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understanding the process

The JEIC Day School Educators Challenge consists of three rounds.

Round 1: Letters of Intent

Let your creativity flow! Once all letters have been submitted, up to 8 applicants will be selected. These schools will be awarded $1,000 each and will be asked to submit full proposals.

Round 2: Detailed Proposals

Before advancing in the process, each applicant must speak with JEIC Managing Director Rabbi Feld. This mandatory consultation allows Rabbi Feld to give detailed feedback on each application, improving its chances of success. 

Proposals can take any form, but should include all criteria outlined below. Multimedia is encouraged, but please be aware of the duration!  A written proposal should be no longer than eight pages (excluding budgetary information). Skype interviews will be scheduled with each promising applicant.

Basic Application Information

  • Applicant name
  • Applicant contact information
  • School name
  • Applicant’s association with school
  • School contact information
  • Official title of the project
  • Signed authorization from the school leadership indicating the applicant’s authority to represent the school in the JEIC

Program Overview

  • A clear description of the problem being addressed
  • A concise explanation of the revolutionary idea and why you feel it is revolutionary
  • What inspired this idea
  • What resistance the idea is likely to meet (including context for that resistance)
  • Your predication for how this idea will change the classroom in the long term

Program Goals and Desired Outcome

  • Intended goal of the program
  • Desired short-term and long-term outcomes for a student participating in the program
  • How the desired outcomes are aligned with the goals of the JEIC

Program Methodology and Implementation Plan

  • A detailed breakdown of proposed methods and project activities
  • How these methods and activities are suited to address the problem and reach the stated goals
  • Details of methodology, material needed, timeline and key personnel

Measurement and Evaluation

  • How the program goals will be measured
  • Description of the process utilized for tracking progress
  • Timeline
  • Frequency for implementing the chosen measurement and evaluation tools

Organizational Capacity

  •  Why your team is well-suited to implement this program
  • Overview of the team’s staff, including each staff member’s:
    • Years of teaching experience
    • Years at that school
    • Credentials (Master’s Degree, Smicha, certification, etc.)
  • A brief history of the school (optional)

Request and Budget

  • Amount needed for the program to run successfully
  • Amount requested through the JEIC
  • If additional funding is needed, whether those funds have been secured
  • A detailed budget with a full breakdown of how the money being requested will be used for the project

Round 3: Innovators’ Retreat and Presentation

The annual Innovators’ Retreat and Presentation in South Florida brings all of the finalists together for an invitation-only gathering with a collaborative spirit. The retreat is required for all finalists and serves a variety of purposes:

  1. It gives representatives from the Mayberg Family Foundation and from the JEIC Panel of Advisors the opportunity to conduct private interviews with each finalist school. During these interviews, the judges will provide formative criticism, which will allow the finalists to hone their core messages before the presentations.
     
  2. It allows all finalists to receive training in how to perform the research they will need to do to budget, fundraise and record their findings.
     
  3. It provides the opportunity for finalists to give peer review and support each other in preparation for the presentations.
     
  4. It presents the opportunity for finalists to impress other potential funders, who are also invited to watch the presentations. Each finalist will have 10 minutes to present, followed by a 10-minute question and answer session. 

At the conclusion of the retreat, judges will select to fund some, none or all of the proposals. The selected schools will receive up to $50,000 to enact their proposal over a two-year period.

Each finalist may send up to three representatives to the retreat. In addition to hosting and funding the programmatic activities, the Foundation will award a grant of $3,000 to each finalist school to help defray the costs of preparing for the retreat and presentation, and up to $600 for travel expenses.

Important Dates

More information coming soon.