In May, while on a visit to Burris Laboratory School, emerging media and social studies teacher Mr. Rob Jones shared his students’ love for videography and how they create hype videos, which got me thinking…maybe they would like to have a summer project! Mr. Jones and his students enthusiastically agreed to make a back to school video that could be shared with students and educators across the state.
What I didn’t know at the time…was that they had BIG plans. Mr. Jones and nine of his students spent three days and 36 hours traveling over 1,500 miles across the state, from the Indiana Dunes National Park in Porter, to the Ohio River in New Albany (and so many places in between!) to capture footage of schools large and small, ensuring they represented all Indiana has to offer. In a message earlier this week, Mr. Jones said they spent the time on the road “exploring places they have never been and making memories they will never forget.”
For students to take their summer, travel all over the state, and produce this video (all elements–visuals and narration!) is incredible. And you might even spot your school! Check it out here!
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Thank you to the following students–executive producer and senior Michael Belezek, who spent most of his summer on the project, working on weekends and after hours to ensure it was done by the deadline, as well as the production team, including seniors Lawson Sanchez, Nick McDonald, Jesse Lee, and Sam Thygerson, juniors Liam Ferguson, Ethan Barndollar, and narrator Charley Isaacs, and sophomore Oliver Moring.
Thank you to the students at Burris Laboratory School for making this video for all of us. Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! Let’s make it a great year and one to remember!
REMINDER: School and Corporation Profile Amendment Window
The school and corporation profile amendment submission window for the 2023-2024 school year is open through Thursday, August 31. In order for IDOE to maintain accurate information, all schools and corporations must provide notice when changes are made that affect school openings, closures, and reconfigurations. Information on the submission process can be found here. Contact IDOE's Office of Accountability with any questions.
NEW: Register for Upcoming College Board PSAT & SAT Implementation Workshops
College Board and IDOE will host in-person implementation workshops to prepare schools for the 2023-2024 PSAT and SAT administrations. Corporation Test Coordinators (CTCs), School Test Coordinators (STCs), Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Coordinators, and additional testing staff are encouraged to register. Sessions for the PSAT 8/9 and PSAT/NMSQT will be held from 9 to 11:30 a.m. ET, and sessions for the SAT will be held from 12:30 to 3 p.m. ET.
Recordings will be available for those unable to attend. Contact College Board with questions regarding these workshops.
REMINDER: License Verification and Information System (LVIS) Upgrade Schedule
LVIS is being upgraded to LVIS360. The transition to the new system is now anticipated for early to mid-August. More details about the exact dates of the transition will be communicated once established.
REMINDER: Educator Licensing Office Hours
The Office of Educator Licensing is offering office hours every Thursday morning from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. ET. Please share this link with administrative and instructional teams so they can log in to ask any licensure questions they may have. Contact IDOE's Office of Educator Licensing with any questions.
REMINDER: Nominations are Now Open for the 2023 Education Excellence Awards for Individual Educators
The second annual Indiana Educational Excellence Awards Gala will be held in Indianapolis on Friday, September 8. IDOE is looking forward to recognizing Indiana educators during this celebratory event. Please consider taking a few moments to nominate an excellent Indiana educator for one of the individual 2023 Educator Excellence Award categories by completing the short nomination form here by Wednesday, August 2, at 9 p.m. ET. All certified Indiana educators are eligible. Contact IDOE's Office of Educator Talent with any questions.
REMINDER: Register Now for Indiana Educator Talent Marketplace Webinars
Learn more about how you can use Indiana Educator Talent Marketplace to find great candidates for your open roles. This webinar will walk through the marketplace's newest offering, share tips about how to attract the best talent, and answer your questions.
- Monday, August 1, at noon ET
- Tuesday, August 15, at 1 p.m. ET
- Thursday, August 24, at 1 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, September 12, at 3 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, September 26, at 3 p.m. ET
Click here to register. Contact IDOE's Office of Educator Talent with any questions.
REMINDER: Additional Opportunities to Recognize Indiana Educators
Throughout the year, numerous opportunities arise nationwide to acknowledge the incredible work of Indiana educators. IDOE’s Office of Educator Talent has developed this document which will be updated periodically with external opportunities to recognize educators. To submit an educator recognition opportunity not listed, contact Anne Marie Milligan.
REMINDER: Level Up Leadership Participant Application Open Through Monday, August 14
The 2023-2024 Level Up Leadership series is an opportunity for emerging leaders to engage in innovative and relevant professional development in order to "level up" the leadership capacity of educators across the state. Educators (teachers, instructional coaches, deans, etc.) with a desire to expand their capacity as an emerging leader can learn more here. Contact IDOE's Office of Educator Talent with any questions.
REMINDER: Staff Performance Evaluation Plan Submission
Senate Enrolled Act 486 (2023) requires each school corporation to develop or adopt a plan for annual performance evaluations for each certified employee. Staff performance evaluation plans must be submitted via JotForm by Friday, September 15. Evaluation plan cover sheets are no longer required as part of the submission. For more information, click here. Contact IDOE's Office of Educator Talent with any questions.
REMINDER: Teacher Appreciation Grant (TAG) Policy Submission Required
Information regarding the TAG policy submission can be found here. Local educational agencies (including charter and virtual charter schools) must submit the TAG policy for approval via JotForm by Friday, September 16, to be eligible to receive TAG funding. Contact tag@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Indiana STEM (I-STEM) Educator Expansion Program Registration Now Available
IDOE is partnering with Educational Service Centers (ESCs) of Indiana to launch the I-STEM partnership. I-STEM provides support for both currently licensed teachers in non-STEM areas and prospective teachers who are not licensed and hold a bachelor’s degree to become licensed to teach in a STEM content area. IDOE has identified eligible STEM content areas as life science, chemistry, earth/space science, physics, physical science, computer science, technology education, and mathematics. Click here for more information and registration. Contact IDOE's Office of Educator Talent with any questions.
REMINDER: Ed-Fi Upgrade Complete
This week, IDOE launched an upgraded version of the Ed-Fi technology and data standard for the 2023-2024 school year. School personnel and their vendors have been participating in training and will continue to be trained in the weeks ahead. While the changes in this upgrade will be transparent to schools, Indiana will benefit from the many improvements to the data standard which have occurred since Ed-Fi was first implemented in the 2019-2020 school year. These changes include improvements in the data model and increased efficiencies in the Ed-Fi technology platform. Contact the Data Exchange Team with any questions.
REMINDER: LINK Portal Setup and Review of Security Coordinators
The LINK Portal is able to recognize all public, charter, and accredited non-public schools’ local Google G-Suite or Microsoft 365 accounts. IDOE configures the organization’s leader as the first account, and the organization leader must log in to designate up to two security coordinators responsible for overseeing the setup of roles for others in the organization. All superintendents and leaders of non-public schools should log in to the LINK Portal and review/update their security coordinator information.
- Instructions for organization leaders on how to review/designate the security coordinators can be found here.
- New public and Choice schools registration process for the LINK Portal can be found here.
- New superintendents or organization leaders of non-public schools who need the first account configured should email link@doe.in.gov.
REMINDER: Designation of Key Contacts
Security coordinators for all traditional public, charter, and accredited non-public schools are responsible for ensuring their organization’s key contacts for the 2023-2024 school year are set. Key contacts including the roles of Superintendent, Financial Contact, Special Education Director, Principal, Data Exchange Contact, etc. are needed for the 2023-2024 school year even if those contacts were provided last school year.
For school corporations that have an Ed-fi student information system (SIS), key contacts and other staff role assignments should be entered and managed in the local SIS and then provided to Data Exchange/LINK for the new school year. However, all three options below are available:
- Provide staff classifications in the local SIS per vendor’s instructions,
- Add a staff type manually for the 2023-2024 school year via the Security Portal, or
- Upload templates 008_StaffAssociation_StaffEdOrgAssignmentAssociation and 0009_StaffOrganizationContactAssociation into Data Exchange.
Schools utilizing options two and three may cause overriding or loss of data. Schools should connect with their SIS vendor to better understand how to avoid data loss when providing data via multiple methods.
IDOE will recognize active staff assignments/roles during the summer months from the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years and will begin recognizing only the 2023-2024 school year assignments beginning Friday, September 1. Security coordinator instructions can be found here. Contact the Data Exchange Team with any questions.
REMINDER: SIS Vendor Changes
IDOE-issued Data Exchange credentials (key and secret) are tied to the supporting SIS vendor. If your corporation will be changing or adding an SIS vendor for the 2023-2024 school year, please email link@doe.in.gov with these changes. Your organization will receive a new set of credentials for the new vendor. Please note that participation in the 2023-2024 school year Kick-off Sessions is required in order to receive and activate the credentials. A SIS vendor certification status list can be found here. Additional information on the implementation of Data Exchange can be found on the Data Exchange webpage. Contact the Data Exchange Team with any questions.
REMINDER: Kick-off Session Participation Required to Receive Data Exchange Credentials
Schools are expected to join the 2023-2024 school year Kick-off Session that is specific to their SIS. The session schedule can be found in the Moodle Data Exchange Training and Community and should be attended by at least two individuals from each school corporation – the individual in the lead data role and the superintendent, assistant superintendent, chief financial officer, chief information officer, or director/head of school. Schools will gain access to Ed-Id API after the completion of the Kick-off Session. Please allow up to three business days for IDOE to confirm attendance and update access for organizations, after which schools will be able to submit data to IDOE. Schools will continue to have access to the Ed-ID Portal Interface to assign STNs and SPNs. The 2022-2023 school year data collection closed on Wednesday, July 12, and no further data changes will be allowed. Contact the Data Exchange Team with any questions.
REMINDER: Summer School Final Cost Report
The Summer School Final Cost Report submission window is now open. Information regarding the summer school program can be found in Moodle. Contact Teresa Hemmerle or Alex Waite with any questions.
REMINDER: Budget Workshop Video
A recording of the 2023 Annual Office of School Finance Budget Workshop can be found here. Contact Melissa Ambre with any questions.
REMINDER: Form 9
The deadline to submit Form 9 financial data and financial transparency data for January 2023 to June 2023 is Monday, July 31. The Form 9 application, which includes a link to the financial transparency submission page, can be accessed via the LINK Portal. Once in the portal, the financial administrator will navigate to the “Form 9 Financial Data” tile. Please review the Form 9 Overview for instructions. Additional guidance can be found in the Public School Finance Community in Moodle. Contact form9@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Updated Subcategory Memo June 2023
Please read this memo regarding subcategory changes taking effect Saturday, July 1. Contact IDOE's Office of School Finance with any questions.
REMINDER: Next Generation School Improvement Grants (NextGen SIG)
The Office of School Support and Transformation is now accepting applications for planning grants as part of the NextGen SIG program through Friday, August 4. This is a competitive grant to aid in school transformation. Eligibility for this grant extends to all schools currently identified as Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) and Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) under Indiana’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Plan. Interested school officials can read more about the grant program in the NextGen SIG overview. A list of eligible schools can be found here.
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Application window
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Review period (tentative)
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Finalist interviews (tentative)
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Announcement (tentative)
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Friday, June 9, through Friday, August 4
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Tuesday, August 8, through Friday, September 1
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Wednesday, September 6, through Friday, September 8
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Friday, September 15
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The scoring rubric used to evaluate the application is found here. Contact IDOE's Office of School Support and Transformation with any questions.
REMINDER: School Improvement Plans
The submission window for Comprehensive Needs Assessment/School Improvement Plans (CNA/SIP) is now open. Use of the state CNA/SIP template fulfills all requirements under state law and ESSA for schools identified for CSI, TSI, and/or Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ASTI). Submissions are due by Friday, October 6. This memo provides additional information, including links to the CNA/SIP Google doc and CNA/SIP template. Contact IDOE’s Office of School Support and Transformation with any questions.
REMINDER: Student Learning Recovery Grant - Expanding What Works
The Expanding What Works program promotes regional partnerships between community organizations, local non-profits, municipal partners, and/or local school corporations to replicate the successful Indy Summer Learning Labs at a regional level. This competitive grant program will prioritize applicants that demonstrate a commitment to partnering with the Lavinia Group to implement a high-quality, research-based summer learning curriculum and fidelity to the core design principles of the Indy Summer Learning Labs. More information and applications are available here. Contact CommunityLearningGrant@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Alternative Education Grant Full-Time Equivalency (FTE) Report
In order to distribute alternative education funds in a timely manner, Alternative Education Grant FTE Student Reports must be submitted by Sunday, July 30. No extensions will be granted. If your school corporation had an approved alternative education program during the 2022-2023 school year, an FTE Student Report must be submitted in DOE Online. Contact studentpathways_alted@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: McKinney-Vento Subgrant Application Opens Today, Friday, July 28
The 2023-2024 McKinney-Vento Subgrant application is now open in JotForm. This year’s application is available for both individual LEAs and consortiums. The application deadline is Friday, August 25. Contact Mckinneyventopoc@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: TransAct Homeless Information Management System (HIMSS) State Contract Ends Thursday, August 31
Indiana’s contract with TransAct HIMSS will end on Thursday, August 31. Any schools that have used HIMSS and would like to continue this partnership will need to fund this system in the 2023-2024 school year and beyond by including the cost of HIMSS in the McKinney-Vento subgrant budget when the application opens on Friday, July 28. Contact Mckinneyventopoc@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Grad Pathways Employability Skills Course Codes Required for 2023-2024 School Year
Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, schools will be required to use the course codes to designate completion of the graduation pathways employability skills experiences.
The following course codes are included in the 2023-24 Course Titles & Descriptions:
- 0539 Service Based Learning (SBL),
- 0543 Work Based Learning Level 1 (WBL Lvl 1),
- 0544 Work Based Learning Level 2 (WBL Lvl 2),
- 0545 Work Based Learning Level 3 (WBL Lvl 3),
- 0546 Work Based Learning Level 4 (WBL Lvl 4), and
- 0547 Project Based Learning (PBL).
Contact DOEgradpathways@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: 2023-2024 Alternative Education Program Renewal
All approved alternative education programs must complete the annual renewal application by Saturday, September 30. In order to remain an approved program eligible for alternative education funding, this renewal must be submitted by the September deadline and approved by IDOE's Office of Student Pathways and Opportunities. Upon submission of the JotForm, a confirmation email with a copy of the responses will be sent to the superintendent. Contact studentpathways_alted@doe.in.gov with any questions.
NEW: Trial Assistive Technology Available with PATINS Project
The PATINS Project’s Assistive Technology Lending Library loan request form is now open for the 2023-2024 school year. The PATINS Lending Library is a no-cost service that loans assistive technology devices, software, resource materials, and more to school personnel at Indiana local educational agencies (LEAs). Training and technical assistance may be requested to accompany any items available for loan, which are shipped directly to your LEA. Items can be used to preview technology and hold trial periods for students for six weeks. Browse the catalog and make a loan request today! Contact the PATINS Project or IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility for additional support.
NEW: Upcoming Training from the PATINS Project
Register now for no-cost training sessions from the PATINS Project. Visit the training calendar for all upcoming opportunities or view the PATINS Professional Development Guide for offerings by request. Sessions include:
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How To: Creating Recipes on iOS for Curricular Access, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and Games: 9 a.m. ET or 1 p.m. ET.
Contact the PATINS Project or IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility for additional support.
NEW: English Learner (EL) Exit Criteria Change Proposal - Open for Public Comment
IDOE is seeking to adjust the state’s exit criteria for ELs, and the drafted proposal - which includes the possibility for additional evidence review in determining proficiency as well as WIDA Alternate ACCESS exit criteria - is now open for public comment. Review the details of the Indiana Exit Criteria Change Proposal and provide feedback via this Jotform. Public comment closes at 5 p.m. ET on Monday, August 28. IDOE will then review and respond to comments, finalize changes, and submit a state Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan amendment to the U.S. Department of Education. Contact IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education with any questions.
REMINDER: Register Now for Elevating Education - Improving Outcomes for All Statewide Conference
Registration is open for Elevating Education: Improving Outcomes for All, a new statewide conference from IDOE and the IEP Technical Assistance (TA) Center. The conference is intended for general educators, special educators, and administrators and will take place at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis and the Indiana Convention Center on Tuesday, November 28, and Wednesday, November 29. Register here, as space is limited! Please contact IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility with any questions.
REMINDER: Annual August EL Directors’ Meetings
The dates and times for the Annual EL Directors’ Meetings for the upcoming school year have been set. Meetings for new EL directors will be held on Wednesday, August 9, and will cover the basics of compliance, grants, and programming. Meetings for all directors, both new and returning, will be held on Thursday, August 10, and will cover timely EL topics and updates for the upcoming school year. The meetings will be held virtually and consist of a morning session from 9:30 a.m. to noon ET, and an afternoon session from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. ET. Visit the EL PD Opportunities Calendar for meeting links and contact IDOE’s Office of English Learning and Migrant Education with any questions.
NEW: High-Quality Curricular Materials Advisory Lists Guidance
Guidance is now available for prospective curriculum providers to apply for inclusion on IDOE’s advisory lists of high-quality curricular materials for Early Learning (infant/toddler, preschool, and mixed age groups) pursuant to the Indiana Early Learning Standards, as well as content areas aligned to the future-focused 2023 Indiana Academic Standards. These areas include K-8 Science/Engineering, 9-12 Science, K-8 Technology (Computer Science), K-12 Mathematics, and K-5 Literacy aligned with the science of reading. The vendor submission guide, evaluation tools, and other key resources can be found here. Prospective vendors must submit the JotForm indicating intent to apply by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, August 21. Questions regarding the process may be submitted through the JotForm or directed to IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning.
NEW: High-Quality Curricular Materials Review Committee Applications Now Open
IDOE seeks qualified educators and other stakeholders to serve on high-quality curricular materials review committees in the areas of Early Learning (Infant/Toddler, Preschool, and Mixed Age Groups), K-8 Science/Engineering, 9-12 Science, K-8 Technology (Computer Science), K-12 Mathematics, and K-5 Reading aligned with the 2023 future-focused Indiana Academic Standards aligned to the science of reading. View this flier for more information and apply using the educator JotForm or community member JotForm. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
NEW: 2023 Indiana Academic Standards Implementation, Assessment, and Accountability Guidance
Additional guidance is now available with clarifying details related to recently approved 2023 Indiana Academic Standards and associated implementation timelines, state assessment considerations, and accountability information. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
NEW: Release Timeline for 2023 Indiana Academic Standards Resources
A comprehensive set of resources and support opportunities aligned to the 2023 future-focused Indiana Academic Standards and related statewide assessments will be released throughout the 2023-2024 school year. A high-level schedule can be found here. Contact IDOE’s Offices of Teaching and Learning or Student Assessment with any questions.
NEW: August Professional Development (PD) with IDOE
IDOE has new PD sessions for August, including sessions on supporting parents with the Indiana Learning Lab, LVIS 360, and resources for attracting, preparing, and retaining educators. View a full list of the August sessions here. To register for workshops, or view on demand sessions, create a free Learning Lab account by visiting the LINK Portal or the Indiana Learning Lab directly and use your school email address to log in. Contact IDOE’s Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
NEW: Early Childhood Excellence Award Nominations Now Open
The second annual Indiana Educational Excellence Awards Gala will be held on Friday, September 8. Several educators will be recognized during the event, including one early childhood educator. Nominations for the Early Childhood Excellence Award are open through Wednesday, August 2, at 9 p.m. ET. Contact IDOE’s Office of Kindergarten Readiness with questions.
NEW: Early Learning Standards Resources Available
The Early Learning Instructional Frameworks are now available in the Indiana Learning Lab. These frameworks are intended to help educators support and enhance children’s learning and development using the 2023 Indiana Early Learning Standards. The Indiana Early Learning Standards are also available in Spanish on IDOE’s Early Learning webpage. Contact IDOE’s Office of Kindergarten Readiness with questions.
REMINDER: Early Learning Standards PD Sessions
IDOE’s Office of Kindergarten Readiness is hosting three training sessions on the new Early Learning Standards in the Indiana Learning Lab. Learn about the standards, ideas for implementing them, and ways to assess learning in all settings on Tuesday, August 8, Tuesday, August 15, and Tuesday, August 22, from 4 to 5 p.m. ET. Contact IDOE’s Office of Kindergarten Readiness with questions.
NEW: Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
While LEAs operating under CEP do not require individual income verification, to support cross-agency data sharing and fulfill statewide reporting requirements, schools are strongly encouraged to have each student submit the 2023-2024 Household Application for Curricular Materials form. This form is no longer a requirement for curricular material reimbursement, however, this form provides the state with pertinent student information and serves as a measure for identifying students of poverty, essential for Title I schools. Further, please be mindful that CEP counts are not a factor in determining LEA Title I allocations and this form is essential to accurately determine Title I allocations. Contact TitleI@doe.in.govv with any questions.
REMINDER: Indiana Program Administrators Leadership Institute (INPALI) Applications Now Open
INPALI pairs experienced program administrators with new program administrator cohorts to mentor and support their school’s federal Title and charter school grant practices. This is a no-cost program that includes a one-day, in-person orientation, along with quarterly virtual check-in meetings and monthly communication with IDOE staff. Mentors are available for phone calls, e-mails and video conferencing and are provided a stipend to connect, support, and meet with new program administrators. Mentors must have a minimum of five years of experience working with Title I. Preference is experience in Title I and other federal grants. Applications are available via JotForm for both mentees and mentors. An assurance form, signed by both the applicant and the applicant’s supervisor, is required for the application. Both the assurance form and a current resume are required to be uploaded via the Jotform when the application is submitted.
Applications will close Friday, August 4. Contact your federal grant specialist with any questions.
REMINDER: Title Grants Team Coffee Chats
Grab your favorite cup of coffee and join the Title Grants and Support team for monthly Coffee Chats. Chats have moved to the last Thursday of the month at 10 a.m. ET. The link will always be the same. Join via Microsoft Teams here. July’s topic will cover Inventory Processes. Contact TitleI@doe.in.gov with any questions or suggestions for topics.
NEW FROM TEACH INDY: Teacher Appreciation and Back to School Night at Indy Eleven
Teach Indy is excited to invite students, families, and educators to Back to School Night at Indy Eleven. Tickets are free for students and $11 for adults. Come join the fun in the free kids zone, check out the family oriented community organization booths, and enjoy a great night of soccer. Families, students, and staff are all welcome. Click here for details and ticket sales. Questions can be directed to mark@teachindynow.org
REMINDER FROM THE LILLY ENDOWMENT: Renewal Grants for Indiana K-12 Educators
The Lilly Endowment is pleased to announce the 37th round of its Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program (TCFP). This program supports educators throughout Indiana by providing resources for them to take time for meaningful renewal. The Endowment believes that through new experiences, exploration, and reflection educators can generate renewed energy in their careers, innovative approaches to teaching and educational leadership, and thoughtful ways to encourage students’ creative thinking. The Endowment expects to award approximately 100 grants, each totaling up to $15,000, in 2024. The application deadline is 5 p.m. ET on Monday, September 11. Three information sessions will be held on:
- Tuesday, August 8
- Thursday, August 10
To learn more or register for one of these sessions, visit the Lilly Endowment website. Contact Lilly Endowment staff at teachercreativity@lei.org with any questions.
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