New Champions
Overview
The Educating All Learners Alliance is excited to launch our 2025 New Champions Fund opportunity! Applications will be open from April 1st to April 30th, 2025.
The EALA New Champions Fund is an annual unrestricted competitive sub-grant and year-long mentorship to support leaders of color or allies of access and inclusion in education, who are actively working to support students with disabilities, including students who are marginalized or come from underserved communities, and those experiencing poverty.
The purpose of this sub-grant is to elevate the profile and provide resources for the growth of the organization/initiative of not-yet-recognized leaders doing exceptional work who may struggle to be recognized in traditional national fundraising and communication efforts.
Submission Portal
Submit your application between April 1st and April 30th by logging into the Application Submission Portal.
What’s included?
- Funding: A one-year $35,000 unrestricted sub-grant.
- Mentorship: A one-year mentorship is provided to leadership to accomplish strategic goals.
- New Champions Retreat: This in-person event, planned for late June 2025, will bring together current and former New Champions to launch the mentorship program and collaborate on strategic goals.
- Participation in National Events: EALA will work with the New Champions to spotlight their work through various media channels, podcasts, webinars, and national conferences to highlight the work of the organizations
Additionally, EALA will provide three additional $5,000 sub-grants per year to runners-up as determined by the panel of New Champions judges.
As a part of this process, funding applications are vetted by the EALA review team and reviewed by the New Champions Fund Judges using this EALA New Champions Rubric.
More Info
Explore the Request for Proposals document below. Make a copy and draft your responses before navigating to the Submission Portal.
Eligibility Criteria
Are you a leader(s) of community-based organizations (CBOs), schools and districts, non-profits, or for-profit organizations that are under $2 million in annual revenue?
Are you a leader of color or an ally of advancing access and inclusion in education?
Are you actively working to support students with disabilities, including students who are marginalized or come from underserved communities and those experiencing poverty?”
Have Questions? Looking For Additional Support?
As we are actively looking for applicants who are not- yet-recognized for their exceptional work and who may be first time grant applicants or someone who is unsure about the grant-application process, we want to support you through this grant application process.
Open, drop-in office hours are available during the application window.
Judging Rubric
Please keep in mind that we are looking to fund a new champion who is actively working to support students with disabilities, including students who are marginalized or come from underserved communities and those experiencing poverty. When writing your responses to the proposal questions, please keep in mind the focus on serving these communities of learners.
Additionally, before completing your submission, please review the EALA New Champions Rubric the judges will be using to determine the 2024 New Champion.
2025 New Champions Judges
The New Champions Judges are leaders in the cross-section of equity, innovation, and education.
Together, they represent a diverse collective of industry leaders in the non-profit, advocacy, digital literacy, K-12 education and edtech sectors, all committed to advancing equity and opportunity in the field.
Adelaida Melendez
Alicia Ciocca
Avni Murray
Brittney Robins
Chantell Manahan
Christine Fox
Deborah Hanmer
Ed Dieterle
Erika Dooley
Erin Stark
Jared B. Fries
Jason B. Allen
Jenny Bradbury
Jessica Slusser
Jinann Bitar
Jorge Holguin
Kelly Paulson
Kimberley Woolen
Lauren Hough Williams
Lindsay Kruse
Madeline Kerner
Madjeen Lorthe
Megan Ohlssen
Melissa Calder
Meredith Morelle
Mia Laudato
Pascale Small
Rachael Stowe
Rachel Brody
Sergio Jara Arroyos
Shahryar Khazei
Shivohn Garcia
Simmi Goomer
Symon Hayes
Whitney (O’Connell) Noel
2024 NEW CHAMPIONS
2024 NEW CHAMPIONS
Lovisa Brown, Extreme Kids & Crew
“With a $35,000 grant from the EALA New Champions Fund, Extreme Kids & Crew will continue our partnership with NYC public libraries to develop bilingual programs for neurodiverse girls and teens. These programs will profoundly impact under-resourced neighborhoods and create brave spaces for girls to be.”
-Lovisa Brown
2024 NEW CHAMPION RUNNERS UP
Rina Madhani, Start Lighthouse
Start Lighthouse is dedicated to eradicating childhood illiteracy and closing the literacy gap by providing diverse books, interactive literacy programs, and family engagement activities. They work with schools, community centers, and public spaces to make literacy resources accessible and engaging for all children.
“This September, Start Lighthouse’s Literacy Hub model will extend its services to District 75, providing specialized literacy support for students with significant challenges such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, cognitive delays, and sensory impairments. The funding will enable us to expand our reach and enhance our programs, ensuring every child can experience the joy of reading. By opening our third Literacy Hub equipped with multicultural books, adaptive learning materials, and technology, we aim to address the critical literacy needs of the Bronx and NYC. Additionally, we will invest in comprehensive training for our educators to deliver inclusive and culturally responsive teaching. Our goal is to close the literacy gap and provide every child with the opportunity to succeed academically and beyond.”
-Rina Madhani, Start Lighthouse
Keep Up with Start Lighthouse
Erika Watson, Intersection Collective
Intersection Collective creates inclusive and intersectional spaces for marginalized communities through arts, culture, and community initiatives. They focus on collaborative projects that amplify underrepresented voices and promote social equity, fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment.
“There are 7.3 million public school children with identified disabilities. More than 52% are BIPOC. By forming a community of critical supporters that values the culture and the voices of these students and their families, we have an opportunity to re-imagine special education advocacy and eliminate educational inequalities experienced by generations of children with disabilities.”
-Erika Watson, Intersection Collective
Keep Up with Intersection Collective
