Genocide Education Grant

Genocide Education Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Amount: Up to US $160,000
Last Updated: January 14, 2026

Summary

Overview

Purpose The purpose of this competitive grant program is to support teaching and learning related to the history of genocide. As stated in Chapter 98 of the Acts of 2021 , "Every school district shall, for the purpose of educating middle and high school students, provide instruction on the history of genocide consistent with the content standards articulated in the history and social science curriculum framework." This grant supports LEAs to develop and/or select curriculum materials, implement professional development, and design other enriching learning experiences intended to further secondary students' understanding of the history and patterns of genocide. LEAs may propose to collaborate with vendors to support this work. This grant is structured as a two-year program. LEAs awarded funding in FY27 (Year 1) may apply only for continuation funding in FY28 (Year 2) to support the next phase of their projects, contingent upon available funds and satisfactory progress. Continuation funding is not guaranteed. FY27 awardees will not be eligible to apply under a new FY28 competitive RFP. However, contingent upon available funds, a new cohort of LEAs may be selected through the FY28 competitive RFP process. For more details about the genocide education in Massachusetts, please visit Genocide Education Resources and Guidance. Priorities DESE seeks to fund genocide education initiatives that exemplify: Equity Grant-funded projects should increase all students' access to high-quality genocide education experiences and work to address historical inequities where they exist. In addition, projects should provide students with culturally and linguistically sustaining learning experiences that value and affirm their identities and linguistic resources, center student and community agency, and develop students' critical perspectives. Supports for multilingual learners should be developed in alignment with the 2020 WIDA English Language Development Framework. Sustainability Grant-funded projects should take steps toward long-term enhancements to genocide education, including, but not limited to, the development of supportive instructional leadership structures. Investments such as professional development for educators or acquisition of needed instructional materials can provide benefits long past the period of this grant, as opposed to "one-off" activities. Community Partnership Grant-funded projects should include opportunities to work in partnership with relevant organizations and/or engage local community members. Examples include (but are not limited to): partnering with organizations with expertise in genocide education, partnering with local community-based organizations, soliciting input from relevant community stakeholders, and designing learning opportunities at local sites. Competitive priority in the scoring process will also be given to: Districts and schools in the strategic transformation region.LEAs that have not previously been awarded a Genocide Education GrantLEAs with a student population in which greater than 40% are designated as low-income.Grant-funded projects that enhance the antibias impact of their work by strengthening students' sense of safety and belonging in school. This may include learning about the relationship and differences between bullying, hate, prejudice, bias, and factors that can potentially lead to or disrupt violence and genocide, and/or applying these concepts to modern-day contexts and examples relevant to the school community. These efforts may also include work grounded in an analysis of available data [such as from the Views of Climate and Learning (VOCAL) and Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)]. Funding Approximately $1,200,000 is available through this grant. Total amount of awards will be determined based on quality of proposals received. Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document. Maximum award is determined by the total student enrollment of the applying LEA or group of LEAs if applying as a partnership. The maximum award represents what an LEA may receive over a two-year period. Size Tier 1: LEAs or LEA groups enrolling up to 1,000 students (total)May apply for up to $40,000Size Tier 2: LEAs or LEA groups enrolling 1,001 – 6,000 students (total)May apply for up to $80,000Size Tier 3: LEAs or LEA groups enrolling 6,001 – 10,000 students (total)May apply for up to $120,000Size Tier 4: LEAs or LEA groups enrolling 10,001 or more students (total)May apply for up to $160,000 Fund Use The total funding amount listed in this RFP represents the maximum cumulative award an LEA may receive across both FY27 and FY28. This means the amount is not per year, but rather the combined ceiling for the entire two-year period. Year 2 funding is not guaranteed and is dependent on annual funding appropriation and continuation grant application approval. Applicants may request any portion of the maximum funding amount for Year 1. While applicants are encouraged to plan a two-year project, LEAs may propose a one-year project if it better aligns with their needs and capacity. Please see the Fund Use Details attachment for additional information including allowable fund use.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. All Massachusetts Local Education Agencies (districts, charter schools, and Collaboratives) are eligible to apply. Multiple LEAs may apply together under one lead as a consortium.Curriculum Data CollectionIn order to be eligible for this grant, LEAs must have completed their Curriculum Data Collection. This includes reporting curriculum data for History/Social Science for Grades 3–8 and high school US History I.Data should be viewable and up to date here: Curriculum Data.Directions about the expectations and how to provide the data can be found here: Curriculum Data Collection.Note about Investigating HistoryLEAs may apply for this grant, DESE's Civics Teaching and Learning Grant, and funding through the One8 Foundation to support implementation of DESE's Investigating History curriculum.However, in an effort to support as many LEAs as possible, LEAs that are awarded One8 grant funding and/or Civics Teaching and Learning Grant funding to support Investigating History implementation will not receive the Genocide Education Grant to support the same grant activities (e.g. to fund professional learning for the same curriculum).

Ineligibility

Funding restrictions:No funds may be dedicated toward salariesNo funds may be used to purchase technology (e.g., Smart Boards, iPads)No greater than 5% of funds may be dedicated toward administrative costs associated with the grant