Higher Powered Learning awards $100K in grants

In its eighth year, the Higher Powered Learning grant program continues to inspire innovation in Catholic schools across the Diocese of Albany particularly during this unique time in education. This year, nearly 20 individual applications were submitted requesting almost $120,000 in total funding. A four-member review team objectively scored each grant application and those scores determined which schools would receive the $100,000 appropriation.

On behalf of the Albany Diocesan School Board, the Catholic School Office is pleased to announce this year’s Higher Powered Learning grant winner: 

All Saints Catholic Academy (Trusting in a Higher Power); Bishop Maginn High School (Alumni-Student Mentoring Program); Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School (ND-BG Emergency Online Learning Tool Kit); Mater Christi School (Teaching for Impact, Professional Development for creating skilled online instructors: a Hybrid Model);  Blessed Sacrament School (Sharing is Caring); St. Clement’s Regional Catholic School (Go Low to Go High); St. Madeleine Sophie School (Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning, When We Need It Most); Sacred Heart School (Popping for Computers); St. Mary’s Ballston Spa (“Our Big Heart is full of learning - near and afar!”); St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish School (One on One Chromebooks for Grades 3-5); St. Mary’s/St. Alphonsus Regional Catholic School (Blended and Outdoor Learning); Saratoga Central Catholic School (Saratoga Integration Program for Education);  St. Jude the Apostle School (Continuous Learning - Equity and Access for Catholic Education); St. Pius X School (Expanded Swivl Technology); and St. Mary’s Institute (Teaching the Children of Tomorrow/Growing Up in a Digital World.)* *-Indicates grant only partially funded due to remaining available balance

Schools can expect to receive their grant check along with an award certificate in the coming weeks. Due to the limited resources available for the program, some applications were not funded. Though worthy, the program’s funds were limited and could not award all of the grant applications received. The enthusiastic and collaborative response to the call for proposals made this year’s program quite competitive once again. Congratulations and best wishes to our winners for a successful implementation of each innovative program!

• Giovanni Virgiglio, Superintendent of Schools, and the Albany Diocesan School Board