Creating Safe Classrooms and Schools for LGBTQ+ People
The LGBTQ+ Safety in Schools Grant and Scholarship Program in Honor of Guy DeRosa was created to promote human and civil rights by making our public schools safe for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning+ persons (LGBTQ+). The program was renamed in 2009 in the memory of CTA member and educator Guy DeRosa. Guy was a lifelong advocate for civil and human rights and LGBTQ+ issues.
Deadline: Friday, May 29, 2026
- The grant program will support groups, projects and presentations that promote understanding of and respect for LGBTQ+ persons.
- The scholarship program will support self-identified LGBTQ+ active CTA/CTA Aspiring Educators (CTA-AE) members enrolled in a teacher/counseling credential or graduate program who are pursuing a career in public education and who understand the importance of LGBTQ+ educators as role models in our public schools.
Grant and Scholarship Requirements
Applications that do not meet all requirements listed below will not be considered.
- Applicants must submit a complete application.
- If uploading, the grant proposals and scholarship essays must be:
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- Limited to three pages only
- On 8 ½” x 11″ paper size
- 1″ margins
- Double-spaced
- 12 pt. Font (Times New Roman)
- Applicants may upload grant project essays/scholarship essays or type them directly into the text box provided.
- Grant proposals must include a budget to be considered. Submission of a budget allows the committee to understand the allocation of the requested funding.
- Optional: You may include a short video, PowerPoint or pictures that must be sent separately to scholarships@cta.org.
- Grant recipients will be asked to submit a Grant Reconciliation Form as well as provide pictures or videos of their events.
- Each grant recipient must fill out a Grant Reconciliation Form listing how the grant money was used. If the recipient does not submit their Grant Reconciliation Form by the deadline, they will not be awarded in the future.
- Grant and scholarship applicants will be notified of their status by the end of July 2026.
Grant Program & Eligibility
The grant program will support groups, projects and presentations that promote understanding of and respect for LGBTQ+ persons. The grant is to be used directly with students. Special consideration will be given to projects that recognize, promote and celebrate ethnic diversity and other diversity among LGBTQ+ youth.
Grant Eligibility
Applicants must be:
- An active CTA/CTA Aspiring Educators (CTA-AE) member, or
- A public school student(s) sponsored by an active CTA/CTA Aspiring Educators (CTA-AE) member.
Grant Criteria
Application essays are expected to address as many of the following criteria as possible:
- Increases safety for LGBTQ+ students and faculty.
- Increases involvement of LGBTQ+ ethnic minorities.
- Promotes schoolwide visibility and normalization of LGBTQIA+ identity.
- Increases awareness and understanding of gender identity.
- Increases awareness and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community.
- Focuses on the intersectionality of racial equity.
Grants of up to $2,500 will be made available annually to awardees.
The grant cannot be used for individual/group release time, stipends, honorariums, speaker fees, or performer fees. Autonomous groups, Service Center Councils, UniServs and CTA Caucuses are not eligible.
Scholarship Program & Criteria
The scholarship program will support self-identified LGBTQ+ active CTA/CTA Aspiring Educators (CTA-AE) members enrolled in a teacher/counseling credential or graduate program who are pursuing a career in public education and who understand the importance of LGBTQ+ educators as role models in our public schools.
Scholarship Eligibility
Applicants must be:
- A self-identified LGBTQ+ active CTA/CTA Aspiring Educators (CTA-AE) member
Scholarship Criteria:
- Proof that you are currently enrolled or that you will be enrolled in an educational “non administrative” credential or graduate program.
- Application essays are expected to address any experiences and/or your personal philosophy, that benefit the LGBTQ+ public school community; and must incorporate as many of the following criteria as possible:
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- Make a connection between intended course of study and the intended impact on student’s safety in schools and in the LGBTQ+ education community.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of LGBTQ+ role models.
- Making the environment safe for LGBTQ+ students.
- Your past/intended involvements in the LGBTQ+ education community.
- Importance of role models for LGBTQ+ BIPOC.
