Professional Support Grant

The ELA Honor Society values its Chapter Advisors’ dedication to constantly working to improve their teaching practice. To this end, Professional Support Grants are available to provide financial support for teachers looking to broaden and deepen their knowledge and skills on topics related to the teaching of the English Language Arts and other fields that will have a positive impact on their students and ELA Honor Society chapter.

Awards:

Awards of between $25 and $350 are granted three times per year.

Eligibility:

1. Applications can only come from current ELA Honor Society Chapter Advisors at a school in good standing with the ELA Honor Society.
2. Applicants cannot have received a Professional Support Grant in the previous calendar year.
3. Applications should be received no later than one month prior to the event/purchase.

Example grant requests:

• Registration to a local, state, or national conference or convention focused either on the English language arts or other issue of importance to the Advisor’s work as an educator
• Fees for educational courses, seminars, speakers, or presentations related to some aspect of the English language arts or other issue of importance to the Advisor’s work as an educator
• Professional, pedagogical texts selected to enhance teaching skills or a set of texts to be used within English department at the Advisor’s school*
• Pedagogical resources (including, but not limited to, posters, bulletin board materials, identity/heritage month celebration materials), which will promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the Advisor’s classroom*

*Advisors should not use this grant to request books for student use. Applications should be made, instead, to the Classroom Library Grant.

Application requirements:

1. All submissions must be made via the ELA AwardSpring platform.
2. Applicants must complete demographic data questions prior to submitting their documentation.
3. All submissions must include an Advisor biography and photo.
4. Applicants will be asked to upload a single PDF document containing the following information:
   • A narrative text, not to exceed 500 words, explaining the request for funds, the purpose, and the educational value for the recipient(s)
   • Details of the overall cost of the conference/event/purchase (between $25 and $350)
   • Links to programs, events, or conventions. If requesting funding to purchase professional text(s), please provide titles and plan for use. If requesting funding for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging resources, please provide links and plan for use
5. Applicants must agree that, should they be given a grant, they are willing to provide a written report and photos detailing the impact the grant has had on them and their students, which can be used by the ELA Honor Society to promote this and other awards in future years.

Application Link

Learn how to submit using our Technology Guide

Evaluation process:

1. All submissions will be evaluated by the ELA Honor Society Advisor Council.
2. Submissions will be evaluated in terms of the significance and contribution the request makes to the Advisor, and the concept, clarity, and organization of the request.
3. Awards will be given purely based on merit, not based on the imperative that all funds should be spent annually.