Whatβs an idea youβve always had for transforming the learning experience for our students? Perhaps resources stood in the way of making this possible. Let an Empowerment Fund grant be the spark to get this idea off the ground.
Empowerment Fund grants are designed to meet one-time needs and act as a catalyst for transformation. The goal of the Empowerment Fund is to provide funding essential for educators to be able to implement deeper learning and improve ownership of learning for staff and students throughout LISD and accelerate movement to becoming a place where we help all learners prepare themselves for anything.
Background
A focus on student learning lives at the heart of LISDβs Learning Model. In a continuous effort to empower students to own their learning comes a new grant program open to all district employees to apply.
In Spring 2024, Superintendent Bruce Gearing went to LISDβs Board of Trustees with a request to start this Empowerment Fund. In a time of shrinking budgets to school districts while funding from the state falls further and further behind inflation amidst the stateβs unprecedented surplus, LISD has been forced to go a different route in supporting the type of the learning that will help students prepare themselves for anything when they graduate from our system.
On April 25, 2024, the Board approved a $2 million transfer into the Empowerment Fund. This fund represents a belief in teachers and staffβs creativity, passion and dedication.Β
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We encourage LISD employees β teachers and staff β to submit grant applications to obtain funding for resources, training or tools that YOU believe will improve the educational experiences or opportunities for Leander ISD students and/or staff.