Applications Open for Trauma-Informed Schools and Restorative Practices in the School Environment – Due June 26

Looking for the addendum with answers to questions about this funding opportunity? Find it here.

Last week, we highlighted school staff working to bring brain science and trauma-informed practices to their schools, posing the question, “If you could re-invent school, what would you do?” The Request for Proposals to support a range of existing and new efforts to support trauma-informed and restorative practices in the school environment is now available here.

These year-long small grants will advance trauma-informed and restorative practices in the school environment as a means of supporting children and youth whose experiences of trauma and adversity – be they few or many – may compromise their progress toward a successful future.

Need ideas? The following are examples of activities that could be supported by this funding opportunity, but this list is not meant to exclude other possible activities:

• Training for staff, students, parents or community on childhood adversity, discipline, restorative practices, or building resilience.
• Consultation across schools/organizations – learning from others who have done this work locally or nationally, through community connections or network of BSK grantees.
• Providing tools for staff or families to support integration of trauma-informed and restorative practices, such as social-emotional learning curricula, special events or programming for students.
• Support for implementation of discipline alternatives such as restorative circles, self-regulation practices, and community service.
• Efforts to improve school climate, culture and safety; including educational materials or campaigns, improvements to create more welcoming physical environments and promote student self-regulation.
• Parent- or community-led efforts to provide culturally relevant, community-based approaches to improving school climate, engagement, and/or discipline approaches.
• Parent/community engagement, such as sharing existing or new school-based activities with parents and the community to encourage input and involvement.
• Youth engagement, including training or support for youth-led restorative practices and efforts to provide culturally relevant curriculum and/or programming.
• Planning for future efforts related to addressing childhood adversity, improving school climate, or implementing restorative practices.
• Coordination with school partners, including community-based organizations (CBOs), health providers, and parent or community organizations to develop or expand shared approaches to trauma-informed and restorative practices.
• Integration of trauma-informed approach across other Best Starts strategies as applicable (e.g. school-based health centers, SBIRT, and quality out of school time.)

Commitment to Equity

Consistent with the County’s commitment to addressing equity and social justice, these investments specifically aim to address issues of equity in school climate, culture and discipline practices by empowering communities to capitalize on the enormous potential students have for resilience and positive change. We also seek to replace punitive disciplinary and other practices that are inherently harmful and systemically biased. Support will be provided for culturally responsive, trauma-informed and restorative practices to better meet the needs of all students, their families, and their school communities.

Eligibility

Funds through this RFP will be awarded to schools serving children in preschool and public and tribal K-12 settings (individual schools or school districts), community-based organizations, parent groups, school-based or behavioral health organizations, and/or individuals. Multiple partners working with the same school site(s) may apply as individual applicants or together in one application.

Available funding

Applicants may propose up to $10,000 in their project budget. The final amount of funding awarded to each grantee will be determined during the proposal review and award process. There is no pre-determined maximum number of proposals that will be awarded. Instead, the number of grantees awarded funds will be determined by the quality of applications received.

Proposal timeline

Key Activity	Deadline
Pre-proposal webinar	Wednesday, May 24, 3:30-5:00pm
Questions Due From Applicants (via email)*	June 7, 2017
Answers to Questions and Addenda Issued	June 14, 2017
RFP Responses Due	4:30 pm, Monday June 26, 2017
Notice of Selected and Non-Selected Proposers**	July 26, 2017
Selected RFP List Published**	July 31, 2017

*Questions received after this date may not be answered.
**Subject to change.

Where can I find data to support my application?

The Best Starts for Kids interactive data website allows users to focus in on Best Starts indicators in their community, neighborhood, or city. Proposals should relate to one or more of the secondary indicators listed in the Request for Proposals. Grantees will not be required to track or report these secondary indicators as a part of this small grant.

An additional data resource page is available from Communities Count.

• Request for Proposals
• Sustaining the Gain: 5 to 24 years