Grants & Scholarships
Grant Information
Grants are accepted year round.
Purpose of Program
The purpose of the Colorado Association for Bilingual Education Improving Education for Emerging Bilingual Students Grant Program is to develop and/or implement classroom or school based methods, activities, or structures that promote, support and enhance the educational achievement of Emerging Bilingual students in Colorado’s public schools and to promote effective strategies for Emerging Bilingual Students that focus on the use of the students’ native languages and native cultures.
Eligibility
This grant is open to all teachers, para-educators, administrators, parents and students in Colorado who support the mission and vision of the Colorado Association for Bilingual Education. Colorado dual language and bilingual schools, programs, and districts are eligible to apply. Colorado schools, programs, and districts with English as a second language programs are eligible to apply.
Competitive Priority
We will give an application that meets these priorities a competitive or absolute preference over other applications:
- Projects that serve Emerging Bilingual Students will receive an absolute preference over projects that do not serve Emerging Bilingual Students.
- Projects that promote the students’ native language AND the students’ native culture will receive an absolute preference over projects that do not address either or that do not address both.
- Projects that use alternative, authentic, means of assessment to measure educational achievement of students will receive an absolute preference over projects that only use standardized or state mandated assessments and over projects that use assessment instruments that are not normed specifically for Emerging Bilingual Students.
- Projects that serve Emerging Bilingual Students as well as parents and families of Emerging Bilingual Students will receive a competitive preference over projects that do not serve both Emerging Bilingual Students as well as parents and families of Emerging Bilingual Students.
- Projects that are creative will receive a competitive preference over projects that are less creative.
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: We estimate a total of $10,000 for the budget year. The actual level of funding depends on final fundraising activities of the organization. Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards or we may reduce the number of awards.
Estimated Range of Awards: $500-$1,500
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1000
Estimated Number of Awards: (Ten)
This is only an estimate and the CO-CABE Board of Directors may, at its own discretion, increase or decrease the number of awards without further notice.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $1,500 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Colorado Association for Bilingual Education Board of Directors may change the maximum amount and number of awards based upon available funds and the quality of projects proposed.
The following information will be required to complete the grant application:
- Project Information:
- Title of the project
- Name, title, school & district, phone number and email address of author
- A brief description of and purpose for the project
- Proposal narrative that includes:
- Statement of the intended impact, outcomes and measures
- Statement about how the project reflects the Purpose of the Program described above.
- Timeframe for completion
- Budget and Justification:
- A complete and detailed budget that includes the precise dollar amount requested (rounded to the nearest dollar)
- Justification for each portion of the requested budget
- All other budget-related information
- Supporting documents (appendices) can be included but are not required. Some examples of these optional documents include:
- Statements of support from supervisors, principal, other teachers, etc.
- Resumes of participants, invited guests and/or outside speakers
- Other information that may be useful for the selection committee
- Please do not use acronyms. We ask that, for clarity, you refrain from using acronyms in your application.
- Use the term “Emerging Bilingual Students” when you are referring to students who are not yet proficient in English. We know that many folks are using different terms however, in order to create consistency in terminology for this grant program we request that all applicants use one common term: Emerging Bilingual Students.
- Plan to complete your project by no later than the end of school year in which you are funded. You will be contacted to deliver a report on your project as it nears its completion.
- If selected to receive a grant, you will be expected to deliver a report to the membership at a presentation during the next Annual Conference of the Colorado Association for Bilingual Education after the completion of the project.
Scholarship Information
A few general guidelines that apply for all of our scholarships and are as follows:
- Candidates must be accepted or enrolled in the summer or fall of the current year and working towards a degree or certification in linguistically and Culturally Diverse Education in a Colorado university.
- Previous winners of CO-CABE Scholarships and who meet the other eligibility requirements are eligible to apply.
- Candidates receiving full scholarships or grants from other sources are not eligible for this scholarship.
- Students who will complete their program before January of the next year following application for this scholarship are not eligible for this scholarship.
- Candidates must submit all of the required application materials prior to the application deadline in order to be considered.
- Candidates who are bilingual and bicultural are encouraged to apply.
- Applications are due at 4pm on Friday, May 2nd, 2025.
CO-CABE Scholar Award-$10,000 (4 year award) for a bilingual high school student pursuing a degree in Bilingual Education or a degree that advocates for bilingual’s access to scientific, medical, technological, or political fields.
Eligibility: Must be a high school senior. Must be bilingual and planning to enroll in a teacher education program in Colorado to become a bilingual teacher in Colorado or a degree that advocates for bilingual’s access to scientific, medical, technological, or political fields
Undergraduate-$1,500 or $2,500 for a Colorado high school senior or an undergraduate college student pursuing a degree in education with a focus on Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Education or a degree that advocates for bilingual’s access to scientific, medical, technological, or political fields.
Eligibility: Undergraduate candidates must be accepted at an institution of higher education, currently enrolled, and working towards a degree or certification with a focus on Bilingual Education or ESL Instruction or a degree that advocates for bilingual’s access to scientific, medical, technological, or political fields. High School seniors and candidates beginning their educations who are applying to higher education & not yet accepted are also eligible to apply.
Graduate-$1,500 or $2,500 for a Teacher who is working towards an advanced degree and/or endorsement in Bilingual Education or English as a Second Language Instruction.
Eligibility: Graduate candidates must be accepted at an institution of higher education, currently enrolled and in the year that the scholarship is awarded, and working towards a degree or certification/endorsement with a focus on Bilingual Education or English as a Second Language instruction.
Past Grant Award Recipients
Godsman Elementary School La historia de mi famila Writing Project Grant Award
Past Scholarship Award Recipients
Hi! My name is Lyly Zaragoza, and I am a bilingual educator in Denver Public Schools. I was born and raised in Denver and attended Denver Public Schools from elementary to high school. It feels great to support and give back to the bilingual community. This scholarship has helped me continue my education in bilingual education, which has also given me tools to empower both my students and their families. I am honored to be a recipient of this scholarship to be able to continue my own education
Kia Jeffords is working on her master’s degree at the University of Colorado Denver with a focus of study in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education. Kia gives back to her community by volunteering at the following:
Meals on Wheels
Friends of Horse
Harmony Equine Center PTSD rehabilitation
Hello everyone! My name is Emily Sipley, soon to be Emily Friestad. I grew up on a dairy farm in Upstate NY, moved to Iowa for my undergrad, and now made it to Colorado. I live in Mead, CO with my fiance Bryan and my dog, Ruby. I teach high school social studies, and this upcoming school year I will be the new creative electives teacher at Innovations and Options in the 27J school district. I’ll be getting married on June 17th of this year!
Scholarship Spotlight
Natalia Morales
Natalia Morales was awarded the 2019 CO-CABE Scholar Scholarship in the amount of $12,000 over four years of study. Natalia also was the 1st Place winner in the Middle School Divsion of the 2015 Orgulloso(a) de ser bilingüe/Proud to Be Bilingual Student Essay Contest.
The generous financial support of our donors and sponsors made it possible for CO-CABE to not only empower Natalia, but help her achieve her dreams and attend the University of Colorado.
“I’m proudly bilingual in Spanish, and English. Spanish was my first language, and will forever be something I will hold so dearly in both my heart and brain, because it is the language that my parents taught me, the language that I was first educated in, and for a part of my life all I knew. My parents were immigrants, and although I didn’t travel to Mexico until I was eight years old, Spanish was my strongest tie to my beloved culture.”
“At 14 I wrote an essay for the CABE Proud To Be Bilingual Essay Contest, and to my surprise, won first place for my age division. I had written my essay at the end of middle school and received the news at the beginning of my freshman year in high school. At the CABE event, I had the opportunity to read my essay, and at one point I looked up and saw the audience crying and my parents in the front seats radiating with pride. When I finished my essay, I received a standing ovation, and could not contain my emotions; tears wouldn’t stop rolling down my flushed cheeks. I couldn’t believe that I was witnessing my words move so many people in one room. I didn’t know how impactful my voice could truly be up until that point, and that has given me the biggest boost of confidence in myself, and has given me a huge sense of empowerment.”