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Gunnison Valley Education Foundation Teacher Innovation Grant Program

Igniting the Power of Innovation

GVEF Teacher Innovation Grant Program

A boy wearing glasses fills in a worksheet at his desk while sitting on a black chair that rocks and wobbles.

Gunnison Valley Education Foundation Logo depicting half of an apple in red and green.About the Program

Mission

The Gunnison Valley Education Foundation ignites the power of innovation in teaching and learning for students in the Gunnison Watershed School District.

Purpose

The purpose of the GVEF Teacher Innovation Grant Program is to provide classroom teachers with monetary resources to explore creative ways to help students learn.

Who Can Apply?

Any certified classroom teacher—or a collaboration of teachers—in the Gunnison Watershed School District may apply. For group projects, one teacher must serve as the lead applicant and primary contact.

What Can I Apply For?

Teachers may request up to $1,000 to support an innovative classroom project. Each teacher and/or project may only receive funding once per school year.

“Innovation” may look different in each classroom, but projects should introduce new ideas, methods, or approaches that enrich student learning and go beyond the ordinary.

What Is the Process?

At the start of each school year, a pool of funds is made available to the district for Teacher Innovation Grants. Teachers may request a grant by completing a short Google Form and submitting it to CFGV at any time during the school year. The form asks for:

  • Teacher name and email address
  • Grade(s) or subject(s) taught
  • School
  • Collaborating teacher name(s)
  • Project name
  • Total project cost
  • Brief description of project
  • Verification that the project meets at least three of the following criteria:
    • Develops original ideas or programs that enrich core curriculum and can be replicated
    • Experiments with solutions to specific instructional challenges
    • Requires collaboration with other teachers
    • Facilitates parent or community partnerships
    • Introduces a proven strategy not yet used in your classroom

CFGV will review the submitted form to ensure the project meets the required criteria (described below). If the project is approved, CFGV will notify the teacher and will authorize the district to make grant funding available to the applicant teacher. At the end of the school year, teachers who received funding will be asked to share a short narrative and photos of their project. This “final report” helps us celebrate and showcase innovation across the district.

Download the GVEF Teacher Innovation Grants Guidelines (PDF, 119KB)

Request a Teacher Innovation Grant
A class of 4th graders follows a teacher while learning a new dance.
A large group of smiling teachers hold up their grant award certificates.
Two 5th graders kneel on the floor while using a laptop during a creative learning exercise.
Two teachers smile at a GVEF event.
A parade float in a red truck for GVEF with green, black, and red balloons, teachers, and students riding in it.
A colorful selection of books for young children.
Students learn how to drum from a musician.
Three teachers at an event introducing GVEF.
A sign in the snow talks about gratitude for teachers, firefighters, EMS, food providers, good neighbors, police, and healthcare workkers.
The cast of a Peter Pan production sings while Peter Pan flies through the air.
Students perform a science experiment with a computer and beaker.
Two high school students build skis with wood and glue.
Three elementary students use versa tiles in their class assignment.
Three children use the Whispersync system to read and hear books while sitting in comfy bean bags.

Who Determines What Gets Funded?

Eligibility is based on meeting at least three of the five criteria listed above. We trust teachers to honor the spirit of the program, and funding is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Once annual funds are expended, no additional grants will be available until the following school year.

Timeline

Applications are accepted at any time. To receive funding for a project during a given school year (August–May), applications must be submitted by December 31 of that school year. Applications submitted after December 31 will be considered for the following school year, with funds released to the school in August before that school year begins.

Funded projects from the previous school year will be celebrated during the district’s annual professional development day (last Monday in September).

Extensions

While grants are intended to be fully expended by the end of the school year in which they were awarded, we understand that unforeseen circumstances may occasionally delay project completion. Teachers may request one extension per project to carry over funding into the next semester by submitting a brief letter to CFGV explaining the reason for the request. Please note that approval of an extension is not guaranteed. A teacher with an active extension may not apply for a new Innovation Grant until the current grant has been fully expended and the final report has been submitted.

Examples of Funded Projects

To help teachers understand the kinds of projects that GVEF hopes to fund through the Teacher Innovation Grant Program, below are a few examples of projects that have been funded through the program in the past several years.

A group of kids move their bodies to focus their minds.

Move your body, focus your mind!

This project supports both students’ mental focus and physiological health by providing tools in the classroom to promote movement.

Crack the Code… With Decodable Books

Decodable books act as a bridge for students to become successful readers, and this project creates a section in the library to promote decodable books for K-5 students.

Going Deskless

Deskless classrooms increase active student engagement and decrease hiding. This project provides portable laptop surfaces for when the need arises to sit with books or laptops and helps the transition to a deskless classroom.

A classroom of students work on projects that include clay and worksheets.

Maker-Centered Learning

In this project students will participate in hands-on making to enhance their engagement with content, exploring concrete items to assist in their abstract exploration of systems such as Early Civilizations and Don Quixote.

Two kindergartners walk along a fence reading a story on a storybook walk.

Pumpkin Jack Storybook Walk

This project is located in the Lake School Garden where students can explore the different pages from the book and find the real Pumpkin Jack at his various stages of growth.

Children sit on couches near their coat cubbies with red lap desks, and colorful decorations.

The Playful Pod

This project transforms the 1st grade pod space to the Playful Pod and focuses on creating a space for social emotional learning and self regulation where students can learn through meaningful play

CBCS Climbing Wall

This project provides ropes, harnesses, shoes, belay devices and climbing holds to invigorate the climbing wall that goes unused on most days.