New $600,000 Grant Offering Will Advance Education Entrepreneurship in Arizona
Funding will support nontraditional educational opportunities across the state
October 11, 2022 — VELA Education Fund today announced a $600,000 opportunity for education entrepreneurs in Arizona who are envisioning new approaches to meet the unique needs of learners and families.
Micro grant applications for funding up to $10,000 are available for programs based in Arizona. The awards are intended to support everyday education entrepreneurs – students, parents, teachers, and community leaders – who are providing nontraditional educational opportunities, such as microschools, homeschool co-ops, and more.
“We’ve seen strong interest in Arizona in permissionless innovation, and we’re excited to be able to launch this initiative to support more families and educators who are reimagining education,” said Meredith Olson, VELA’s CEO.
Overall, VELA has awarded more than 1,800 grants since launching publicly in August 2020. The grants total more than $17.8 million and support entrepreneurs in all 50 states and 3 U.S. territories.
In Arizona, VELA has awarded more than 90 grants to date, totaling $1,239,000. Recipients include Adamo Education, an Arizona-based network of microschools that combine traditional, digital, and at-home learning and Phoenix-based Black Mothers Forum, which operates microschools designed to meet the unique needs of Black children and their families.
This specific opportunity is exclusive to programs based in Arizona and is supported through a partnership with The Burton Family Foundation. The regional program hopes to tap into exceptional interest in homeschooling, hybrid learning models, microschools, support for students with disabilities, and more as these communities seek to address COVID learning loss and redefine high-quality, post-pandemic education.
The grant application is available now at vela.org/microgrants. Interested applicants can take the eligibility quiz if they are unsure if they qualify to apply for a Micro grant.
Micro grant recipients from Arizona and Meredith Olson, VELA’s CEO, are available for interviews. If interested in pursuing a story, please contact Lisa Cohen at lisacohencomm@gmail.com.
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About VELA Education Fund
VELA is a national nonprofit fund that launched in 2020. VELA invests in everyday entrepreneurs – students, parents, educators, and community leaders – who are envisioning new approaches that meet learners’ and families’ needs. VELA does not dictate solutions to its grantees. Instead, VELA trusts grantees to identify what their communities need and how they can best meet those needs. To date, VELA has awarded more than 1,800 grants totaling over $17.8 million to support non-traditional education models. Recipients reside in all 50 states and three U.S. territories. Visit vela.org to learn more.