Garrison Forest offers funds for faculty professional enrichment through three restricted endowment gifts: the Dodge Grants, the Chanler Awards and the Class of 1958 Memorial Fund for Faculty Support.

Dodge Grants, Chanler Awards and the Class of 1958 Memorial Fund for Faculty Support Awards are designed to support summer professional development activities which cannot be appropriately supported by regular professional development conference funds or other school funding sources. The primary criterion for awarding the grants are that the programs funded should benefit Garrison Forest, as well as the individual teacher.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Funds are limited and smaller requests are more likely to be granted. Because awards range from several hundred dollars to $2,000, recipients have pursued a variety of projects.
• Past awards have been used for travel related to one’s field, extended workshops, participation in research projects, etc. These funds are not taxed if the activity relates directly to the applicant’s work, but may be taxed if the activity is primarily for personal enrichment.
• Funding is approved by the Division Heads.
• Applications are due by February 15 and should be submitted to Gail Hutton. Awards are announced in March.
• Upon completion of the Dodge/Chanler or Class of 1958 Memorial Fund for Faculty Support experience, recipients must submit a one-page summary to their Division Head by September 15.
• Applicants may not submit simultaneous applications to multiple funding sources (sabbatical, Lois Earll Research Grant, etc.) for the same activity.

Dodge/ Chanler and class of 1958 memorial fund for faculty support Award Application

Established in memory of Lois "Lodie" Earll, Upper School science teacher, the Lois Earll Research Grants provide funds to faculty members interested in working on a research project in his or her discipline.

All disciplines are supported by Earll Research Grants.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Awards are taxed.
• Funding is approved by Department Chairs working as a committee.
• Applications are due by April 1 to Division Heads. Awards are announced May 1.
• Work is done in the summer and completed by the opening of school.
• Paid $25/hour with a maximum of 30 hours.

Lois Earll Research Grant Application

CHECK REQUEST

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 and/or programs should be presented to the Department Chair and/or Division Head (Preschool and Lower School Faculty) by September 15.
• Awards are taxed.
• Funding is approved by Department Chairs working as a committee.
• Applications are due by April 1 to Division Heads. Awards are announced May 1.

Talcott Gran Application

Talcott Gran Check Request

Garrison Forest offers financial assistance with tuition to full-time faculty, administrators and senior level staff members who play a direct educational or support role with students.

Awards are subject to the availability of funds and the relevance of course work to the GFS curriculum and programs. Each faculty member may request up to $6,000 per year and awards are capped at a maximum of between $4,000 and $6,000 per year, depending on the number of faculty members requesting assistance and the availability of funds.

In the event an employee leaves Garrison Forest School, either voluntarily or involuntarily, within two years of completing a course, the employee will be required to repay a portion of the original educational assistance payment to Garrison Forest School. Employees will be required to sign a payback agreement and must comply with the terms of the agreement.

• If an employee leaves within one year of completing the course work they will be required to repay the school 70% of their educational assistance.
• If an employee leaves within two years of completing the course work they will be required to repay the school 30% of their education assistance.

Employees who do not pass the course, drop, or decide not to take the course will be required to reimburse the school for any educational assistance they have received for the course.

Whenever possible, enrollment should be planned for summer sessions to avoid conflicts with faculty duties during the academic year. It is expected that a faculty member who receives tuition support will commit to two years of service beyond the awarding of that degree. Awards are not taxed. Reimbursement for courses taken between the summer and the end of the following academic year are made in April. The faculty member submits the tuition receipt, with grades indicating successful completion of the course or courses, to Vanessa Griffin. Reimbursements are made to faculty members after they have signed their employment contract for the following school year.

Tuition Reimbursement Applications are due April 15. Awards are announced on May 1.

 

Tuition Reimbursement Application

Tuition Reimbursement Payback Agreement

 

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 Gail Hutton, Head of Lower School. All forms are submitted to her.
• 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