EPAK COVID-19 Response

EPAK COVID-19 Response

Changes to Grants

The 2020-21 school year was unlike any other, and EPAK recognized the extraordinary challenges that teachers faced with remote learning. While EPAK fall and spring grants do not usually cover purchases like incentives or online fees, we temporarily expanded the list of acceptable spending categories and increased the amount of each grant. As in-person school begins again in Fall 2021, we are continuing to review and adapt the guidelines according to continually changing circumstances.

Teachers can apply for grants and find out more on our For Teachers page. Thank you to donors, volunteers, teachers and principals for supporting the students of East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park, and helping to make these grants possible!

Special Grants for Distance Learning

EPAK offered a special round of funding for teachers to meet the sudden new challenges of teaching remotely following the March 2020 school closures and shelter in place orders. These special grants provided learning materials for students, including books, workbooks, manipulatives and art supplies; postage to send materials to students’ homes; incentives for students to complete online assignments; and technology, such as document cameras, software and apps, to enhance online teaching.

Thanks to the generous support of donors, EPAK was able to extend these additional grants in a short timeframe.

Repurposed Spring 2020 Grants

EPAK also gave teachers the opportunity to repurpose their Spring 2020 grants ($600) to adapt to COVID-19 restrictions. For example, funding for a field trip could be used to acquire crucial technology for remote learning.