Past Grants

Destination ImagiNation, Inc.

For the implementation of Destination ImagiNation, a literacy and book distribution program designed to develop creative and critical thinking skills at Baltimore City Head Start pilot sites. The 16-week program serves 500 children in select Head Start classrooms. The program, organized around a Head Start theme/unit, integrates specific read-aloud books and literacy activities each week. Half of the children are given books to keep at home, while the other half participate in classroom literacy activities without taking books home. An evaluation will be made to determine the effectiveness of different approaches.

Maryland Institute College of Art

Two grants to cover senior-year tuition, room and board, and related fees for a Baraka School graduate for the 2011-2012 college year.

Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers

For support of the Educational Funders Affinity Group.

Fund for Educational Excellence

To grow and enhance the capacity to provide high-quality district innovation support to increase student achievement in Baltimore City public schools. The Fund will design new models to increase and measure teacher and leadership effectiveness, create a pre-screening model for teacher applications, determine the effectiveness of new literacy professional development programs, and develop recommendations for the selection of new and charter schools.

National Council on Teacher Quality

For support of the National Education School Study of 20 teacher-education schools in Maryland. Each school will be rated based on standards used in their teacher training programs, such as selectivity of the admissions process, how well candidates are prepared to teach reading, classroom management training, and the quality of student teaching.