Philanthropy Ohio and the Ohio Department of Education are pleased to announce grants awarded to 28 projects, totaling just over $3.1 million and benefitting approximately 788,331 students across Ohio, through the Collaborative Fund for Educating Remotely and Transforming Schools (the Collaborative Fund). This public-private partnership aims to help schools and districts improve remote education practices and outcomes and to use remote education as a catalyst for re-imagining and re-engineering the delivery of high-quality caring, teaching and learning opportunities for Ohio’s underserved students.
Among other things, grantees intend to use awards to strengthen professional learning opportunities for educators to deliver high-quality remote, hybrid and blended education; bolster learning platforms so educators can plan and deliver instructional lessons in person or remotely instantaneously and in ways that preserve the sequence of learning; and increase digital literacy opportunities for parents, families and caregivers. Enhancing state support for remote education is a priority for Governor DeWine, the State Board of Education, the Ohio Department of Education and Philanthropy Ohio..
"We are so very excited about the ways these projects will help teachers, parents and students engage in meaningful learning during this time of remote education and are grateful to the Ohio Department of Education and Governor DeWine for this partnership, the first of its kind and scope,” said Claudia Y. W. Herrold, chief communications and public policy officer at Philanthropy Ohio.
“When the pandemic led to a statewide ordered school-building closure last spring, our education community was quick to innovate solutions to problems and identify new methods of delivering information and services to the students who counted on them. The grants awarded today will help educators across the state build on those innovations, transform schools and enhance remote education capabilities for all students,” said State Superintendent of Instruction Paolo DeMaria.
The projects receiving funding are:
- Akron Public Schools
- Ashtabula Area City Schools
- Campbell City Schools
- Cincinnati Public Schools
- Cleveland Metropolitan Schools
- Columbiana County ESC
- Columbus City Schools: Mifflin High School
- ESC of Central Ohio
- ESC of Northeast Ohio
- Fairfield County ESC (2 awards)
- Fairless Local Schools
- Friends of Breakthrough Schools
- Hamilton County ESC (2 awards)
- Intergenerational Schools
- Maple Heights City Schools
- Midview Local Schools
- Milton-Union Exempted Village Schools
- Montgomery County ESC
- Muskingum Valley ESC
- New Philadelphia City Schools
- North Point ESC
- Par Excellence Academy
- Princeton City Schools
- Steubenville City Schools
- Wellington Exempted Village Schools
- Wilmington City Schools
Contributors to the fund include: American Electric Power, Berry Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Charles D. Berry Foundation, Cleveland Foundation, Community Foundation of Lorain County, Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, Mathile Family Foundation, Nordson Corporation Foundation, Sears-Swetland Family Foundation, The Burton D. Morgan Foundation, The Columbus Foundation, The Dayton Foundation, The Helen F. and Louis Stolier Family Foundation, The Nord Family Foundation, The Raymond John Wean Foundation, The Reinberger Foundation, The Stocker Foundation, The Youngstown Foundation, Third Federal Foundation, Thomas M. Kier Memorial Fund of the Licking County Foundation and Vectren, a CenterPoint Energy company.
The Collaborative Fund has also announced the opening of Round 2 of funding, with applications due by November 9. The Request for Proposals and more information can be found at philanthropyohio.org/education. Grant awards will be made on a competitive and regional basis to public schools, districts, community schools, networks, consortiums of schools and Educational Service Centers.
The Collaborative Fund is a component of RemotEDx, a newly formed exchange, network and suite of supports that seeks to provide more students with high-quality, personalized remote, hybrid and blended education opportunities and to serve more educators with job-embedded professional learning experiences. RemotEDx includes an Exchange that showcases high-quality remote education initiatives, instructional materials and use-case scenarios; a Network and Learning Academy that will enable members to share best practices and lessons learned; Connectivity Champions who are singularly focused on ensuring that schools and students have access to the internet and technology; and a Support Squad who are regionally deployed and provide schools with deep technical support and professional learning.
Claudia Y.W. Herrold
Chief Communications & Public Policy Officer
Philanthropy Ohio
