CRITICAL THINKING GRANT
Deadline: Currently closed. Please check back in February for the 2027-28 school year.
Who: California middle schools or high schools, public or charter, with 400+ students.
Goal: Improve students’ media literacy and critical thinking skills, in alignment with California AB 873. See Mission
Award:
$40,000 per year, potentially up to 3 years.
Objective: Critical thinking is usually approached as a whole, while, according to data, the fundamental component skills get little instruction. This grant is part of our research on the effectiveness of these fundamental component skills, including media literacy, to foster high-level critical thinking.
Expectations:
| • | Dedicate 20% of a certified staff member’s time to serve as the Critical Thinking Coordinator (CTC) for the school. The CTC will: |
| • | Curate and create curriculum and resources for your teachers. |
| • | Meet with teachers throughout the year to encourage and coordinate lessons. |
| • | Administer online tests provided by us at the start and end of the year. |
Teachers may interpret and teach critical thinking skills as they see fit. Use of our learning apps is encouraged but not required.
Reporting: Occasional remote meetings to discuss plans, data, challenges, and successes, and to provide general feedback to us on lessons and resources.
(No written reports required.)
Research: We are measuring the collective effect of increased instruction over the long term in the real world, not the effectiveness of each specific lesson or resource in laboratory conditions. We will analyze the data and publish our findings.
Questions: [email protected]
To Apply for your School:
The grant application is just basic information for screening at this stage. Please email us at
[email protected] from your school email account, not your personal email. Provide the following information in the body of the email (not an attachment):
School name
City
Grade range
Number of students enrolled
Is there another high school in your district that could serve as a control group? i.e., a school with the same grade range that does not participate in the project, so that we can compare results. This is ideal but not required. If so, please list the school name and number of students.
If you are selected to advance, we will interview your administrator and your selected Critical Thinking Coordinator together over a video call. We will email the questions in advance. Grantees will by notified ASAP so you may prepare staffing assignments for the upcoming school year.