Cape Hatteras Secondary School Librarian Evan Ferguson visited Yellowstone National Park in 2024 thanks to a professional development grant from DEF. Evan studied sustainable tourism and climate change impacts while at Yellowstone.

Professional Development Grants

The intent of Professional Development Grants is to assist Dare County Educators to take advantage of professional development opportunities that are not fully funded by Dare County Schools.

• Expenses that may be covered include amounts for registration, substitute teachers, hotels, transportation, and meals.

• Each of these must be documented with a Dare County Schools Professional Development Prior Approval Form. An sample prefilled form is attached.

• Applicants may request funds in any or all of these categories, but the total amount of the request may not exceed $1,500 for individuals or $3,000 for groups. 

  • A group for the purposes of this grant is defined as any number of Dare County teachers, whether from a single school or from multiple schools in the county, who are attending a single professional development opportunity in the same city on the same date.

  • One lead applicant should fill out the form for the whole group; multiple applications for the same professional development opportunity will not be accepted. If the grant is funded, the check will be delivered to the school of the lead applicant, who will then be responsible for distributing the funds appropriately.

To simplify wording, the term "PD Opportunity" will be used to refer to any conference, seminar, or any other one-time, non-recurring professional development opportunity, whether taking place in a single day or over the course of several days. For reimbursement of tuition for any recurring or continuing classes or for costs related to certification, a DEF Certification and Tuition Reimbursement Grant Application should be completed and submitted.

Certification and Tuition Reimbursement

Dare Education Foundation will consider partial reimbursements to DCS educators pursuing a National Board Certification, Higher Education, or Certification Exams. Please submit an application, and we will look forward to reviewing your request!

• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis between November 1 and March 1, or until the funds run out.

• National Boards Initial: $190/component or up to $380 for two components max per school year

• National Boards Renewal: $300

• Praxis or similar certification exam: Up to $150 per exam, or up to $300 for two exams per school year

• Tuition: $150 per completed course, up to $450 for three courses per school year; please include course titles

• courses must be completed prior to the reimbursement request