EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION GRANTS
2023
Big Shoulders Fund
$150,000
over two years to support Productive Play in PK and K
Chicago Public Library Foundation
$200,000
over two years to support The 2023-24 Early Learning & School Readiness Initiative
Christopher House
$140,000
over two years to support Increasing Kindergarten Readiness
DeKalb Regional Office of Education
$100,000
over two years to support Basics DeKalb County Parent Playgroups
Fred Rogers Productions
$75,000
over two years to support Donkey Hodie
Holy Family Ministries
$50,000
over two years to support Little Learners Academy
Illinois Action for Children
$50,000
to support Community Parenting Support Saturation Program
Juvenile Protective Association
$150,000
over two years to support Connect 2 Kindergarten
Kohl Children’s Museum
$100,000
over two years to support Early Childhood Connections
LEARN Charter School Network
$50,000
over two years to support Pre-K Enhancements and Quality Improvement
Metropolitan Family Services
$50,000
over two years to support Playful Learning Landscapes
Start Early
$125,000
over two years to support Kindergarten Readiness in Educare Schools
Teach Plus
$100,000
over two years to support Early Childhood Educator Change Agents
University of Chicago STEM Ed
$110,000
over two years to support Expanding and Sustaining Ready, Set, STEM! in CPS
University of Illinois Chicago
$100,000
over two years to support The Ready Child
VOCEL
$100,000
over two years to support Building Early Learning Leaders
Waterford Institute
$100,000
over two years to support Waterford Upstart Chicago
ReadyNation/Council for a Strong America
$50,000
over two years to support Raising the Voices of Civic Leaders for Kindergarten Readiness
Latino Policy Forum
$200,000
over two years to support Promoting Equity in Early Education for English Learners
Academy for Global Citizenship
$150,000
to support Cultivate Collective
Academy for Urban School Leadership
$100,000
over two years to support Chicago Teacher Residency
Open Books
$50,000
over two years to support Early Childhood Literacy Residencies
Erikson Institute
$100,000
over two years to support Project Connect
Something Good in Englewood
$150,000
over two years to support Consistent Assistance for Englewood (C.A.F.E.)
The Center: Resources for Teaching and Learning
$100,000
to support Pre to K Project
Carole Robertson Center
$200,000
over two years to support BASES-K and Innovation Fund
2022
Latino Policy Forum
$100,000
to support Promoting Equity in Education
Northwestern University
$150,000
over two years to support Studying the Impact of Chicago’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten
Phalanx Family Services
$25,000
to support Early Learner Back to School Supports
Something Good in Englewood
$75,000
to support Consistent Assistance for Englewood (C.A.F.E.); Family Support Specialist and Mental Health Clinician at Little Angels Learning Center
2021
Illinois State University
$200,000
over two years to support Leadership for Early Learning Micro-Credentials
Academy of Urban School Leadership (AUSL)
$100,000
over two years to support Preparing New Pre-K and Kindergarten Teachers for Special Needs Children
Big Shoulders Fund
$100,000
over two years to support Play-Based Learning and Assessment in Pre-K and Kindergarten
Carole Robertson Center
$100,000
over two years to support BASES-K
Chicago Public Library Foundation
$200,000
over two years to support the Early Childhood Learning Initiative
Christopher House
$100,000
over two years to support Data-Driven Early Childhood Model
Children First Fund of the Chicago Public Schools Foundation
$400,000
over two years to support Kickoff to Kindergarten
DeKalb Regional Office of Education
$100,000
over two years to support Equity in Early Learning
Erikson Institute
$100,000
over two years to support Kindergarten Readiness Teacher Action Research
Fred Rogers Productions
$100,000
over two years to support the “Donkey Hodie” Program
Holy Family Ministries
$50,000
over two years to support Little Learners Academy Pre-K
Illinois Action for Children
$100,000
over two years to support Community Parent Support Saturation
Juvenile Protective Association
$100,000
over two years to support Connect 2 Kindergarten
Kohl Children’s Museum
$100,000
over two years to support Early Childhood Connections
LEARN Charter Schools
$50,000
over two years to support the Pre-K Program
Metropolitan Family Services
$50,000
over two years to support Playful Learning Landscapes
Purpose Foundation
$50,000
to support Early Childhood Lab for Illinois
Start Early
$100,000
over two years to support Kindergarten Readiness at Illinois Educare Schools
Teach for America
$100,000
over two years to support Pre-K Programs
Teach Plus
$100,000
over two years to support Early Childhood Education Change Agents
University of Chicago STEM Ed
$100,000
over two years to support Ready, Set, STEM
University of Illinois-Chicago
$100,000
over two years to support Getting Ready for Your Kindergartener
Waterford Institute
$100,000
over two years to support Summer Upstart Learning Path
ReadyNation/Council for a Strong America
$50,000
over two years to support Civic Leaders for Kindergarten Readiness
University of Illinois
$100,000
to support Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC)
2020
Children First Fund of Chicago Public Schools Foundation
$200,000
over two years to support expanding the impact of the Elementary Math Specialist program in partnership with DePaul University
DePaul University
$200,000
over two years to expand the Elementary Math Specialist Program
Teach Plus
$50,000
over two years to support Illinois Early Childhood Education Innovation
University of Chicago STEM Ed
$277,000
over three years to provide a cohort of elementary school teachers with the knowledge, confidence, and tools for teaching mathematics to young children
University of Illinois at Chicago
$200,000
over two years to support the Elementary Mathematics Specialist Program
2019
Children First Fund of Chicago Public Schools Foundation
$200,000
over two years to support expanding the impact of the Elementary Math Specialist program in partnership with DePaul University
DePaul University
$200,000
over two years to expand the Elementary Math Specialist Program
Governors State University
$100,000
To support sustained professional development centered on mathematics to elementary teachers in a high-need public school district
University of Chicago STEM Ed
$277,000
over three years to provide a cohort of elementary school teachers with the knowledge, confidence, and tools for teaching mathematics to young children
University of Illinois at Chicago
$200,000
over two years to support the Elementary Mathematics Specialist Program
Academy for Urban School Leadership
$100,000
To support Strengthening Early Math Education and Advancing Teacher Leaders
Big Shoulders Fund
$100,000
To support the project Early Learning Foundations Through Early Education
Chicago Children’s Museum
$100,000
For Playing with Numbers, a program supporting consistency in the early math learning experiences of kids ages 5 to 7
Decatur Public Schools Foundation
$100,000
To support the program Creating Math Connections for Educators
Erikson Institute
$100,000
For the program, Math All Around Me, so three different early childhood sites receive professional development services
Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago
$100,000
To continue to serve 40 childcare providers through the Early Math Initiative program
McKendree University
$100,000
To support the professional development project, READY 4 Math
Teach for America Chicago
$100,000
To recruit a diverse cohort of ECE teachers, execute an effective preparation program, and provide ongoing professional development
University of Illinois at Chicago
$100,000
To rebrand the Math at Home professional development site to Early Math Counts and increase its reach
2017
DePaul University
$200,000
over two years to support an Elementary Math Specialist Pilot
Metropolitan Family Services
$75,000
over three years to support Learning Landscapes in Chicago
STEM Connector
$25,000
to support Silver Level Membership
University of Illinois-Chicago
$200,000
over two years to support an Elementary Math Specialist Pilot
Governors State University
$200,000
over two years to support professional development in K-3 math instructional effectiveness in Chicago’s south suburbs
MIND Research Institute
$15,000
to support Advancing Family Math Literacy
University of Chicago Science of Learning Center
$200,000
over two years to support research on the impact of Bedtime Math
McKendree University
$100,000
over two years to support early math professional development in Southern Illinois rural areas
Project Exploration
$35,000
to support Early Childhood STEM Learning in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood
University of Chicago STEM Education
$192,000
over two years to support an Elementary Math Specialist Pilot
Western Illinois University
$76,000
over two years to support early math professional development in Macomb, IL and through City Colleges, on the Northwest side of Chicago
2016
Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL)
$300,000
over three years to support School-Based Primary Grades Math Coaching
Chicago Children’s Museum
$300,000
over three years to support Playing With Numbers
Council for a Strong America – Ready Nation
$50,000
to support Business Leaders for Early Learning
DuPage Children’s Museum
$34,000
to support Teaching Math Right From the Start
Erikson Institute
$50,000
to support the 1st Biennial National Conference on PreK-3 Math
New Venture Fund
$28,000
to support Early Math Initiatives Dashboard
University of Chicago STEM Education (formerly CEMSE)
$300,000
over three years to support Expanding Math Supports in Chicago Public Schools
Bank Street College
$50,000
to support Math for All: Leadership Professional Development
Children First Fund – Chicago Public Schools Foundation
$300,000
over three years to support Chicago Math Collaborative Expansion Project
Decatur Public Schools Foundation
$255,000
over three years to support Creating Math Connections
Editorial Projects in Education
$50,000
to support Early Math Education Week
Golden Apple Foundation
$150,000
over three years to support Golden Apple Scholars Early Education Math Preparation
Teach for America
$300,000
over three years to support TFA’s Impact in Early Math Education
University of Illinois – Chicago
$300,000
over three years to support Math at Home: Math Matters
Big Shoulders Fund
$300,000
over three years to support Deepening Capacity With Early Math Collaborative
Christopher House
$300,000
over three years to support Early Math Family Engagement
DePaul University
$100,000
to support Elementary Math Specialist Pilot
Erikson Institute
$300,000
over three years to support Mathematics All Around Me
Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago
$240,000
over three years to support Early Math Initiative
University of Chicago – Behavioral Insights and Parenting Lab
$50,000
to support M-PACT (Math for Parents and Children Together)