PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The purpose of the Summer Sabbatical Grant is to allow senior (seven years or more) faculty, administrators and senior-level staff members who play a direct educational or support role with students, to pursue an interest or activity for personal growth.

The Don Elliott Sabbatical Award, given in memory of longtime humanities teacher Don Elliott, is granted to an applicant whose proposal reflects the devotion to life-long learning and renaissance spirit of the award’s namesake.

In general, sabbatical awards are granted on the basis of seniority. The committee also may consider factors including the amount of the award, benefit to the recipient and/or Garrison Forest, equity in distribution among divisions, previous receipt of a sabbatical award and the like.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Typically four sabbatical awards, including the Don Elliott Sabbatical Award, are granted each year in the amount of $6,000, although smaller requests may be awarded.
• Sabbatical awards are taxable. Recipients should expect to pay about one half of the award in taxes. Due to the taxes, wherever possible, the committee doubles the funding request up to the limit of $6,000 in order to give the recipient sufficient funds to cover the taxes.
• Funding is approved by Division Heads.
• Applications are due by March 1 and should be submitted to professionaldevelopment@gfs.org. Awards are announced March 12. Recipients must submit a one-page summary of their sabbatical experience by September 15 to their Division Head and make arrangements to share their experience in some fashion with their colleagues through a faculty meeting presentation or similar activity.
• Faculty tenure is reset after a sabbatical has been awarded. Only prior sabbaticals are considered in re-setting tenures for sabbatical award decisions.

• Sabbatical recipients must use funds during scheduled breaks only. Funds may not be used when academic classes and/or meetings are scheduled. 

Sabbatical Application

The Talcott Gran Awards are given in memory of longtime science teacher Kathleen Gran and her friend Alice Talcott for the purpose of developing new curriculum or programs across disciplines or divisions.

Individual faculty members or groups of faculty may apply for a Talcott Gran Award.

PLEASE NOTE:

• The work is to be done during the summer and completed by the opening of school.
• Curriculum work will be presented during the September Academic Council meeting. 
• Awards are taxed.
• Funding is approved by Department Chairs working as a committee.
• Applications are due by April 1 to professionaldevelopment@gfs.org. Awards are announced May 1.

Talcott Gran Application

Talcott Gran Check Request

Faculty members are encouraged to participate in workshops and conferences pertaining to their teaching responsibilities.

A variety of professional workshops and conferences are supported by GFS, with an overarching goal of allocating available monies equitably throughout the school with an emphasis on areas of need and specific themes.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Funding is approved by Division Heads working as a group.
• The budget for Workshops and Conferences is administered by the Boyce Center for Learning & Thriving. All forms are submitted to professionaldevelopment@gfs.org.
• Applications are ongoing.
• Garrison Forest encourages faculty and staff to present at regional and national workshops and conferences. Our professionals can and should contribute to the teaching and learning conversation. To ensure that the school can fund faculty in attending the conference where they will be presenting, it is important that they submit a Conferences & Workshops application before submitting a proposal to present. Once an approval has been given, faculty can submit a proposal and know they will be financially supported in attending the conference. Keeping in mind that applications to present at conferences are often needed a year prior to the conference, faculty will be able to get pre-approved in the academic year before the conference when they are planning to attend as presenters.

Conferences and Workshops Proposal

Travel Planning Sheet

Travel Guidelines