Introduction 

The Early Literacy Alignment Mini Grant (ELA Mini Grant) provides up to $5,000 funding to rural Georgia public elementary schools seeking to vertically align innovative literacy practices with local child care programs. Specifically, the grant funds strategic partnerships between early care providers and local public elementary schools as they engage in collaborative professional learning to align their literacy practices to facilitate a smooth transition for rising pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students. The ELA Mini Grant is made possible through the generous donations to the Georgia Foundation for Early Care & Learning and to the Georgia Foundation for Public Education via the PEACH Education Tax Credit. Selected child care program partners must be located within the feeder LEA for your elementary school. The Early Literacy Alignment Mini Grant Program must include the following features: 1) The LEA applicant must partner with at least one local child care provider acknowledging active participation in the program and 2) the program must center on literacy professional development.

Eligibility

You are eligible to apply for an ELA Mini Grant if you meet all of the following criteria:

• You are the administrator of an elementary school at an eligible public school district.
• Your school is located in a rural county, defined as a county with a population of 35,000 or less. 
  • List of Counties that meet this requirement 
• You are partnered with a local child care provider that has received a Quality Rating. As part of the application, you must submit a signed letter of support from the child care provider acknowledging their active participation in the program.

Priority Points Eligibility

You are eligible for one (1) priority point for meeting each of the following criteria for a possible total of two (2) extra points:

• All partnering childcare programs you have identified have received a Quality Rating of one (1) or two (2) stars. 
• All partnering childcare programs serve children who receive Georgia’s Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) scholarships. 

Requirements

The Early Literacy Alignment Mini Grant Program must include the following features: 

• LEA Partnership: Selected child care program partners must be located within the feeder LEA for your elementary school. As part of the application, you must submit a signed letter of support from the child care provider(s) acknowledging their active participation in the program.
• Professional Development: The program must include a collaborative professional development component centered on early literacy in which both staff from the childcare program(s) and faculty from an elementary school located in the feeder LEA participate. The structure of the program and selected professional development program is determined by the Local School System (i.e., the applicant), and is subject to approval from the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. 
• Literacy Focus: The selected professional development program must have an early literacy focus that will strengthen vertical alignment in literacy instruction at the childcare center and the elementary school, ensuring rising pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students are entering elementary school with strong foundational literacy skills. 

Allowances

The ELA Mini Grant will provide Local School Systems up to $5,000 over one year to partner with (a) local child care program(s) as they engage in collaborative professional learning to vertically align their literacy practices. You may use ELA Mini Grant Funds for the following purposes:

• Professional development;
• Meals for participation in professional development (must be reasonable);
• Mileage and travel to participate in the professional development;
• Supplies to support the implementation literacy practices in the classroom; and 
• Other allowances not otherwise stated that are for the original purposes of the program.

How long will the Early Literacy Alignment Mini Grant last?

Early Literacy Alignment Mini Grant recipients have up to six months from the grant award date to use their funds.

If I receive an Early Literacy Mini Grant, what are the expectations?

Here are the expectations for ELA Mini Grant grantees:

• The ELA Mini Grant will be awarded up front.
• ELA Mini Grant winners are responsible for tracking the outcomes of the project or program. The evaluation report is the grantee’s opportunity to share the project’s progress, outcomes, lessons learned, and best practices. Grantees will submit one evaluation report at the completion of the program using the ELA Mini Grant Evaluation Template.
• ELA Mini Grant winners will distribute a survey to participants of the professional development to glean overall takeaways and impact from the program. The GFEC+L will provide a link to the survey to distribute to participants of the programming by early April 2025. 
• When appropriate, representatives from the GFEC+L and GFPE may request an in-person or virtual site visit to observe the program/project. Grantees may also request site visits to showcase the work or if course correction is needed. 
• The GFEC+L and GFPE request that grantees recognize the Foundations as funders of the work at least two times throughout the grant year, or when applicable. Any media or social media posting should include the GFEC+L and GFPE’s logo, social media handles, and be shared with the GFPE and GFEC+L.

Timeline

Grant Application Guidelines

To participate in the Early Literacy Alignment Mini Grant, please follow the steps below:

1. Watch the “Grant Writing 101” Webinar (recommended, but not required).
2. Carefully review this document, including the eligibility requirements, application components, and the scoring rubric.
3. Complete an application using the link provided by the Georgia Foundation for Early Care and Learning, as directed on the grant application document. 
4. Submit your application online by October 18, 2024. 

If you have any questions during the application process, please contact:

Laura Wagner

Executive Director, Foundation for Early Care + Learning 

404-823-4062

Laura.Wagner@decal.ga.gov