In order to be eligible to receive funds under the Leadership Education grant, an individual must:

• Be an existing employee of a licensed home or centre-based agency, EarlyON Child and Family Centres, Head Start Programs or of a publicly funded school in Ontario including, First Nation Education Authorities for at least 2 years as a Registered Early Childhood Educator and currently employed as a:
  • Supervisor or be in a designated supervisory position with Director/Ministry approval if less than 2 years.
  • Front line registered Early Childhood Educator who has been designated to a leadership position and or has leadership/supervisory responsibilities.
  • Registered Early Childhood Educator aspiring to become a Supervisor in the field of Early Childhood Educations.
• Be enrolled to pursue courses through a recognized Ontario College for Applied Arts and Technology for part-time studies in an eligible field of study, which include:
  • Pedagogical leadership in Early Childhood Education.
  • Early Childhood Education administration and management.
  • Facilities management.
  • Financial management, responsibility and child care governance.
  • Human resources, employment standards and labour relations.
• Disclose if he/she is receiving funding from other sources (excluding OSAP Provincial Student Loans).
• Be legally entitled to live and work in Canada.

Applications are accepted prior to every academic session. Applicants that meet all of the eligibility criteria must submit the following prior to every semester:

• Completed application for the Leadership education grant form, which includes an outline of the applicant’s targeted objectives and course enrollment plan.
• Documentation from their employer confirming their length of employment, position and current supervisory or leadership responsibilities.
• Proof of registration with the College of Early Childhood Educators.
• A copy of their course registration documentation.
• A copy of their tuition receipt identifying that their courses have been paid in full, clearly stating the amount paid.

An application checklist detailing all requirements is included as part of the application form.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Applications are processed on a first come, first serve basis once all documents required to process an application have been received. Funding is not guaranteed and is based on the number of applications received, and available funding for that semester.

There is limited funding available through this grant, and therefore, individuals are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible; preferably prior to the start of classes. Once the available funding has been awarded for the academic session, a notice will be posted on the website and no further applications will be accepted.

APPLICATION APPROVAL

Within 4 weeks of receiving all required documents, the Program Administrator will contact the applicant, in writing to advise whether his/her application for a grant has been approved.

• If approved, the Program Administrator sends the applicant a Grant Assistance Agreement for signature, along with a Confirmation of Payment Instruction form.
• With a witness, the applicant signs the Grant Assistance Agreement and returns all documentation to the Program Administrator.
• The Program Administrator signs the agreement and returns a copy to the applicant for his/her records.

GRANT PAYMENTS

The Leadership grant is based on applicable tuition fees, minus any other grants or awards; excluding OSAP Provincial Student Loans. Payments are made once the Program Administrator receives the applicant’s signed Grant Assistance Agreement and an unofficial transcript for previously funded courses, if applicable.

Depending on the amount of funding received, the Leadership education grant may be taxable. Grant recipients will be issued a T4A slip at the end of every calendar year in which they received payment.

FOR TRAVEL GRANTS

In order to be eligible to receive funds under the grant program, the following need apply:

• Applicants must be approved for a Leadership Education grant under this program.
• The educational institution must be more than 20 kilometres one-way from the applicant’s home address.

NOTE: If for any reason a travel grant recipient is unable to travel for one or more of their in class weekend sessions, the recipient will be required to reimburse the grant program for the days not traveled. Reasons include but are not limited to, inclement weather, illness, and or family circumstances.

THE PROCESS

Applicants that meet all of the eligibility criteria must submit a completed application for Leadership travel grant form. This form can be submitted with the application for Leadership Education grant form, in order to expedite the approval process.

LEADERSHIP TRAVEL GRANT PAYMENT

The Leadership travel grant is determined by multiplying the kilometre rate of $0.40 per kilometre by the return distance between the applicant’s home address and the educational institution, and then by the number of days an individual attends class.

Payments are made once the Program Administrator receives the applicant’s signed Grant Assistance Agreement and an unofficial transcript for previously funded courses, if applicable.

Leadership travel grant payments are deposited directly into the recipient’s bank account. The travel grant is taxable as income. Grant recipients will be issued a T4A slip at the end of every calendar year in which they received payment.

NOTE: If for any reason a travel grant recipient is unable to travel for one or more of their in class weekend sessions, the recipient will be required to reimburse the grant program for the days not traveled. Reasons include but are not limited to, inclement weather, illness, and or family circumstances.