Jeanie Ritchie Innovation Grants

Jeanie Ritchie Innovation Grants

Overview: The Jeanie Ritchie Innovation Grants enable teachers to pursue innovative teaching programs in their classroom and provide educational experiences that students would otherwise not be able to have.

Program History: The grant program began in 1984 to honor Jeanie Ritchie, one of MPAEF's founders. In the first grant cycle during the 1984-1985 school year, 8 projects were funded with a total of $2,200. Most recently, in Fall 2025, 23 grant projects were approved with $32,701 in funding.

Geographic Scope: Menlo Park-Atherton schools (Encinal, Laurel, Oak Knoll, and Hillview)

Eligibility: MPCSD teachers

Key Program Requirements

• Proposals must meet three key qualities:
- Innovation - Curriculum enhancement - Sustainability

Focus Areas

Grants support innovative classroom projects including (but not limited to):
• STEM and mathematics instruction
• Arts and music programs
• Language instruction
• Literacy enhancement
• Science projects
• Engineering and coding
• Cultural and diversity programming
• Social-emotional learning

Contact Information

Email: jeanieritchiegrants@mpaef.org

Mailing Address:
Menlo Park - Atherton Education Foundation
P.O. Box 584, Menlo Park, CA 94026
650.325.0100
foundationoffice@mpaef.org

Office Address:
181 Encinal Avenue, Atherton, CA 94027
(First floor of the Teacher Education Resource Center (TERC) building)