Professional Development Grant for MSDL Coaches
Purpose
The Massachusetts Speech & Debate League (MSDL) has approved the expenditure of up to $1500 to be used during the 2023-2024 school year for the purpose of making grants to coaches who would like to pursue professional development and/or activities which benefit the MSDL Speech and Debate community as a whole.
Our goal is to support professional development, especially for new or less experienced coaches. We seek to encourage creative thinking about how to improve the MSDL, expand participation, and to offer support to those endeavors. Possible uses for these grants might include (but are not restricted to) assisting with expenses related to registration for coaching workshops or speech & debate conferences, tuition for online or in-person classes in coaching or team management, fees for guest speakers or mentors to present at an MSDL member school, etc.
Eligibility
The Process
The Massachusetts Speech & Debate League (MSDL) has approved the expenditure of up to $1500 to be used during the 2023-2024 school year for the purpose of making grants to coaches who would like to pursue professional development and/or activities which benefit the MSDL Speech and Debate community as a whole.
Our goal is to support professional development, especially for new or less experienced coaches. We seek to encourage creative thinking about how to improve the MSDL, expand participation, and to offer support to those endeavors. Possible uses for these grants might include (but are not restricted to) assisting with expenses related to registration for coaching workshops or speech & debate conferences, tuition for online or in-person classes in coaching or team management, fees for guest speakers or mentors to present at an MSDL member school, etc.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be high school graduates (or equivalent) who are or plan to be actively engaged in coaching or managing an MSDL speech/debate team.
- Applicants must be affiliated with a team currently in good standing, meaning the team's signed Participation Agreement & Dues having been submitted for the current year.
- Applicants must be either (a) the adult head coach of their team or (b) approved by the adult head coach of their team.
The Process
- Applications for projects to be completed during the 2023-24 school year, including the summer of 2024, should be submitted electronically by Sunday, January 14, 2024.
- On Tuesday, January 23, 2024 the MSDL Board agreed to leave nominations open until the dedicated funds for the year have been allocated. Priority will be given to applications received by Saturday, March 16, 2024, but should funds remain available, the application process will remain open until our Annual Meeting on Saturday, May 4, 2024.
- On Tuesday, January 23, 2024 the MSDL Board agreed to leave nominations open until the dedicated funds for the year have been allocated. Priority will be given to applications received by Saturday, March 16, 2024, but should funds remain available, the application process will remain open until our Annual Meeting on Saturday, May 4, 2024.
- Applications will be reviewed by a subcommittee of the MSDL Board, which then will make recommendations to the full MSDL Board and seek the full board's approval.
- Applicants may apply for any amount up to $1500.
- The MSDL Board may allocate up to $1500 to a single applicant or may divide the $1500 to support multiple applicants.
- Priority will be given to coaches from new and/or developing programs.
- Grant recipients will be asked to submit documentation of the completed program.
