FY2027: Playful Learning Institute, Preschool–3rd Grade
FY2027: Playful Learning Institute, Preschool–3rd Grade supports district and school teams with coaching, professional development, and planning to embed playful learning and deepen equitable content engagement.
Funder: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Due Dates: November 13, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern (Proposal deadline)
Funding Amounts: Approximately $360,000 total; $45,000 per district/school team for the 2026–27 school year
Summary: Supports Cohort 2 district and school teams in continuing playful learning through professional development, coaching, planning, mentoring, and evaluation.
Key Information: Only eight named Cohort 2 districts are eligible; $35,000 per award must fund a Neighborhood Villages contract.
Description
This federally funded continuation grant from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) supports Year 2 of the Playful Learning Institute’s Cohort 2 pilot. It continues work begun in the 2025–26 school year by districts awarded FY2025 funding under Fund Code 0350 or 0127. District and school teams update and implement action plans for 2026–27 through professional development, coaching, and evaluation.
The Institute helps administrators, preschool–third-grade educators in inclusive and substantially separate classrooms, and out-of-school-time staff embed playful learning across the day. Its goals are deeper content engagement, equitable access, varied authentic assessment, and learning that meets or exceeds Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks expectations. Teams also select priority areas such as family engagement, disability supports, documentation, educator capacity, or mentoring.
