The SJ Learns program aims to bolster academic achievement by funding promising and innovative expanded learning programs that serve San José public school students in kindergarten (K) through 3rd grade.
We invite Local Education Agencies (LEAs; public school districts, charter schools, and charter networks/management organizations) to submit proposals for funds available for the 2025-2026 academic year (AY). The program encourages LEAs to partner with Community-based organizations (CBO) to apply for support of programming.
Approximately $850,000 in funds are available for this opportunity. Individual awards may be up to $200,000.
SJ Learns Strategies
SJ Learns strives to equip Local Education Agencies (LEAs) with resources that maximize their expanded learning program budgets, along with those of selected providers, to bolster participation among at-risk students in high-quality expanded learning programs.
Furthermore, SJ Learns fosters dialogue among participating LEAs, school sites, program providers, and the broader learning community to enhance understanding of best practices and influence policy. This involves aligning program curriculum with LEA-led initiatives and the California Expanded Learning Quality Standards.
Additionally, SJ Learns devises strategies to expand successful programs and establish sustainable funding avenues. These strategies are outlined in the SJ Learns Theory of Change and the SJ Learns Logic Model.
SJ Learns priorities include:
Whole Child Learning:
Grantees take a whole child approach to education, ensuring San Jose students are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.
Whole Child ApproachCollaboration:
Grantees partner with city agencies, community-based organizations, businesses, and other entities to improve student outcomes.
Family Engagement:
Grantees encourage trusting relationships between staff and parents, create a sense of community within programs, build parents’ capacity to help improve student outcomes, and empower parents to be active decision makers and lifelong advocates on behalf of their children.
Continuous Quality Improvement:
Grantees are committed to program improvement and ensure programs are aligned to the Quality Standards for Expanded Learning in California.
Quality standardsIn support of grantees’ commitment to Continuous Quality Improvement, the San José Public Library Foundation has gathered social-emotional learning (SEL) resources to support the internal assessment of programs and the identification of adaptation where needed.
Who is Eligible:
Public school districts, charter schools, and charter networks/management organizations (LEAs) within San José serving students in K-3rd grade. Applying as lead applicants, these entities may include CBOs as sub-grantees. Collaboration with CBOs is strongly encouraged throughout the application process to enhance the program’s effectiveness. Also, we kindly ask that districts submit one application for all participating schools in the district.
Minimum Eligibility Requirements:
- Be administered at (or by) a school site(s) with a minimum of 40% of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Districts do not have to meet this requirement; but all participating schools do.
- Serve K- 3rd grade students in public schools with a minimum of 90% of them residing in the city of San José.
- Demonstrate a clear strategy for recruitment or referral that utilizes available data, including valid and reliable assessments, to ensure the program enrolls students who are both low-income and performing below (or at-risk of performing below) grade-level standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts.
- Demonstrate alignment with the LEA’s in-person or distance learning programs, as well as the Quality Standards for Expanded Learning.
- Demonstrate alignment with SJ Learns strategies and priorities through the Local Control Accountability Plan (or Local Continuity and Attendance Plan; LCAP).
- Ensure that students who are served by SJ Learns funds are not charged program fees.
- Provide student and assessment data to Santa Clara County Office of Education’s DataZone warehouse and team. This is important for the SJ Learns evaluation strategy.
- Participate in the Expanded Learning Community of Practice (ExLCoP).
- SJ Learns partners with the Leo M. Shortino Family Foundation and Cisco Systems’ Community Impact Grant programs to organize an ExLCoP. All SJ Learns grantees must participate in the ExLCoP, which meets online or in-person at least three times per year.
Previously awarded applicants must be in good standing, having complied with all reporting deadlines and expectations, met previous grant goals (or made significant progress towards those goals), and have been actively engaged in the ExLCoP.
- Serve a higher percentage of students from low-income households.
- Serve a higher percentage of students who do not meet (or are at risk of not meeting) grade-level standards.
- Demonstrate an enhanced commitment/innovative approach to implementing SJ Learns strategies and priorities.
- Focus on student achievement in both Mathematics and English Language Arts.
- Include a clear financial narrative or strategy that shows diversified funding sources other than ASES or 21 Century funds.
AY 2025-2026 Grant Timeline
- Application Window: November 1 – December 6, 2024
- Information Sessions – To sign up, visit our registration page.
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November 13, 2024, 10:00am-11:30pm
- November 19, 2024, 5:00-6:30pm
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- Follow Up and Evaluation Process: December 2024 – March 2025
- Awards announced: March 2025
- Grant Period: August 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026
- Site Visits: Mid-academic year
- Final Report Due: July 31, 2026
SJ Learns Grantees 2024-2025:
- Alum Rock Union Elementary School District
- Cultivating Literacy
- Franklin McKinley School District
- Luther Burbank School District
- Santa Clara County Office of Education
Questions?
Contact: grants@sjplf.org