The Albany Fund for Education welcomes applications for the Innovation Grants Program. Innovation is seen as any change in educational practice or program which enhances student learning or teacher effectiveness. We are interested in projects that connect students to community groups in a way that improves student learning as well as school/ community relations.

We encourage principals, teachers and community members to apply for funding.

The Innovation Grant Program focuses on schools and communities collaborating to enrich the quality of education. These programs can be lead by a specific school, a teacher, a small group of parents or a community organization. The emphasis is on linking the school to the community in a way that benefits the children.

• All projects must engage schools with community members, businesses and/or
  not-for-profit groups in improving student learning and achievement and establishing greater community responsibility in positively influencing the educational experiences of students.
• Projects can be led by the classroom teacher or a community group keader as long as the necessary administrative approval has been received from the principal or appropriate district official.
• An AFE Board member can be assigned as a liaison to the
  project to answer questions and provide any needed assistance.
• Grant awards range from $100 to the maximum of $3,000. Funds can only be
  used for out-of pocket expenses, to purchase learning materials, including
  books and periodicals. Funds may not be used to cover teacher or community
  staff time.
• It is important to note that grants are designed to fund one-time innovative projects.

Applications are encouraged and accepted on a regular basis, and while a project previously funded will not be considered, we strongly encourage teachers/community members/principals who have been funded before to apply with new project ideas/partners.

Applications from interested schools, teachers and/or community organizations must be signed by the principal and mailed to:

Albany Fund for Education
c/o Barry D. Walston
30 Buchanan Street
Albany, New York 12206

Teacher or community member can submit proposals by email to: AlbanyAFE [ AT ] aol.com.

Proposals are accepted continuously and are reviewed as needed. Grants are awarded on an ongoing basis throughout the school year. Please address questions to Onnolee Smith, President at 518-207-5572 (AlbanyAFE [ AT ]aol.com); or, Barry Walston, Grant Committee Chair at 518-441-9877.  If you are considering a proposal, an AFE Board member can be made available to discuss the idea with you prior to submitting the proposal.

Please address the following questions when completing the application below. Return it to your Principal/Teacherteam for submission.

• What is the innovation you are proposing and how does it differ from
  current practice?
• How many students, teachers, parents and other community members
  will participate in these projects?
• What will the impact be on student learning and achievement and how
  will the results be measured? (Be as specific as possible here in
  terms of improved test scores, reading levels, student interests, etc.)
• How will you document and report on the project results?
• Who are the community partners in the project and what commitment
  have they made to the project?
• Who is the "sparkplug", i.e. leader, for the project?
• How much are you requesting from the fund? What is the overall cost
  of the project?
• What other resources have you obtained?
• Exactly how do you intend to use the funds (budget)?
• Will the AFE funding help you leverage additional funds from other
  sources?
• What options are there to continue the program long-term?

We encourage donations.  Albany School District staff  can donate through their paycheck. We would like to see each staff person donate  $1.00 a pay period. This would fund a project in every school in the District each year. For more details on this program, contact District Human Resources or email AlbanyAFE [ AT ] aol.com.