Every year we award grants to programs that can fundamentally change Jewish education, inspiring students to learn, grow and connect as part of our Day School Educators' Challenge. We received 48 proposals and after careful review, we are excited to announce our 2017 grantees.

• Fuchs-Mizrachi’s Lilmod U’l’lameid: Teacher Torah Collaboratory creates an innovative form of professional development. As part of a year long journey beginning with a summer institute, the holistic program will organize a Professional Learning Community that encourages educators to hone their professional learning, reflect on their experiences, and create more effective education.

• Akiba-Schechter Jewish Day School designed an integrated Jewish Day School R&D Department. Based on concrete, deliberate, evidence-based, collaborative activities, this initiative incorporates the educators in the process of creativity and research. While the idea of an R&D lab was inspired by the work of a successful educational R&D model from The American School of Bombay, the ethos of the project comes from Torah mission to find the best way to teach the Mesorah.

These schools will receive a $50,000 grant, paid out over the next two years to assist in the development of their programs. We look forward to sharing more information soon.