The Jenifer J. DuBois Fabric of Unionism art competition invites PSEA members and their students to submit entries capturing the development of the labor movement, its historical importance and its necessity in the future. 

Fabric of Unionism includes two award categories: one for PSEA members and one for public school students. Prizes for each contest include a grand prize of $1,000, a second prize of $500, and a third prize of $250.

Winners will receive their awards at a special ceremony where winning artwork will be on display.

Fabric of Unionism Flier

• Intent to participate form
• Entry form - Class Project Category
• Entry form - Member Project Category

Susan Elnitsky
Northwestern Region
Northwestern EA

Third Grade STEM Club
STEM (Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics) education plays an increasingly important role in preparing our students for the future. This project proposal aims to address this need by implementing a weekly STEM club that allows approximately 75 third-grade students annual access to the skills and knowledge needed for the 21st century.

Lauren Hess, Brendan Storino
Mideastern Region
Cheltenham Twp EA

Playground Communication Board
Speech Language Pathologists at Wyncote Elementary School in the Cheltenham School District are seeking funding to purchase a communication board for our playground. Our school has students who demonstrate communication differences, which limit their ability to communicate.

Jeffrey Kuntz
Central-Western Region
Punxsutawney Area EA

Living Your Best Leader in Me Life
"Living Your Best Leader in Me Life" is a unique approach to connect everyday life in an elementary school to the Leader in Me's Eight Habits of Highly Effective Students. Schools today need multiple pathways to help connect our students to leadership skills, empathy and community service.

Pamela Brigham (ESP), Elizabeth Brown, Brian Gresh, Elaine LaFuria, Sean McErlane, Janice Pearson, Karen Rodemoyer, Robert Young
Northwestern Region
Harbor Creek EA & ESP

Full STEAM Ahead on the Hogwarts Express
The Harry Potter Festival and accompanying activities promote literacy, creativity, and STEAM learning for all students. Students and their families engage in many interactive activities, such as designing operational games, potion-making, herbology, and more. This festival fosters imagination, collaboration, and innovation while instilling a love for reading in a magical environment.

PSEA promotes excellence in education through the Innovative Teaching Grant program, created to recognize PSEA members for contributions to innovative instruction.

Each year, up to four $1,500 grants are awarded to teachers, librarians, education support professionals, instructional teams, pupil services personnel, and higher education staff. PSEA-Retired and Student PSEA members may submit an application in conjunction with a PSEA EA member. PSEA’s Council on Instruction and Professional Development recommends grant applicants to the PSEA Board of Directors, with grantees recognized at the PSEA Spring House of Delegates held each May.

All applications and supporting materials must be received electronically by Feb. 1 of each year by 5 p.m.

For more information about PSEA's Innovative Teaching Grants, contact Katie Lewis (klewis@psea.org).

Check out the ITG Flyer for more details or apply below. 

Scoring Rubric

The Leadership in Promoting Intergroup Relations Awards Program was created by the PSEA Intergroup Relations Commission (IRC) in 1975 and is administered by a special IRC subcommittee.

The IRC award recognizes individuals and local associations who demonstrate continuous commitment to interweave school and relationships.

Examples of eligible activities:

• Team building
• Association and community partnerships
• Diverse cultures working together

The 2017 award nomination process is now closed. 

Application materials for 2018 awards will be available soon.

The PSEA Local Involvement Grant Program is designed to help local associations or groups of locals conduct activities to strengthen public support and appreciation for the preservation and improvement of local public schools in their communities.

These grants are designed to help local associations (or groups of local associations) conduct activities that involve members in their communities as part of a local association community outreach program. Through the program, PSEA will match local funding at a ratio of $3 for each $1 committed by the local association(s) involved.

For more information about Local Involvement Grants or to request application materials, contact your UniServ representative or Region Advocacy Coordinator (RAC).

The Lucy A. Valero Scholarship Fund, administered by PSEA, provides scholarships to outstanding Pennsylvania college and university students who are enrolled in accredited teacher preparation programs. The fund also provides a scholarship to a high school student who is a member of Educators Rising PA. Applicants must be members in good standing of Student PSEA or Educators Rising PA. Scholarships are presented at the annual Student PSEA Conference & Convention.

Lucy Valero spent 18 years working with PSEA’s student program, building it into one of the strongest in the nation. Her friends and colleagues created the memorial fund to recognize her dedicated service. The scholarship program aims to attract capable new teachers to the profession.

Scholarship recipients are chosen by the trustees of the Lucy A. Valero Memorial Scholarship Fund, comprised of PSEA officers and staff, and the president of Student PSEA. 

Applications must be postmarked no later than January 31, 2025. 

• Application for Student PSEA members
• Application for high school seniors
• Application for Special Education Student PSEA members

The PSEA Education Foundation provides financial assistance to PSEA members who are experiencing dire hardship through illness, disability, and/or financial need.

Applications are submitted to the PSEA Retirement & Welfare Committee, which reviews the applications and makes recommendations to the PSEA Education Foundation. 

Grant applications will be considered on a reasonable needs basis. Applicants must be PSEA members. To access grant application materials, you will need your PSEA.org member login and password.

• Guidelines for PSEA Welfare Assistance
• Application for Welfare Grant
• Checklist for processing Welfare Grant Applications