Dear Partners:
The quality of K-12 education is an important criterion for retention of the military family. The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is charged with the critical responsibility and privilege of educating the children of our nation's military. Recognizing that over 1.1M military-connected students attend public schools, leveraging partnerships with school districts is paramount in influencing successful educational outcomes for military-connected students. Consequently, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 provided DoDEA the authority to share resources with public schools that educate military-connected students. Since 2009, DoDEA has awarded 709 grants to nearly 130 school districts in 39 states, plus Washington, D.C, totaling more than $830 million. These grants have impacted more than three million students, including over one million military-connected students, across the United States. Click here to learn more about the DoDEA Grant Program Functions and Commitment to "Excellence in Education for Every Student, Every Day, Every Where".
Grantee Spotlight
The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is thrilled to announce the award of grants to 54 local education agencies (LEAs) across the United States, aimed at enhancing the educational experiences of military-connected students. This significant investment, totaling over $70.9 million for fiscal year (FY) 2024, underscores DoDEA's commitment to student achievement.
Since 2009, DoDEA has distributed 709 grants to nearly 130 school districts in 39 states and Washington, D.C., amounting to more than $830 million. These grants have positively impacted over three million students, including more than one million military-connected students nationwide.
DoDEA’s grants are designed to improve educational outcomes, close achievement gaps, and ensure continuity of education for highly transient military-connected students. For FY24, 41 of the 55 grants are aligned with the Military-Connected Academic and Support Program (MCASP), while 14 grants are dedicated to the World Language Advancement and Readiness Program (WLARP).
Congress has allocated $18 million of the $70.9 million specifically for the WLARP, which aims to enhance foreign language programs for elementary and secondary students. These funds will support the establishment, improvement, or expansion of world language studies in eligible school districts and DoDEA schools.
This year’s MCASP grants focus on literacy, math, career pathways, health and physical sciences, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) initiatives. WLARP grants will support programs such as Spanish immersion, Chinese language studies, and the general expansion of world language offerings.
Thanks to ongoing Congressional support, this marks the third consecutive year that DoDEA has awarded grants to develop world language programs for K-12 students. Research shows that early language learning leads to higher proficiency, making it crucial for developing skills needed for national security and economic competitiveness.
The DoDEA Education Partnership and Resources Division extends its support to military-connected students in both U.S. and international locations not directly served by DoDEA schools. Through collaboration with various partners, the division provides technical assistance, resources, and support to ensure equitable learning experiences for transitioning students from PreK through grade 12.
Announcements
The Fiscal Year 2025 DoDEA Grants to Military-Connected Local Educational Agencies for Academic and Support Programs (MCASP) and the World Language Advancement and Readiness Program Grant (WLARP) competition is now open on grants.gov (https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/358308).
The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) seeks innovative applications that identify and implement evidence-based practices to meet the academic needs of the highly mobile military-connected students in their community and applications which establish, improve, or expand world language programs targeting elementary and secondary students. In addition, any Local Education Agency (LEA) awarded a grant under this announcement must use the funds to support programs that can be continued beyond the grant period and demonstrate approaches that could be disseminated to and duplicated in other LEAs. Prospective applicants must complete the mandatory forms and project narrative in accordance with the instructions provided. DoDEA intends to award multiple grants, subject to the availability of funds. Each individual grant award will be a minimum of $500,000.00 and may be up to a maximum of $2,000,000, for a period of up to five (5) years.
The deadline for applications is Friday, April 18, 2025. The technical assistance webinar is available for viewing below. If you have any questions regarding the announcement, please contact dodea.grants@dodea.edu
This pre-recorded webinar responds to Grants.Gov Funding Opportunity Number HE125425R5000. Awards will be determined based on the announcement criteria and funding availability.
Social Media
We encourage all grantees to share photos and videos from your programs and #dodeagrants on your social media platforms. If you have anything you would like to provide us to share on our social media accounts, you can use the Social Media Share Form.
