Grants, Funds, and Fellowships for Teachers – How and Where?

Estonia’s education system has demonstrated excellent results for the past 20 years, drawing significant global interest. This growing interest in Estonia’s educational system motivates many students and education professionals to experience and understand its unique practices. But where can teachers find these alternative funding sources? And how can they be eligible for grants? This article provides general facts and examples of alternative options that can secure short and long-term grants and funding for certified education professionals eager to visit the Estonian education system.

The idea of facilitating exchanges between international students and teachers worldwide gained momentum in the 1960s, notably with the Erasmus initiative launched in 1969 by scientist and educator Sofia Corradi, known as “Mamma Erasmus.” Erasmus is one of the leading programs, financing and enabling over 9 million people to study, teach, and experience foreign education systems since its inception.

Erasmus+

What is Erasmus+?

Erasmus+ is the European Union’s program to support education, training, youth, and sport in Europe. Spanning from 2021 to 2027, Erasmus+ provides opportunities for millions of Europeans to study, train, gain experience, and volunteer abroad. Here are some key aspects of Erasmus+:

Objectives

  • Promote Educational Excellence: Enhance the quality and relevance of education and training systems in Europe.
  • Boost Competencies and Employability: Develop key skills, including language and intercultural skills, to improve employability.
  • Strengthen European Identity: Foster a sense of European identity and promote active citizenship and social inclusion.
  • Support Innovation: Encourage innovation in education, training, and youth work.

Key Actions

  1. Learning Mobility of Individuals (Key Action 1 – KA1): This includes opportunities for students, trainees, apprentices, and young people, as well as for professors, teachers, trainers, youth workers, and staff of education institutions to learn and gain professional experience abroad.
  2. Cooperation Among Organizations and Institutions (Key Action 2 – KA2): This supports partnerships between organizations to improve the quality of education and training and to strengthen the connection between education and the world of work.
  3. Support for Policy Reform (Key Action 3 – KA3): This includes initiatives aimed at achieving high-quality and inclusive education, training, and youth systems across Europe.

Benefits

  • Educational Opportunities: Erasmus+ enables participants to study, train, and learn abroad, gaining valuable international experience.
  • Professional Development: Teachers, trainers, and youth workers can participate in training and professional development opportunities.
  • Cultural Exchange: Participants experience new cultures and perspectives, fostering intercultural understanding and cooperation.
  • Networking: Erasmus+ helps build networks and partnerships across Europe, enhancing collaboration and exchange of best practices.

Who Can Participate?

  • Students: From higher education, vocational education and training (VET), and school education.
  • Staff: Teachers, trainers, school leaders, and youth workers.
  • Organizations: Schools, universities, vocational education and training providers, adult education centers, youth organizations, and other relevant institutions.

How to Apply?

  • Organizations: Institutions must apply for funding on behalf of their participants. This often involves registering with the Erasmus+ platform, developing a project proposal, and submitting it for evaluation.
  • Individuals: Interested individuals should contact their educational institution or organization to learn about available opportunities and the application process.

Erasmus+ is a powerful tool for enhancing educational and professional opportunities across Europe, promoting innovation, and fostering a sense of European unity and identity.

Need help with your Erasmus+ application? Check our Erasmus+ Accreditation Guide and the Ultimate Erasmus+ Guide for help!

Alternative Grant Options for Teachers Interested in Estonia’s Education System

Most grants are project-specific and require compliance and reporting. Education professionals often seek grants to expand their knowledge and instruction methods. As a teacher, your educational project can range from a short-term trip of 1 to 2 weeks to attend specific conferences for quick professional development, to a long-term program of 6 to 9 months for intensive professional development. Visiting schools within a renowned educational system like Estonia’s, particularly through teacher-shadowing projects, is a viable project supported by grants. Your educational projects will vary according to your individual needs and goals and must be explained and submitted to the grant-awarding organization.

Fund For Teachers. Perhaps the largest provider of educator-enrichment funding, this organization supports the educators worldwide to develop their projects and skills since 2001. Fund For Teachers gathered more than $32 million in nearly 8500 teachers, transforming monetary grants into personal growth and practices development for both educators and students, which makes this organization very reliable and even recommended by Edutopia. An excellent implementation on their website is the database which allows anyone to see what educational trip Fund For Teachers organized in the past, and the possibility to see all the details (date, location, summary, images, etc.) with a dedicated report page for it.

The NEA Foundation: Founded in 1969, this foundation offers funding and other resources to public school educators and schools. The NEA Foundation receives contributions from corporations, foundations, and individuals, including educators, and has contributed up to $2.2 million for grant funding. The NEA Foundation is a reliable provider of grants, consistently ranking in the top 2 percent of all rated charities since 2010. Their grant program is available to members of the National Education Association who are educators in public schools or public institutions of higher education.

There are common characteristics shared between charities and foundations that can provide grants or funds for your educational trip project. This funding source should always be able to finance overseas educational trips or projects: many organizations support educational projects within their own country to develop local areas, so ensure that their grants programs include support for overseas trips. Also, the supporting organization usually asks for a report and follow-up of your trip when it is financed, unless you are already a trusted member of the organization (such as the NEA Foundation). When looking for specific foundations and charities in your country that only accept applications from residents, governmental webpages usually provide a list of national organizations that can help fund your project.

Here are examples of local funding/grant-providing organizations in a few English-speaking countries that could support an educational trip project to Estonia:

This blog also offers great recourses for Travel Grants and Fellowships for Educators.

Finally, we hope that your educational project gets accepted and funded by a supportive organization. The Estonian education system is especially worth visiting for teachers, as it offers valuable opportunities to expand your knowledge and educational methods. There is always an excellent reason to visit Estonia!