The purpose of the Edward R. Kast Faculty Professional Growth Fund is to enable Germantown Academy to attract and retain the highest quality of faculty members by providing the means for them to grow professionally, which, ultimately, benefits the students who attend the Academy. An endowment fund in honor of former Head of School, Edward R. Kast, was established in the spring of 1986 in order to implement these objectives. Each year the income from the Fund is placed in a separate account to be expended during the subsequent academic year. The investment policy of the Kast Fund, and, thus, the amount of money available for grants each year, is made by the Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees. Unused funds in any given year remain available for use in following years. The first grants were made in the spring of 1987 for use the following summer and academic year.
- Programs which give teachers the opportunity to enter into independent study projects.
- Projects which enable faculty to participate in extended workshops in their area of expertise.
- Projects which encourage teachers to travel to the origins of their disciplines as a means of broadening their teaching experience.
- Projects which involve extended study in curriculum development and other areas beneficial to Germantown Academy.
- Any project original in nature that serves to enhance the faculty member's professional growth and to benefit indirectly the Academy itself.
- All applications must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate Department Chair, Grade Coordinator, or School Head before being submitted to the Grants Committee for consideration. Sample applications are available in the Head of School's or Dean of Faculty and Studies' office.
- Any applicant needing to figure hourly pay should use the figure of $15.
- All applications should be submitted to the Dean of Faculty and Studies as Chair of the Grants Committee no later than February 1st of each year. However, applications may be submitted after the deadline with the approval of the Committee, provided funds remain.
- The Grants Committee, consisting of the Head of School, the Chair of the Education Committee of the Board of Trustees, the Dean of Faculty and Studies, and the Assistant Dean of Faculty and Studies will meet between February 1 and March 1 in order to make decisions. Grant awards will be announced no later than March 1 of any academic year.
- Applicants may be asked to appear before the Grants Committee to explain their applications.
- A written report reviewing the project and explaining the progress made in fulfilling the goals will be required within two months of the completion of the project. October 15th is the deadline for all reports. From time to time these reports will be bound in booklet form for distribution to the GA community, or will be published in school publications.
The Grants Committee will use the following guidelines in ranking the applications:
- The value of the proposal to the professional growth of the teacher.
- The applicant's contributions overall to the Academy.
- The impact of the proposal on the curriculum or program at GA
- The amount of money required to complete the project.
- All other criteria being equal, the seniority of the applicant.
The Edward R. Kast Faculty Professional Growth Fund is designed to assist GA faculty members in becoming better teachers. While funds are not unlimited, ample annual income is expected to be available for projects that are reasonable in cost and clearly benefit the professional growth of the teacher. Interested faculty members are encouraged to discuss possible projects with their Department Heads, Grade Level Coordinators, or Division Heads, and pick up the application form from the Head of School's or Dean of Faculty and Studies' office.
The faculty decided, in December of 1990, that if an individual is selected to receive a grant, he/she should be fully funded up to $3,500.
Development