Last Spring, Teach For America Baltimore launched the Courtney Cass Catalyst Fund (CCCF) with a simple goal: Support alumni with innovative ideas, inside and outside of the classroom, that are poised to make an impact for students and communities in Baltimore.

Eighteen alumni submitted competitive applications. A decision committee of high school students, community members, alumni, and Teach For America staff awarded six initiatives up to $10,000 to put their innovative ideas in motion.

Up to $10,000 in Funding

Applicants can request up to 10,000 in funding, depending on the projects needs.

Chosen by the Community

Committees of teachers, students, and community members will help select the distribution of awards.

In the Classroom and Beyond

Examples include classroom projects, funding for organizations that support student growth, and projects that positively impact communities.

Dual Enrollment Revisited: Creating Living Wage Career Pathways

Students want and deserve an opportunity to work towards skilled careers prior to graduation, and Jamie Neil saw a gap in opportunities to explore trades. The CCCF award will afford students the opportunity to begin a trade pathway for free. ACCE is creating career pathways and investing in young people’s futures by paying tuition and books for students starting trade programs through dual enrollment with CCBC.

Why did you apply for the award?

Students want and deserve an opportunity to work towards skilled careers and this award will allow students the opportunity to begin a trade pathway for free. There are lots of opportunities for academic dual enrollment or advanced courses, but there are not a lot of opportunities to explore trades. We wanted to find a way to expose students to trade pathways, and to start them out on their pathways before they graduate high school.

What does the award mean to you?

When we told students that we were exploring this idea and looking for funding, the students who know they want to go into a trade were very excited. It means so much to me to be able to provide this opportunity to them and to know that they will be graduating starting on this path. More students in Baltimore City need the opportunity to graduate ready to (or on the path to) enter a high paying, skilled career. What do you plan to do with the funding? We will be using the money to pay for tuition and books for students who will be starting a trade program.

What advice would you offer future CCCF applicants?

Listen to what students want and identify where there is a need based on what they are asking for.

Piloting CAMP FSX – Bridging the Gap to Middle School

After schools reopened last year, Joseph Francella witnessed a challenging culture growing among students. He felt the best way to cultivate a more positive climate could be through FSK’s sixth-grade orientation—before the school year starts. With the CCCF award, Francella launched Camp FSK, a summer community program bridging the gap to middle school. Over half of the incoming sixth-grade class attended, and between family picnics and excursions with Outdoor Classrooms, students were able to build community with one another and FSK staff, all before the school year starts.

Why did you apply for the award?

The biggest issue I witnessed when schools re-opened last year was a toxic culture and climate between students. I felt the best way to help cultivate a more positive climate could be through our sixth-grade orientation – before the school year starts. Securing the award and our experience running the first Camp FSK this summer mean that we are starting this year right. Over fifty students (half the rising sixth grade class) participated in the program. That means that they know us, they know their new school, and they have something to build on going into the new year!

What does the award mean to you?

This award reminds me that we aren't alone as educators. There are tools and resources and support in the community who will help make ideas for school improvement possible. The idea of applying for a grant might have been daunting but I gave it a shot because I had an idea.

What do you plan to do with the funding?

The bulk of the funding was used to build a multi-day bridge program for rising sixth graders at FSK. We used the money to pay for a team building sailing excursion with awesome community partners at Outdoor Classrooms. We purchased Camp FSK t-shirts for our sixth-grade class. We planned a community picnic and networking event for sixth grade students and families.

What advice would you offer future CCCF applicants?

Bring in stakeholders. My idea was supported wholeheartedly by my awesome administrators Corey Basmajian and Tenerra Pitts, our amazing school social worker Towanda Russell, and the entire sixth grade team at FSK.

Empowering Students to Choose and Pursue their Ideal Careers Through Mentoring

Kathryn Breisch and her team at GoPursue are bridging the gap between high school students and the workforce by granting students career mentors in any industry. Baltimore City is full of amazing talent and GoPursue is helping students figure out the careers they want to pursue and connecting them with professionals in the industry to ask questions, get advice, and find lifelong mentors. The CCCF award will allow GoPursue to grow their training program and expand background checks to ensure the highest safety protocols for young people in Baltimore.

Why did you apply for the award?

The mission of our company is strategically aligned with that of TFA Baltimore and the CCCF. We are bridging the gap between high school students and the workforce by granting students career mentors in any industry. Baltimore City is full of amazing talent, both students and working professionals, so this is the perfect partnership to launch a program that connects the two.

What does the award mean to you?

This award is everything to us! Recognition by an equity-driven educational fund like this one validates the fresh approach we're taking for career exploration and access. Being among the other amazing CCCF recipients is a vote of confidence in the work we are ambitiously tackling on behalf of students and the workforce.

What do you plan to do with the funding?

The funding ensures that our organization can provide the highest safety measures, quality training, and volunteer engagement at no cost to the working professionals who are mentoring students. We want to train our volunteers in best practices for mentoring and supporting students effectively and provide background checks for every volunteer to ensure the highest safety protocols.

What advice would you offer future CCCF applicants?

Our organization is taking a completely fresh approach to career exploration and getting students connected to the workforce. We're directly serving students in a scalable way that upskills volunteers from nonprofits and companies to optimize lasting impact.

William Paca Elementary School Compete Possible: New Gear for Special Olympians

After Lainey Hellman launched a Special Olympics Delegation at her school, she wanted every team member to show up to compete in appropriate gear, regardless of whether they have those items on hand at home. With the CCCF award, Hellman is making sure that no students will be prevented from accessing Special Olympics programming due to lack of athletic wear. The new uniforms and gear give students a sense of belonging, encourage team unity, and create a sense of team identity.

Why did you apply for the award?

Baltimore City has a fantastic Special Olympics program, and I was lucky to coach my previous school's delegation for 4 years. My new school has not had a team before, so I got permission from my principal to establish a delegation. I applied for this award so I could ensure that every team member on our delegation shows up to compete in appropriate athletic attire, regardless of whether they have those items on hand at home.

What does the award mean to you?

I will be able to ensure that no students will be prevented from accessing Special Olympics programming due to lack of athletic wear. Bigger picture, those of us who work in Special Education are frequently used to our students and ourselves being overlooked. Winning this award puts a spotlight not only on Baltimore’s fantastic Special Olympics program but also reminds everyone that students with disabilities deserve the same access to extracurriculars and chances to be successful as any other student.

What do you plan to do with the funding?

The first priority is to fill in gaps that students may have in the athletic wear and gear they are expected to have for our competitions. If there are funds remaining after ensuring all students have these basics, I would love to order a team “uniform” t-shirt that we could wear to competitions. Uniforms can give students a sense of belonging, encourage team unity, and create a sense of team identity.

What advice would you offer future CCCF applicants?

You don’t have to be an established nonprofit or community group to receive this award. I don’t have a 501c3 or spend all day grant writing for work. I’m just a teacher who anticipated a need for my students and saw an opportunity to fill that need, so I’d really encourage other rank and file educators to apply.

Making Baltimore feel like home for young professionals of color

The co-founders of Brown Stone Living are three professional women who began their careers as educators together in Baltimore City. Like many new teachers, they struggled to find housing, communities, and relationships that catered to who they were as people. Brown Stone Living aims to change that. Understanding how a lack of community can prevent teachers from making Baltimore home, Brown Stone Living is using the CCCF award to subsidize first month’s rent for teachers and host community events to promote retention in Baltimore.

Why did you apply for the award?

We applied for the Catalyst Fund out of a desire to build a community for teachers in Baltimore City.

What does the award mean to you?

We are three professional women who began our careers as educators together in Baltimore City. We struggled to find housing, communities, and relationships that catered to who we were as people. We understand how lack of community can prevent someone from making Baltimore home. Our ultimate goal is to connect teachers to the neighborhoods, homes, and communities that promote comfort and retention. With this award, Brown Stone Living will continue to work to build an overall ecosystem that will solidify true connections to our city.

What do you plan to do with the funding?

We will accomplish our goals by using the grant funding in two ways. The first is through events. This month, we just hosted our second-annual back to school happy hour event that brought together teachers, administrators, law school students, and other working professionals. In addition to events, we are also using the grant money to support teachers with first month’s rent. Often first-year TFA teachers are required to move to Baltimore City before they receive their first paycheck from the district. Assistance with their deposit will help ease the stress that often comes with moving and transitions of this kind.

What advice would you offer future CCCF applicants?

Build something that you are passionate about.

Providing opportunities for Baltimore City youth to see the world

Bmore Global is transforming lives and growing global citizens. Bmore Global provides Baltimore’s students access to a culturally rich program culminating in a fully subsidized study abroad experience to spark a lifetime of interest in cultures and a commitment to become agents of change in this world. With the CCCF award, Bmore Global is providing scholarships for students, subsidizing student travel, and measuring the program’s effectiveness to ensure long-term sustainability.

Why did you apply for the award?

Although we had years of experience taking students abroad prior to officially launching B More Global, now that we've expanded our model to serve students across multiple schools, we're invested in measuring our programmatic effectiveness and expanding study abroad opportunities to all students, regardless of race or income.

What does the award mean to you?

Receiving the CCCF award affirms our belief that this work is important. As we are growing our organization and seeking ESSA approval, this award has allowed us to retain our fundraised money to support student travelers in 2023.

What do you plan to do with the funding?

We recently partnered with the Center for Research and Reform in Education (CRRE) at Johns Hopkins University to develop a logic model for our program, review the study abroad and experiential learning literature, and develop a participant questionnaire to analyze not only their academic achievement, but other positive, non-academic outcomes as well. We are also using the grant specifically to fund student scholarships in our pilot year. This amount allows us to add three additional student participants to our cohort. We anticipate being added to the list of ESSA-approved vendors, allowing schools flexibility in how they can procure our services.

What advice would you offer future CCCF applicants?

We have been applying for grants for years, and every rejected grant application has helped us to reflect on our work and improve each application moving forward. Believe in your mission and keep at it!

Have an Innovative Idea?

Learn more about the Courtney Cass Catalyst Fund and the upcoming application window by connecting with Candice Matthews, Managing Director, Alumni and Impact.