The Innovation Funding Initiative is part of the County Superintendent's 5-3-1 Strategic Plan
Innovation is the implementation of a new strategy or novel application of strategies designed to address an unmet need in an educational context. Innovative practices improve efficiency or student outcomes. While innovative practices may not be evidence-based, innovations should be grounded in theory, responsive to the needs of the population of interest, and capable of producing sustainable, scalable, and replicable change.
Time Sensitive Updates:- Request for Applications coming in December
- Check announcements for anything you missed
Cohort 1:
- 5-6 districts will receive innovation funding
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Eligible Applicants: (1) Orange County school districts; (2) Consortium of Orange County districts, with one district as lead applicant.
- Up to $525,000 for three year project period
- Project Period: July 1, 2026-June 30, 2029
- Application Released: December 3, 2025
- Applications Due: January 30, 2026
- Awards Announced: End of February 2026
- Innovation Summit (feat. Awardee Projects): Spring 2027
Program Goals:
- Explore and expand innovative practices that elevate student engagement and achievement, through projects that have potential to be replicated and scaled.
- Empower schools and districts with the resources needed to develop and implement pioneering projects to address challenges faced by Orange County’s schools and students.
- Build a collaborative network of visionary educators dedicated to shaping a forward-thinking future in education.
