New Social-Emotional Learning Funding Available

two teachers conversing

Dear Partners and Colleagues,

In my first months at Committee for Children, I have been struck by the dedication and passion of our valued partners to support our vision of safe children thriving in a peaceful world; we are so grateful you have chosen to use our suite of social-emotional learning (SEL) programs to help advance your broader district SEL strategies. But while you may know us best for Second Step, our reach extends beyond developing innovative, research-based curricula. As advocates for child well-being, we’re helping to pass policies and legislation that place importance on creating safe and supportive learning environments to ensure children everywhere can thrive.

At the end of last year, we worked to advance what became a historic $123 million in discretionary federal appropriation funding in social-emotional learning. For highlights of that and other SEL-conducive appropriations, we invite you to view our 2020 Congressional Appropriations Chart. I’d like to take a moment, though, to speak to the funding dedicated to Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grants, also seen in the chart. Per that appropriation, the federal Department of Education is required to allocate $65 million (page 131) of the total in EIR grants for SEL, and grant request for proposals are forecasted to come out in the near future.

We want to ensure every district interested in applying for an EIR grant is supported, and we know that preparing well in advance is key. If you plan to apply for an EIR grant, we would like to offer our partnership to help increase your chances of winning a grant opportunity. From expanding your PreK-Grade 8 SEL efforts to enhancing out-of-school time programs, our team is at the ready to assist with proposal language and ideas. Our Education Partnership team members serve all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and they’re standing by to help you with next steps.

Contact the Education Partnerships Team for Your Region

Thank you for your ongoing interest in our work, and for supporting our mission to foster the safety and well-being of children through social-emotional learning and development.

Colleen A. Oliver, CEO
Committee for Children