Supporting Geographic Literacy, One Grant at a Time.

If you are currently a permanent geography teacher in good standing with your provincial or territorial regulatory body, you may be eligible for the Phyllis Arnold Grant for Teachers. This grant supports conference-related and travel fees for the purposes of improving geographic education in Canadian classrooms. By removing financial barriers, this grant ensures that teachers can fully engage in networking and professional development, bringing valuable insights and innovative practices in geographic education back to their classrooms.

Objectives

Canadian Geographic Education recognizes that workshops and travel in the pursuit of professional development for your teaching practice are necessary and important. For this purpose, we offer the Phyllis Arnold Grant for Teachers for travel both within and outside of Canada when circumstances require it. The objectives of this grant are to:

• Enhance Professional Development – Provide financial support for teachers to attend conferences, workshops, and networking opportunities that will expand their expertise and bring innovative teaching strategies back to their classrooms.
• Advance Geographic Education – Support educators in learning new methods for effective teaching practices in geography, curriculum development, and student engagement strategies to improve geoliteracy and learning outcomes.
• Foster Knowledge Sharing – Encourage teachers to share their findings and experiences with colleagues, schools, and the broader education community, promoting best practices and collaborative learning.

Value

Teachers can receive up to $1,500 CAD. This grant will provide full financial support for teachers pursuing professional development opportunities that enhance classroom education. Funding will cover all travel and accommodation expenses, conference registration fees, and any associated field trips or site visits that contribute to the teacher’s learning experience.

Deadline

Applications must be received prior to leaving or attending the workshop or conference. Applications must be for the current calendar year (no applications will be considered after the fact and incomplete applications will be rejected).

Eligibility

Eligibility requirements for the grant are:

• Certified Educator in Canada – Applicants must currently be permanently employed as a K-12 geography teacher at a recognized public, private, or independent school in Canada.
• Project Alignment with Educational Improvement – The proposed workshop or conference travel must directly contribute to enhancing classroom teaching, curriculum development, or student learning outcomes, and must relate to geographic education or a closely related discipline.
• Submission of a Shareable Resource – Grant recipients must develop and submit a resource, lesson plan, or activity idea based on their research or conference experience that can be shared on Canadian Geographic Education’s website for other educators to access.
• Demonstrated Need and Impact – Applicants should provide a brief statement explaining how the grant will support their professional development and benefit their students.
• Willingness to Provide Post-Grant Documentation – Recipients must submit proof of conference attendance or learning activities, along with a summary of key takeaways and their potential application in the classroom.

Procedure

• Prior to the conference or workshop, complete and submit the application form. The majority of the funds requested must be directed to the conference or workshop. Meals, accommodations, or travel should not account for the bulk of the request.
• Wait for an acceptance or refusal letter from Canadian Geographic Education staff by email.
• Upon returning from the conference or workshop, complete the request for reimbursement form complete with original receipts and a shareable resource. Funds will only distributed after the workshop or conference has ended.

Questions

Please direct all questions to Canadian Geographic Education staff at [email protected].

About Phyllis Arnold

Canadian Geographic Education is grateful to Phyllis Arnold, a former Governor of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, who continues to invest in geographic education by establishing an endowment fund in her name to strengthen pedagogy and practice in geographic education in Canada.