Tutoring Matters Grant Opportunity

Tutoring Matters Grant Opportunity 

The SJ Learns program is offering an one-year grant to provide high-quality tutoring services to high-needs San José students in 4th-12th grade. The program aims to offset the impact of learning loss and uplift children to higher levels of academic achievement.

The San José Public Library Foundation invites proposals from community-based organizations (CBOs) and local education agencies (LEAs) who serve children who are English learners, homeless or foster youth, in neighborhoods that are traditionally lower-resourced, and/or youth of racial or ethnic communities experiencing achievement gaps. The SJ Learns Committee will make funding decisions by November 2023, and the funds will be expended by December 2024.

Funds are made available through the City of San José and the American Rescue Plan (ARP). All grant activities and expenditures must be in line with federal requirements. These grant awards are for immediate tutoring expansion programs to increase access and drive academic success for students.

The SJ Learns committee will give preference to community-based organizations and local education agencies (LEAs) who have tutoring programs that:

• Provide 1:1 or small group tutoring and academic recovery support services for San José students who are most at risk of not meeting grade-level standards. Tutoring programs should be inclusive of services for students ranging grades 4 to 12. Have trained and experienced staff who are well versed in trauma-informed and culturally competent practices and who are well-equipped to serve high-need students.

• Provide a clearly defined and equitable recruitment plan, ensuring prioritization of access for most high-need students (if applicable). The recruitment strategy should be informed by leveraging data like California dashboards, English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) data, and or other local assessments that will inform recruitment plan.

• Ensure that low-income families are not charged any fees for participation (grant funds should be used to cover these costs).

• Have strong data collection and assessment practices in place to demonstrate student academic growth.

• Provide information about the communication plans in place with parents and teachers (when applicable) about student progress and academic achievement.
• Will be able to report student demographic and achievement data. Include a clear evaluation plan that identifies data sources for measuring impact and affirming that participating students meet eligibility requirements. Evaluation should include parent satisfaction metrics as well as student success metrics.

Grant Application Process 

The application is now closed. If you would like to see other opportunities please register for an account at the San Jose Public Library Foundation’s Grant Portal if you do not already have one.

Program Supporters