L.I.F.T. Foundation Teacher Grant
L.I.F.T. Teacher Grants have been provided since 2008, with over $50,000.00 dedicated to assisting teachers in urban and low income areas provide enriched equitable education for their students. We serve grades K-12 with monies for hands-on programs which otherwise may not be available to students. See Teacher Stories.
Susan Kozlowski, as the trustee of the Robert and Susan L.I.F.T. Foundation, will review each teacher grant application received. If more information is needed or mentorship required to implement a grant idea applicants will be contacted via e-mail upon review. Applicants will be notified in writing of acceptance or denial of grant request within 30 days receipt of application.
Applicants most clearly meeting criteria of creative, interactive, educational curricula will be selected. A combination of objective and subjective, experience based criteria will be used when evaluating grant requests. It may be necessary to reject qualified grant requests due to budgetary constraints. If this is the reason for denial, the applicant will be encouraged to resubmit the grant application for the next academic year. Applications are accepted on a rolling bases, so it is advised to submit applications early.
Fall 2017, the L.I.F.T. Foundation began a partnership with U.C.L.A. Graduate School of Education and Informational Sciences to provide L.I.F.T. Teacher Grants to graduating first year teachers pursuing teaching opportunities in Los Angeles urban schools. The applications must meet all the criteria set forth. To date we are proud to have awarded two teacher grants at Horace Mann U.C.L.A. Community, one for math teacher and Robotics club advisor Sunandon Kushon to purchase materials and computers for a Robotics Club and a second to Shriya Venkatesh to invest in hands on science materials so students realize the application of their learning. Mendez High School English teacher Angelica Heredia received a teacher grant to provide a safe, comfortable reading area with over one hundred fiction and non-fiction books and Grace Diaz at Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School and Aileen Gendrano at Roosevelt High School were awarded teacher grants to purchase the novel The Hate U Give and invite students to a movie theater event and question and answer with guest speakers. Diego Rivera Performing Arts Community School 11th and 12th grade science teacher received a grant to purchase kits with experiments exploring the neuromuscular-motor connections within the body. Over $30,000.00 in L.I.F.T. Teacher Grants have been awarded teachers through our U.C.L.A. graduate school partnership thus far!
Criteria for selection of teacher grants will be based on the following:
– Interactive curriculum that directly requires students to be active participants in the learning process
– Innovation and creativity of curricula
– Lasting impact on students served
– Measurable educational value be that academic or character development
– Projects demonstrating application to the real world
– Neat, clear, concise description of project
The following requests will not be considered for funding:
– Multiple year funding (must reapply each year)
– Teacher stipends or travel expenses
– Substitute teacher pay
– Funding for pre-existing projects
