GEF is proud to support Goleta Union School District (GUSD) educators who are pioneers in the field of education. By submitting an innovative idea, teachers have an opportunity to receive support for their impact on students’ learning. In alignment with our mission and values, GEF annually awards Innovation Grants up to $2500 to GUSD educators. Grants cover a wide range of areas, including but not limited to: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math (STEAM), social-emotional development, and character education.
Read about our 2019 grant recipients!
Direct Student Impact
The goal of Innovation Grants is to directly impact students and support teachers by providing financial support to educators to pursue an innovative idea or to develop an area of interest. The process of innovation often starts with a question or problem and a creative (and risk-taking!) approach to discovering an answer or solution.
Champions of Education
Innovation Grants support a core value of GEF by providing additional resources for educators. We are proud of this creative initiative because it enriches education in the Goleta Valley. We are grateful for the generosity of our local businesses and individual donors who have helped make Innovation Grants possible.
Innovation Grant Application
We start accepting new applications January 21, 2020. If you are a GUSD educator interested in applying for an Innovation Grant and want more information, email us at Innovation@GoletaEd.org or call us at (805)410-4262
Check out our student gallery below!
Students took a “blank slate” and created the base for a song while learning how to use Soundtrap, the platform on which the songs were created. Outside collaborators (including a woodwind player, a keyboardist, trumpet player, and vocalist) from California and Oregon took their cues from what the students started and fleshed out the song.