Applied Learning Grants
The One8 Foundation is committed to supporting schools to adopt proven Applied Learning programs that inspire students with innovative and engaging programs focused on core and elective K-12 subjects. We partner with nearly 700 schools in MA and look forward to building new partnerships across the state.
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) provides the nation’s leading K-12 engineering, computer science and biomedical science courses using an activity-project-problem based approach so all learning leads to students using knowledge and skills to solve real world problems. Learn more about PLTW here.
The deadline to submit a grant application for the SY25-26 school year has passed. Please reach out to Christine Schepeler ([email protected]) with any questions.
Start or expand your school’s PLTW program with grants from the One8 Foundation. To provide further on-the-ground support to the PLTW community in Massachusetts, we’re excited to partner with the Mass Learning Project. Grants offset costs of teacher training, durable equipment, and technology.
Qualifications: Open to all public schools (K-12) in Massachusetts, with competitive preference for:
- schools applying for Biomedical Science and/or Computer Science
- schools in districts building out multi-school pathways (e.g., 6-12 or K-12)
- schools/districts with 15% or more of students from low-income backgrounds
Application and Timeline:
- Past Events:
- December 2, 2024: Grant Office Hours
- December 9, 2024: Grant Office Hours
- December 18, 2024: Grant App Part 1 Due
- January 10: Invitations to Part 2 App (invite only for schools who submitted Part 1 of the grant application)
- January 21, 2025: App Part 2 Info Session
- February 12, 2025: Grant App Part 2 Due
- March 6, 2025: Award Notification
- April 14, 2025: Cohort Kickoff Convening in Norwood
ST Math offers an engaging, highly effective visual, conceptual math program based on the neuroscience of how the brain learns. This supplemental program is aligned to K-5 standards and delivers results for ALL students. ST Math has a proven track record of building conceptual math understanding, a love of math and confidence in math ability at early ages. Learn more about ST Math here.
Qualifications:
- Open to public schools serving students in grades K-5 in Massachusetts
- Competitive preference for schools/districts with 15% or more of students from low-income backgrounds
The deadline to submit an application for an SY25-26 ST Math grant from One8 has passed. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
Schools awarded a grant become members of the ST Math Massachusetts Program. Cohort members receive teacher PL, dedicated school support, additional community programming, and a reduced participation fee. 323 schools across the state currently participate in the Massachusetts One8 ST Math Cohort.
Application and Timeline:
- Past Events:
- October 24: Grant Info Session
- November 14: Grant Info Session
- December 10: Grant Info Session
- January 8: Grant Info Session
- January 15: Grant Info Session
- January 29, 2025: Grant App Part 1 Due
- March 6, 2025: Grant App Part 2 Due
- March 24, 2025: Award Notification
- April 14, 2025: Cohort Kickoff Convening in Norwood
Open SciEd (OSE) is an NGSS aligned core science curriculum for grades 6-8 using phenomenon-based instruction. With a focus on equitable sensemaking, students drive the learning in OSE classrooms. Learn more about OpenSciEd here.
The deadline to submit an application for an SY25-26 OSE grant from One8 has passed. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
The Massachusetts OpenSciEd grant program provides schools with funding to offset startup costs, including professional learning and durable equipment kits. In addition to financial resources, cohort members receive implementation support from the OSE Mass team.
Qualifications:
- Open to public schools serving students in grades 6-8 in Massachusetts
- Commitment to full adoption of OSE, 100% of 6-8th grade students & teachers
- Competitive preference for schools/districts with 15% or more of students from low-income backgrounds
Application and Timeline:
- Past Events:
- October 29, 2024: Info Session
- November 13, 2024: School Tour – Memorial Middle School in Fitchburg, MA
- November 19, 2024: School Tour – Plymouth Community Intermediate School in Plymouth, MA
- December 2, 2024: Office Hours
- February 5, 2025: Grant App Part 1 Due
- March 6,7, & 10, 2025: Interviews
- March 20, 2025: Award Notification
- April 14, 2025: Cohort Kickoff Convening in Norwood
The Democratic Knowledge Project‘s Civic Engagement in Our Democracy is a project-based, open-source, year-long grade 8 civics curriculum aligned to the MA History and Social Science Framework. DKP Launch aims to bring the curriculum to 8th graders across Massachusetts. School grants will provide in-person professional learning workshops and context-specific implementation support.
The deadline to submit an application for a One8 DKP grant for SY25-26 has passed. Please reach out to Hannah ([email protected]) with any questions.
Qualifications:
- Open to public schools serving students in grade 8 in Massachusetts
- Competitive preference for schools/districts with 15% or more of students from low-income backgrounds
Application Timeline and Important Dates
- Past Events:
- October 22, 2024: Webinar on Supporting Elections Conversations
- October 29, 2024: Grant Info Session
- November 1, 2024: Grant Info Session
- November 14, 2024: School Tour at Randolph Community Middle in Randolph, MA
- December 10, 2024: School Tour at the Hurley K-8 School in Boston, MA.
- December 17, 2024 @ 3 PM: Application Virtual Open House
- December 19, 2024 @ 9:30 AM: Application Virtual Open House
- January 7, 2025 @ 4 PM: Assessment Information Webinar
- January 16, 2025: Participant Panel
- January 17, 2025 @ 9:30 AM: Application Virtual Open House
- January 23, 2025 @ 2:30 PM: Application Virtual Open House
- January 30, 2025: Grant Application Due
- February 10-14, 2025: School Interviews
- March 14, 2025: Award Notification
- April 14, 2025: Cohort Kickoff Convening in Norwood
The deadline to submit a grant application for the SY24-25 school year has passed. Please reach out to Caleb Hurst-Hiller ([email protected]) with any questions.
Districts/LEAs awarded grants to support Ignite Reading will receive full funding to support up to 300 1st grade tutoring seats during the 2024-25 school year. Grant awards will be based on the number of eligible 1st graders (students with verified foundational skill gaps) with the expectation that all students will be available for daily 15-minute tutoring sessions during school hours
Learn more about Ignite Reading here.
Investigating History is a history and Social Studies curriculum that is comprehensive, culturally responsive, inclusive to all students, and aligned to both C3 principles and Massachusetts state standards. It embodies the rigor of inquiry-based learning, challenging both teachers and students to develop greater skills.
The One8 Foundation is excited to offer a competitive grant program that will support schools’ adoption of the curriculum starting in the 2025-26 school year. The grant is designed to fund professional learning, materials, and school support costs to ensure schools are able to fully support teachers using the IH curriculum. In addition, schools in the grant program will join a community of implementing schools learning from each other to drive innovation and continuous improvement. For more information, see the program overview & FAQs.
As a member of the grant cohort, schools are provided:
- School-specific implementation support
- Grant funding to offset professional learning (PL) for all 5-7th grade units
- Priority access to PL opportunities, virtual supports & new implementation resources from the One8 Foundation
- Additional PL resources & student programming (e.g. educator community events and opportunities to showcase student work)
Qualifications:
- Schools are required to implement in all relevant grades (i.e., 5th, 6th, and 7th grade).
- If your school only includes one of these grades (e.g., you are a K-5 school), you are not eligible to apply unless another school in your district with additional grade levels has adopted Investigating History or is currently applying for a grant (e.g., K-5 school requires a 6-8 school has adopted or is applying). If your school includes two or three of these grades, you are eligible to apply on your own.
- Competitive preference will be given to schools/districts with the following criteria:
- Schools in which, or schools within districts in which, the student body includes at least 15% low-income students
- Schools within districts that plan to use Investigating History for all students in grades 5-7 in the 2025-26 school year
Application Timeline and Important Dates
- Past Events
- December 10, 2024: Grant Application Opens
- December 18, 2024 @ 3:30 PM: Program informational session
- February 14, 2025: Grant Application Due
- February 28, March 3, March 5, 2025: School Interviews (45-min interviews conducted via Zoom)
- March 14, 2025: Award Notifications Sent
- April 14, 2025 @ 8:00AM-3:00PM: Cohort Kickoff Convening for Selected Applicants at Four Points Sheraton in Norwood, MA
- Mid-June 2025: Unit Launch for selected applicants
Click here to access the Investigating History Grant Application
The 2025-2026 One8 Applied Learning Leadership Institute will create a community of practice collectively focused on expanding high quality Applied Learning. The Institute will provide support and resources to enable school leadership teams to implement Applied Learning practices more broadly by taking teams through a process whereby they identify a problem of practice and work through cycles of designing, piloting, and iterating on a set of strategies that respond to the problem. In addition, team members will participate in two school visits designed to spur creativity and new thinking. Leaders should expect to spend 7-8 days out of their school buildings over the course of the 2025-2026 school year, including two days over the summer.
As part of the institute, schools will be eligible for $5,000 to pilot the strategies they identify in response to their problems of practice.
Eligibility: Teams from public middle and high schools that have active Democratic Knowledge Project, Investigating History, OpenSciEd, PBLWorks, and/or Project Lead The Way programs in the 2025-2026 school year are eligible to apply.
Application Instructions
- Please review the program overview – reach out to Sissela Tucker ([email protected]) with any questions!
- Complete one application per school – (note, you may download a copy of the application for your reference here)
- Submit the application online by May 2, 2025 (note the app can be saved and does not need to be completed in one sitting)
Application Timeline and Important Dates
- February 26, 2025: Application opens
- March 20, 2025 from 9:00-10:00am: Program Information Session (register here)
- May 2, 2025: Application due
- May 12, 2025: Selection notification
- August 5 & 6, 2025: Institute Kickoff
Please reach out to Sissela Tucker ([email protected]) with any quesitons.