Previous Funding
During our commitment to providing funds directly to the DPS community we have hosted many ways to do so, here are previous grant cycles or modes of funding provided directly to our Durham Public Schools.
School Re-Opening Grants
Returning to the classroom presented a number of challenges to our school communities, and we stand behind the educators, school staff, students, and families who deserve to feel safe, supported, and heard during this time. School Reopening Grants, funded in part by DPS Foundation, Duke University, and Duke Health’s “Doing Good” employee giving fund, is providing direct support to schools in order to help prepare to provide in-person learning options
Family Support Fund
This fund was a direct response to unexpected financial challenges DPS families are facing due to COVID-19, as well as social and emotional hardship caused by institutional racism and police brutality.
Outdoor Eating and Learning Fund (OEL)
This fund provided Durham Public Schools with grants of up to $5,000 that support efforts to safely eat and learn outside. A resource guide was created to help support sharing ideas across schools and consolidate promising practices and lessons learned while being a tool for schools to request funding.
Durham’s Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
This collaborative campaign with Durham’s Partnership for Children seeks to engage families and community members in developing projects that they believe will positively impact third-grade reading outcomes. If your project falls in this spectrum, consider applying for the literacy-specific grant.
Family Food Relief
In April-July 2020 DPS Foundation helped lead Durham Feast, a monumental partnership between DPS, Durham County, DPS Foundation, Food Insight Group, local restaurants and many other community partners that came together to fill a crucial gap when DPS meal programs were temporarily suspended. FEAST provided 627,000+ meals to kids and 115,000 meals to families between April-July 2020. 1,150+ community members volunteered.
Accelerating Digital Equity
Access to computers and reliable internet is a right for every student and building technology skills and digital literacy is essential for preparing our students for the workforce. There are many transformations necessary for creating truly equitable learning environments for every student - access to digital tools and learning is one of them. We are not only patching a hole that’s been ripped open by the pandemic – we are accelerating a long-overdue response to inequities in schools. A system-wide approach standardizes the devices, infrastructure, and learning management - ensuring equity across the system and opportunity for everyone.
COVID Relief Funding
During the height of the pandemic, there was an enormous need around the world for support, during that time we leapt to action providing funds directly to families, food, and resources.