Ardis Egan Scholarship

Ardis G. Egan, LASD Superintendent, 1943-1964Applications are due Friday, April 5, 2024

For over 40 years, the Los Altos Mountain View PTA Council has been granting scholarships to teachers for professional development, made possible through donations from the Egan family and through annual contributions from our PTAs and PTSAs. The PTA Council is pleased to have the opportunity to support those teachers who are looking for ways to further their professional knowledge and skills. We encourage you to apply for this outstanding opportunity!

The Ardis Egan Scholarship
All teachers in the Los Altos School District, Mountain View Whisman School District, and Mountain View Los Altos High School District, who meet the requirements below, are eligible to apply for a scholarship of up to $300 ($600 for teams of three or more) to help defray the cost of professional development. Qualifying pursuits could include taking a course, attending a conference or workshop, or participating in another activity that enhances teaching skills and professional growth. Please note that the scholarship may not be used for incidental expenses such as food (although it may be used to cover housing expenses if you travel for your event). The scholarship may not be used for classroom supplies, materials, or equipment.

Requirements for Teachers
To be eligible, a teacher must:

  • Have a teaching credential
  • Have taught in the LASD, MVWSD, and/or MVLA High School District for a minimum of 2 consecutive years
  • Not have received an Ardis Egan Scholarship the previous school year (except for group applications)
  • Intend to teach in one of the above districts in the following school year

Eligible schools include Almond, Alta Vista, Blach, Bubb, Castro, Covington, Crittenden, Egan, Freestyle High, Mistral, Gardner Bullis, Graham, Imai, Landels, Los Altos High School, Loyola, Monta Loma, Mountain View High School, Oak, Santa Rita, Springer, Stevenson, Theuerkauf, and Vargas.

Applying as a Group
Pooling resources may enable teachers to hire a speaker or trainer to address issues in a group setting. For example, the speaker may be an expert on how to teach math or science, or may be qualified to speak about social issues in the school environment. Past group scholarships have gone to help defray the cost of expert speakers and working with ADHD and gifted children in the classroom.

Applications
To apply, please fill out the online application. At the Google login prompt, please do so using your school account credentials. The committee will review all applications.

Assistant Superintendents of Curriculum (Carrie Bosco – LASD; Cathy Baur – MVWSD; and Teri Faught – MVLA) will be consulted on an as-needed basis to verify teacher eligibility.

Scholarship Priorities
The scholarship committee will closely review all scholarship applications. Priority will be given to applications that will be used for development in the following areas: technology and computer classes, developing writing techniques, science, math and science curriculum, student health and wellness, working with gifted and special needs students in the classroom, CLAD certificates, National Board certification, Spanish classes, and literacy immersion.

Scholarship Amounts
Individual scholarships can be up to $300. Groups may be granted up to $600. The amount of the award may be dependent upon the number of applications received. Awards in the past have typically ranged from $100-$300 and sometimes partial funding is granted. In evaluating applications, preference is given to areas that relate directly to the classroom in the priority areas listed and to teachers who have not previously received an Egan scholarship.

Application Deadline
The application deadline for the 2023-24 school year is Friday, April 5, 2024.  The committee will meet to review applications after the deadline.  All applicants will be notified later in the spring regarding their status.

Recipient Recognition
The committee will reply to every applicant, and scholarship recipients will be recognized in the program for the PTA Council Annual Luncheon held in May.

For answers to questions or for further information, please contact the member of the Scholarship Committee that represents your district:

LASD: Peipei Yu (yupeipei at gmail dot com)
MVLA: Trish Gilbert (trish.gilbert at yahoo dot com)
MVWSD: Vinita Alwyn (vinita_lal at yahoo dot com dot au)