College Spark believes in the wisdom of students and communities to shape their futures, and we recognize that there’s no one right answer to the education challenges communities face. That’s why we plan to do more to encourage the ingenuity that lives within communities and to support community-designed and community-driven educational change across Washington. 

Project funding is available for work that has one or more of the following areas of focus: 

• Alternatives to Exclusionary Discipline in High School: Elimination or substantial reduction in the use of exclusionary discipline for all students and/or elimination or substantial reduction of the current racial disparity in rates of exclusionary discipline. Exclusionary discipline refers to expulsion, in-school suspension, and out-of-school suspension.

• Placement at Community and Technical Colleges: Changes to current placement policy and practice designed to eliminate the opportunity gap in the rate of students who are placed directly into credit-bearing, college-level English and math classes. We want students to have the opportunity to earn credit for the correct math course for their chose program of study, whether or not that course is a transferable math course.

• Community Centered Decision-Making: Efforts to change policy and practice in schools, districts, and colleges that facilitate a full, equal, and equitable partnership among families, educators, and community partners to promote student learning and flourishing. A wide range of projects can advance this goal, including but not limited to participatory research, co-design processes, student-led equity audits of policy, and organizing student and parent/community advocacy efforts.

• Culturally Responsive Curriculum and Pedagogy: Developing, refining, and/or implementing anti-racist and/or multicultural curriculum into core subjects, developing and implementing stand-alone ethnic studies courses, or removing/revising curriculum that contributes to racist outcomes for students. Any professional development efforts to promote culturally responsive pedagogy must be sustained over time and tied to educator practice.

• Anti-Racist Leadership Development: Sustained efforts to build the knowledge and skills necessary for teachers, principals, district leadership, and college administrators to implement practical applications of anti-racist theory that identify and dismantle racism within their educational institutions.

All LOIs will be considered and applicants will be notified within 30 days of submission as to whether a full grant proposal is invited. We request that full grant proposals are submitted within 30 days of invitation to apply unless an extension is requested by the applicant and approved by College Spark. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to view a recorded informational webinar before submitting an LOI. This webinar includes an explanation of our giving guidelines, selection criteria, and how to provide the most helpful responses to each LOI question.