TL;DR:
- There are federal and state funds that schools and districts have access to.
- When you have a vision to make a change, don’t do it alone.
- Find a strategic partner like Teach Better that can help you find funding, apply for funding, and get funding. They can also help execute the plan to grow and reach your goals and vision.
Your Impact…
Regardless of your role or position in education, a driving factor for most professionals in this field is the IMPACT they can have. That impact may be on students, schools, staff, or districts, but the IMPACT we have can truly be a powerful motivating factor in everything we do. Educators across the country work tirelessly to positively impact the students they teach every day. School leaders strive to impact the teachers, students, and culture of their schools and district.
Organizations (like Teach Better) that want to see improvements in education or foster innovation in classrooms so that every teacher and learner can thrive want to see their impact grow as well. I’ve personally had the pleasure and honor of seeing my personal impact and Teach Better’s impact grow exponentially over the years. In that time I’ve learned a few things about not only making an impact, but growing one too.
Recently we even received multiple statewide grants that allowed us to reach more schools, districts, teachers, and learners than ever before. That didn’t happen by accident and there are a few things that we have learned that may be helpful as you or your organization try to grow your footprint on the educational world.
As you've read this, I can almost guarantee that you have a project, vision, or goal that you'd love to see become a reality. Click To TweetStart Small and Find Solutions
While the current projects we are working on are pretty large and will have an enormous impact, most of them started small. We knew that the work we were doing with schools and teachers was impactful and that many districts and educators began working with us on a smaller scale. Whether it was a single training, workshop, or access to our academy, the work usually started small.
We built relationships, made progress, proved concepts and models, as well as got teacher buy-in to innovative ideas like The Grid Method. The work was needed and wanted, and it was supporting the mission of the organizations we were working with. The only limiting factor was the SCALE of the work which usually directly tied to funding available. Once the direction of the work is identified and you’ve utilized your local or immediate resources to begin the process, a choice must be made. Do you stop/halt progress towards the goal, or do you find solutions in order to increase, scale, and expand the work?
Finding Resources to Scale
Funding and resources are the primary reasons impact can be reduced or never achieved even if the work is meaningful and effective. I truly believe that funding should never be the reason to stop progress. We have worked with countless organizations, districts, and county offices to find and source funding to help them work towards their goals.
We’ve also utilized funding to expand or scale work to maximize its impact. Grant funding can be a great resource but there are also federal and state funds that schools and districts have access to that can be utilized if it aligns with their stated plans for improvement. If you as a school or organization are not sure where to start, find a partner like Teach Better that can not only help you find funding, apply for funding, and get funding, but also execute the plan to grow and reach your goals and vision.
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Don’t Do It Alone
One of the most powerful aspects of our largest impact work is the long standing relationships and trust we have built with our strategic partners. Whether they are individual schools, districts, organizations, or Educational Service Centers/County Offices, all of them have built lasting relationships with our team that started small and are now impacting more students, schools, and districts than ever.
The most common reason our true impact is never realized is because somewhere along the line no one ever asked if it was possible. We tend to look at obstacles before we see solutions. The one thing that has surprised many of our partners is how easy funding can make their project or goal a reality.
Increasing your IMPACT with Strategic Partnerships: A Challenge
As you’ve read this, I can almost guarantee that you have a project, vision, or goal that you’d love to see become a reality. Maybe you’d like to improve instructional outcomes for students, help teachers thrive, or impact an entire state or region. I can tell you without a doubt: it…is…possible.
In fact, I’d like to challenge you right now to share your idea with me. Right now, click this link and share your vision ([email protected]). I’d love if we could help you make it a reality, if we could help you realize the impact you or your organization can truly have on the world of education. I’d love to take it a step further, and if you want we can connect and chat about your IMPACT idea. You can set up a time for us to share right here.
Whether your impact is classroom-wide, school-wide, district-wide, state-wide, or even nation-wide, don’t let anything stand in the way of your IMPACT.
About Chad Ostrowski
Chad Ostrowski is the co-founder of the Teach Better Team, and creator of The Grid Method. He is also a co-author of the Teach Better book. But Chad is a middle school science teacher at heart. He now travels the country sharing his story, working with teachers, schools, and districts to help them to reach more students. Chad is also a member of the Teach Better Speakers Network.
