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Press Release

NEA “Great Public Schools Fund” Grants Continue to Contribute to Student Success

Contributing to great success! The NEA has awarded $3.5 million in grants to 11 state and local affiliates from its Great Public Schools (GPS) Fund grants program. This press release describes the GPS fund’s successes and future goals.
Published: December 18, 2017

WASHINGTON - The National Education Association has awarded $3.5 million in grants to 11 state and local affiliates from its Great Public Schools (GPS) Fund grants program. The grants are awarded biannually. Deadlines for submitting an application are June 1st and December 1st.

GPS Fund grants are designed to help enhance the education profession and promote student success. NEA members established the GPS Fund in 2013.

”NEA is committed to supporting innovation, empowerment and improvement through the GPS Fund program, which includes a priority focus on early career educators and racial justice in education,” said NEA Vice President Becky Pringle. “These grants provide critical resources to our affiliates to help cultivate and sustain practices and programs that demonstrate the continued commitment of NEA members to advancing education professions and helping students succeed.”

NEA members established the GPS Fund in 2013 to advance good ideas and smart policies to benefit students and public education. Previous GPS Fund grants have supported programs to prevent bullying and suicide, increase the number of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs), train educators on cultural competency, promote community schools and provide professional development opportunities for educators.

“Nobody knows better than education professionals how to reach, teach, and inspire students every day to learn, to realize their dreams and to achieve success,” said Pringle. “We need to accelerate the educator-led transformation of public education, and these GPS Fund grants will help us reach that aspirational goal.”

Grants from the GPS Fund go directly to NEA state and local affiliates. The grants also help affiliates build partnerships with local organizations and work with key education stakeholders to develop and implement programs and policies that emphasize student success through union-led efforts.

Since its inception, the GPS Fund has awarded 112 grants, totaling more than $29.5 million.

 

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Great public schools for every student

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.