To support districts in creating and sustaining a next-generation professional learning system, Edthena is launching a $1.5-million innovation fund. The easy-to-apply-for fund will help new district partners implement the Edthena platform. Funding is valid for up to three academic years.
“Now is a critical time for districts to prioritize and invest in professional learning for their educators,” said Adam Geller, founder and CEO of Edthena. “Teachers who are getting high-quality support and feel supported are more likely to lead their students to success and retain their roles.”
Districts can use the award-winning Edthena video observation platform in a number of ways to support high-impact teaching and help streamline feedback to teachers. The platform enables feedback to teachers using video observations and increased teacher-to-teacher collaboration. There is also the ability to scale best practices across the district with secure video libraries, to engage educators in flexible micro-credential-style learning, and more.
Districts utilize the Edthena platform to amplify their existing strategic investments and home in on their priority areas. For example, one district in Texas uses Edthena to support new teacher mentoring, a district in Connecticut uses Edthena to ensure instructional coaches across the district build a shared professional vision for excellent teaching, and another district in Colorado uses Edthena to train and certify teachers on a specialized elementary-reading pedagogical method.
Innovation fund amounts are based on district size, so districts should contact innovationfund@edthena.com to learn the exact amount available for their district. The innovation fund acts as a matching grant to offset costs. Districts then submit a short application, which takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. Applications will be reviewed on the 30th of each month, starting at the end of September, until all funds are awarded.
“Our new innovation fund will help districts maximize their existing funding streams and one-time stimulus dollars to ensure they have proven systems and processes in place to support meaningful professional development over the long term,” said Geller.
The innovation fund is part of Edthena’s tenth-year anniversary celebration. Started in 2011, Edthena now supports schools, districts, and teacher education programs in more than 30 states by making video observation an integral part of teacher induction, teacher mentoring, professional learning communities (PLCs), and peer observation.
To learn more about Edthena’s innovation fund and the application process, visit https://blog.edthena.com/2021innovationfund.
The American Consortium for Equity in Education, publisher of the "Equity & Access" journal, celebrates and connects the educators, associations, community partners and industry leaders who are working to solve problems and create a more equitable environment for historically underserved pre K-12 students throughout the United States.
