School-based Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs help close the education and wage gaps that exist in rural areas. By giving interested students the education, certifications, and skills they need to pursue degree programs or higher-wage employment in growing industries, district-based CTE programs provide opportunities to change the lives of people living and working in rural areas.
State and federal funds are made available for some aspects of CTE programs, but the funding may not cover desired improvements to modernize these programs and increase their benefits for students, educators, and families.
With the goal of supporting underfunded rural schools, we are pleased to announce the launch of our Rural School District CTE Grant to public school districts within our Kansas and Missouri catchment! For awarded districts, funds can be used to cover funding gaps that would otherwise prevent improvements in these categories:
• CTE programming and curriculum
• tools and equipment
• staff and operational expenses
• small capital or facility improvement projects
Districts interested in being considered for this funding will need to register through the Patterson Family Foundation Grants Portal and submit an application. We request that applicants for this grant be the Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent of an eligible school district.
Please note that this is a highly competitive grant process. Applications with the best chance of being selected will have the strongest data demonstrating the district’s funding gaps and indicating how the awarded funds will improve capacity or participation in CTE programs, increase the quality and long-term sustainability of program offerings, and/or reduce financial barriers to students. This opportunity is being made available to more than 300 rural and small-town school districts in the Patterson Family Foundation’s catchment area. Awards for selected districts are anticipated in the range of $10,000 to $150,000, with the final amount for awardees being at the discretion of the Foundation.
Applications will be received from May 31 to July 7, 2023. Read on for more details.
Note: We understand that some districts may need approval from their school board to apply for grant funding. If your school board's schedule does not align with our application deadline, please reach out to us.
EligibilityApplicant organizations should:
• Be a public school district.
• Be located in and serving a county or community within the Patterson Family Foundation's Kansas or Western Missouri catchment.
Just so you know, we accept only one application per school district for this program. We recommend that Superintendents (or Assistant Superintendents) complete the application, where possible.
Grant Award
This grant has an award ceiling of $150,000. The Foundation will determine the award amount based on school size, demonstrated need, and project quality.
Use of Grant FundsThis grant supports school districts seeking to resume or expand their existing CTE programs.
Awarded grant funding can be used for:
• Expenses related to maintaining, improving, or expanding CTE programs available to students.
• Program, operational, equipment, and capital expenses that improve sustainability, expand capacity, or reduce financial barriers to student participants.
Please note:
• The Foundation requires that all capital and facility improvement requests must have at least 60% of the total project cost secured at the time of application.
• Grant funds cannot be used to fund the creation of a net new CTE program for a school district.
Supporting Documentation
At the time of application, grant applicants should be ready to share their school district's:
• Budget for CTE programming (a sample budget template can be found here.)
How to Apply
The application period is from May 31 to July 7, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. All applications must be complete (including required attachments, such as budget documentation.) Districts interested in being considered for this funding will need to register through the Patterson Family Foundation Grants Portal and submit an application.
Some things we'll be curious to learn about your school district’s CTE program include:
• Programs or courses offered
• Any cost to students
• If your school district has a CTE Coordinator (or equivalent) position
• If your school district received state or federal funding for your CTE Programs, such as Perkins V
Please click here to preview the questions that will be asked in the application process.
Notification to Grant Recipients
Award determinations will be sent to all applicants in mid-August 2023. School districts selected for funding will be sent an Award Letter outlining the terms of the grant agreement. We ask that all awarded grantees sign and return their Award Letter within one week of its receipt.
Reporting Requirements
We are committed to the ongoing success of our grant recipients.
We request that our awarded grantees submit two follow-up reports:
• How grant funds were allocated (six months post-award)
• Comprehensive report with outcomes and deliverables (one year post-award)
Payment
Grant funding will be disbursed in September 2023 to awardees. The payment will accompany a Contribution Acknowledgement form. We ask that all grantees sign and return their Contribution Acknowledgment within one week of its receipt.
Resources
If you have any questions about this program, please contact:
Adam Erickson, Program Officer
Patterson Family Foundation
816-601-1403
adam@pffkc.org
