California LGBTQ Safety in Schools Scholarships

The LGBTQ+ Safety in Schools Grant and Scholarship Program in Honor of Guy DeRosa was created to promote human and civil rights by making our public schools safe for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning+ persons (LGBTQ+). The program was renamed in 2009 in the memory of CTA member and educator Guy DeRosa. Guy was a lifelong advocate for civil and human rights and LGBTQ+ issues.

Deadline: Friday, May 29, 2026

The grant program will support groups, projects and presentations that promote understanding of and respect for LGBTQ+ persons.

The scholarship program will support self-identified LGBTQ+ active CTA/CTA Aspiring Educators (CTA-AE) members enrolled in a teacher/counseling credential or graduate program who are pursuing a career in public education and who understand the importance of LGBTQ+ educators as role models in our public schools.

The LGBTQ+ Safety in Schools Grant and Scholarship Program in Honor of Guy DeRosa was created to promote human and civil rights by making our public schools safe for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning+ persons (LGBTQ+).

The program was renamed in 2009 in memory of CTA member and educator Guy DeRosa.

Guy was a lifelong advocate for civil and human rights and LGBTQ+ issues.

Charge. The Grant and Scholarship Committee shall review all entries submitted in response to the Grant and Scholarship Program announcement and shall forward a list of recommended recipients to the CTA Board of Directors for their final approval. The grant program will support projects and presentations that promote understanding and respect for LGBTQ+ persons. The scholarship program will support self-identified LGBTQ+ active CTA/CTA Aspiring Educators members enrolled in a teacher/counseling credential or graduate program who are pursuing a career in public education and who understand the importance of LGBTQ+ educators as role models in our public schools.

(Adopted July 2009, Amended May 2013, March 2016, November 2017)

GRANT PROGRAM

The grant program will support groups, projects and presentations that promote understanding and respect for LGBTQ+ people. The grant is to be used directly with students. Special consideration will be given to projects that recognize, promote and celebrate ethnic diversity and other diversity among LGBTQ+ youth.

The grant cannot be used for individual/group release time, stipends, honorariums, speaker fees, or performer fees. Autonomous groups, Service Center Councils, UniServ and CTA caucuses are not eligible.

GRANT ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must be:

• An active CTA/CTA Aspiring Educators (CTA-AE) member, or
• A public school student(s) sponsored by an active CTA/CTA Aspiring Educators (CTA-AE) member

GRANT CRITERIA

Application essays are expected to address as many of the following criteria as possible:

• Increases safety for LGBTQ+ students and faculty.
• Increases the involvement of LGBTQ+ ethnic minorities.
• Promotes schoolwide visibility and normalization of LGBTQIA+ identity
• Increases awareness and understanding of gender identity.
• Increases awareness and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community.
• Focuses on the intersectionality of racial equity.

Essay Prompt: In narrative format, please describe the impact that receiving this grant will have on your students and school community at large. Please share details that illustrate to the committee the needs that this grant might address. (i.e., What specific barriers might the grant alleviate? What unique characteristics does your student population/school community have that you would like the committee to consider?)

GRANT EXAMPLES:

1. Students in public schools, community colleges, or four-year universities who implement LGBTQ+ projects and/or presentations.

2. CTA members who implement a LGBTQ+ project/presentation at a public school for students.

3. LGBTQ+ groups such as Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) that implement project activities and/or presentations for students that promote a safe public-school environment for all LGBTQ+ persons. (Ex. Plays, field trips, materials/supplies, meetings, movie nights, food, etc.).

4. Funds to start-up or to re-establish a GSA or LGBTQ+ advocacy group.

Note: Each grant recipient must fill out a Reconciliation Form listing how the grant money was used. If the recipient does not submit their Reconciliation Form by the deadline, they will not be awarded in the future.

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The scholarship program will support self-identified LGBTQ+ active CTA/CTA Aspiring Educators (CTA-AE) members enrolled in a teacher/counseling credential or graduate program who are pursuing a career in public education and who understand the importance of LGBTQ+ educators as role models in our public schools.

SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must be:

• A self-identified LGBTQ+ active CTA/CTA Aspiring Educators (CTA-AE) member

SCHOLARSHIP CRITERIA

• Proof that you are currently enrolled or that you will be enrolled in an educational “non-administrative credential or graduate program.
• Application essays are expected to address any experience, and/or your personal philosophy, that benefits the LGBTQ+ public school community, and must incorporate as many of the following criteria as possible:
• Make a connection between the intended course of study and the intended impact on students’ safety in schools and in the LGBTQ+ education community.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of LGBTQ+ role models.
• Making the environment safe for LGBTQ+ students.
• Your past/intended involvements in the LGBTQ+ education community.
• Importance of role models for LGBTQ+ ethnic minorities.

AWARD

Grants/scholarships of up to $2,500 will be made available annually to awardees.