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The purpose of this competitive grant program is to support teaching and learning related to the history of genocide. As stated in Chapter 98 of the Acts of 2021 , "Every school district shall, for the purpose of educating middle and high school students, provide instruction on the history of genocide consistent with the content standards articulated in the history and social science curriculum framework."
This grant supports LEAs to develop and/or select curriculum materials, implement professional development, and design other enriching learning experiences intended to further secondary students' understanding of the history and patterns of genocide. LEAs may propose to collaborate with vendors to support this work.
This grant is structured as a two-year program. LEAs awarded funding in FY27 (Year 1) may apply only for continuation funding in FY28 (Year 2) to support the next phase of their projects, contingent upon available funds and satisfactory progress. Continuation funding is not guaranteed. FY27 awardees will not be eligible to apply under a new FY28 competitive RFP. However, contingent upon available funds, a new cohort of LEAs may be selected through the FY28 competitive RFP process.
For details about the genocide education in Massachusetts, please visit Genocide Education Resources and Guidance.
DESE seeks to fund genocide education initiatives that exemplify:
Equity. Grant-funded projects should increase all students' access to high-quality genocide education experiences and work to address historical inequities where they exist. In addition, projects should provide students with culturally and linguistically sustaining learning experiences that value and affirm their identities and linguistic resources, center student and community agency, and develop students' critical perspectives. Supports for multilingual learners should be developed in alignment with the 2020 WIDA English Language Development Framework.
Sustainability. Grant-funded projects should take steps toward long-term enhancements to genocide education, including, but not limited to, the development of supportive instructional leadership structures. Investments such as professional development for educators or acquisition of needed instructional materials can provide benefits long past the period of this grant, as opposed to "one-off" activities.
Community Partnership. Grant-funded projects should include opportunities to work in partnership with relevant organizations and/or engage local community members. Examples include (but are not limited to): partnering with organizations with expertise in genocide education, partnering with local community-based organizations, soliciting input from relevant community stakeholders, and designing learning opportunities at local sites.
Competitive priority in the scoring process will also be given to:
Districts and schools in the strategic transformation region.
LEAs that have not previously been awarded a Genocide Education Grant
LEAs with a student population in which greater than 40% are designated as low-income.
Grant-funded projects that enhance the antibias impact of their work by strengthening students' sense of safety and belonging in school. This may include learning about the relationship and differences between bullying, hate, prejudice, bias, and factors that can potentially lead to or disrupt violence and genocide, and/or applying these concepts to modern-day contexts and examples relevant to the school community. These efforts may also include work grounded in an analysis of available data [such as from the Views of Climate and Learning (VOCAL) and Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)].
All Massachusetts Local Education Agencies (districts, charter schools, and Collaboratives) are eligible to apply. Multiple LEAs may apply together under one lead as a consortium.
Curriculum Data Collection: In order to be eligible for this grant, LEAs must have completed their Curriculum Data Collection. This includes reporting curriculum data for History/Social Science for Grades 3–8 and high school US History I. Data should be viewable and up to date here: Curriculum Data. Directions about the expectations and how to provide the data can be found here: Curriculum Data Collection.
Note about Investigating History: LEAs may apply for this grant, DESE's Civics Teaching and Learning Grant, and funding through the One8 Foundation to support implementation of DESE's Investigating History curriculum. However, in an effort to support as many LEAs as possible, LEAs that are awarded One8 grant funding and/or Civics Teaching and Learning Grant funding to support Investigating History implementation will not receive the Genocide Education Grant to support the same grant activities (e.g. to fund professional learning for the same curriculum).
Trust 1595-0116
The receipt of grant funds is contingent upon the grantee being able to certify that it will comply with the Massachusetts General Laws, including G.L. c. 40A, § 3A, the MBTA Communities Act. Compliance with the MBTA Communities Act is determined by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.
Approximately $1,200,000 is available through this grant. Total amount of awards will be determined based on quality of proposals received.
Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.
Maximum award is determined by the total student enrollment of the applying LEA or group of LEAs if applying as a partnership. The maximum award represents what an LEA may receive over a two-year period.
Size Tier 1: LEAs or LEA groups enrolling up to 1,000 students (total)May apply for up to $40,000
Size Tier 2: LEAs or LEA groups enrolling 1,001 – 6,000 students (total)May apply for up to $80,000
Size Tier 3: LEAs or LEA groups enrolling 6,001 – 10,000 students (total)May apply for up to $120,000
Size Tier 4: LEAs or LEA groups enrolling 10,001 or more students (total)May apply for up to $160,000
This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.
The total funding amount listed in this RFP represents the maximum cumulative award an LEA may receive across both FY27 and FY28. This means the amount is not per year, but rather the combined ceiling for the entire two-year period. Year 2 funding is not guaranteed and is dependent on annual funding appropriation and continuation grant application approval. Applicants may request any portion of the maximum funding amount for Year 1. While applicants are encouraged to plan a two-year project, LEAs may propose a one-year project if it better aligns with their needs and capacity. Please see the Fund Use Details attachment for additional information including allowable fund use.
Upon Approval (no earlier than July 1, 2026) – June 30, 2027
Pending appropriation and the meeting of grant requirements, awarded grantees may be eligible for continuation grant(s) in Fiscal Year 2027-2028 (Upon Approval (no earlier than July 1, 2027 – June 30, 2028)).
Office of Literacy and Humanities
Center for Instructional Support
Miesha Keita
Monday, March 30, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the date due.
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the "LEA Superintendent/Chief Executive Approved" step in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date and time listed in the RFP.
All responses must be submitted through proper steps and received by Monday, March 16, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.- Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Responses received after the submission deadline Monday, March 16, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. will not be reviewed and the grant application will be disqualified. Applicants applying after the due date may be notified their application was received late and will not be reviewed. Applications must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions below. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. If you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to the contact person listed on this funding opportunity.
Questions may be submitted on a rolling basis through March 20, 2026.
Responses will be posted regularly until March 25, 2026, on DESE's genocide education resources page and History, Social Science, and Civics web page.
For resources to support curriculum evaluation, see DESE's K–12 History/Social Science Curricular Materials Guide and the History/Social Science CURATE rubric.
Universal screening data sharingLEAs receiving this award will be required to participate in research efforts, including providing student-level assessment data from the approved early literacy screening assessment that is administered in all schools during the award period. DESE will request that data be submitted by June 30 of each year awarded. DESE will analyze the data collected for research purposes, including evaluation of this program. Analyses will comply with state and federal confidentiality laws.
The FY27 FC 0215 Genocide Education Grant will be submitted in our new GEM$ system. GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system that will eventually phase out the use of EdGrants. Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)
New organizations that do not have an established LEA with DESE skip to Step 3.
Step 1: Establish and assign proper roles before the grant due date/time. Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off.
All roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. These forms can be accessed without logging in to the system.
Step 2: Submit the grant through all LEA steps in GEM$. There are three LEA steps a competitive grant must be submitted through by the due date and time to be considered for funding:
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted once the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the "LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved" step in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the LEA Superintendent Approved stage by 5:00 p.m. Monday, March 16, 2026, the due date and time listed in the RFP. Please plan accordingly.
The Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved Step allows for the organization lead to review and approve the grant application. Removing the requirement for the Part I Standard Contract Form, this step signifies Superintendent /Chief Executive sign off. Any grant budget changes requiring signature, will re-execute this step when amended signifying the organization lead is approving these changes.
Step 3: (If applicable) New organizations request temporary organization access. New organizations are entities that have not been established as an LEA in GEM$. Entities that do not have an organization established in GEM$ must contact the DESE Program Unit issuing this grant at a minimum 5 business days prior to the grant due date for temporary organization access.
Temporary Access will need to be created by DESE before you can then assign the proper roles and submit the grant as outlined in Steps 1 and 2.
Failure to provide DESE with GEM$ Temp Organization Access Request at least 5 business days prior to the due date may result in not meeting the submission due date listed above. DESE cannot accept or review applications after the due date.
Last Updated: January 9, 2026