support parent engagement in their children's learning at home and at school. Examples are:
- Develop and/or expand communication and outreach strategies for parents to build networks and facilitate cross-learning, such as local workshops and presentations.
- Sharing information and strategies related to supporting parent engagement in their children's learning at home and at school (e.g., reading and doing math with your child, modeling a healthy lifestyle, etc.)

Recipient

Eligibility

Others (see text field entitled "Additional Eligibility Criteria" for clarification)

Additional Eligibility Criteria

Parents Reaching Out for School Councils Grants:
- School Councils of Publicly Funded Schools

Parents Reaching Out Regional/Provincial Grants: The recipient is to be a non-profit organization that is incorporated.

Priority will be given to parent-led projects that have been developed in partnership with district school boards. The following organizations are eligible to apply for funding as long as they partner with parents:

- Registered non-profit organizations operating in Ontario
- Parent groups operating in Ontario
- Publicly funded district school boards operating in Ontario
- Parent groups within district schools boards operating in Ontario
- Publicly funded post-secondary institutions operating in Ontario

Not eligible for Parents Reaching Out Grants for School Councils grants:

- Activities that have already taken place
- Payment to school board staff or volunteers, including salaries, honoraria, gifts
- Purchase of goods and services for which the ministry provides funding (e.g. textbooks, library books, school furniture, computers, cameras, projectors, student transportation)
- Activities, resources, or speakers for students
- Purchase of student supplies for home use (e.g. markers, paper, glue, scissors, prizes, student agendas, calendars, arts and crafts supplies, scrapbooks)
- Capital items such as televisions, sports equipment, shelving
- Portable/handheld devices such as tablets or laptops, unless devices are to be used as part of a parent lending library and the cost does not exceed 50% of the approved funding
- Computer software or applications, online subscriptions, voice messaging systems, website maintenance
- Entertainment activities such as barbecues, fun fairs, volunteer teas, dinners, movies nights, dances, concerts, and performances
- Field trips
- School signs, announcement boards/screens
- Landscaping or creation/equipping of outdoor classrooms
- Refreshments exceeding 20% of the approved funding
- Advertising and promotion exceeding 10% of the approved funding
- Prizes or incentives to parents and/or students
- Lessons for parents (e.g. French, English as a Second Language, computer, CPR)
- Fundraising events.

Not eligible for Parents Reaching Out Regional/Provincial Grants:

- Activities that have already taken place
- Payment to staff including teachers, coordinators, consultants, administrative staff
- Cost of police background check
- Purchase of goods and services for which the ministry provides funding (e.g., textbooks, library books, school furniture, computers, cameras, projectors, student transportation)
- Speakers, activities, or resources for students
- Purchase of student supplies for home use (e.g. markers, paper, glue, scissors, prizes, student agendas, calendars, arts and crafts supplies, scrapbooks)
- Computer software or applications, online subscriptions, voice messaging systems, website maintenance
- Capital costs (e.g., equipment, signs)
- Portable/handheld devices such as tablets or laptops
- Refreshments exceeding 20% of the approved funding
- Advertising and promotion costs exceeding 10% of the approved funding
- Speaker fees or honoraria exceeding 40% of the approved funding (including speakers' travel costs)
- Operational costs (e.g., leasing of offices, administrative costs, financial commitments that last longer than the term of the project, utilities including internet and telephone)
- Purchase of items that would be given to parents (e.g., books and resources) which are not directly related to the project
- Prizes or incentives for parents, volunteers, or students
- Out-of-province travel
- Debts or financial losses that result from a project
- Entertainment activities such as barbecues, fun fairs, volunteer teas, dinners, movie nights, dances, concerts, and performances
- Landscaping or creation/equipping of outdoor classrooms
- Fundraising events
- Lessons for parents (e.g., French, English as Second Language, computer, CPR)

Pre-Application Information

The deadline to submit applications is June 5, 2018 at 11:59 PM EST.

It is anticipated that applicants will be notified of their application results early in the 2018-19 school year.

Registered non-profit organizations, parent groups, and publicly funded post-secondary institutions should provide a letter of support from a district school board to be considered for funding. It is strongly encouraged that this letter be provided by a senior level staff member of a publicly-funded district school board (e.g. director of education, supervisory officer).

For information on the two types of grants, examples of past projects and application procedures please read the flyer attached in Supporting Documents.

For more information and project guidelines for the PRO Grant for School Councils click here:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/guidelines.html

For Terms and Conditions click here:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/schoolTerm.html

For more information and project guidelines for the PRO Grant for Regional/Provincial Projects click here:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/faqRegion.html

For Terms and Conditions click here:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/terms.html

Estimated Size of Grant

Parents Reaching Out for School Councils Grants: Up to $1,000.
Parents Reaching Out Regional/Provincial Grants: Up to $30,000.

Term of Contract

Parents Reaching Out for School Councils Grants: The project must be completed by June 30, 2019.

Parents Reaching Out Regional/Provincial Grants: The deadline for completing a project is August 15, 2019.

Contact Information

Click here to apply online:
https://education.factorial.ca/s_Login.jsp?&lang=1

If you need more information on the program, please call 416 325-2929 or toll free 1-800-387-5514. Persons with a hearing disability should call 1-800-263-2892.

You may also contact the ministry by email at PRO@ontario.ca. If you need technical help with the application form, please send your questions to support@smartsimple.com.

Contact your local regional office of the Ministry of Education from the list here:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/offices.html

Grants to Ontario School Boards, IHEs, and Nonprofits for Parent Engagement Projects

Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Grants

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