SCHOOL FUNDING & Grants
“The dream of opening opportunities to students who might not otherwise travel is part of the DCIS magic. We never fully appreciate the impact it has on their lives and how it can reform education.”
Definition of Intercultural: Relating to, involving, or occurring between two or more cultures. Intercultural education nurtures the following characteristics: being open-minded, being tolerant, having empathy, being able to change perspective, being linguistically proficient, having an optimistic attitude, having good communication skills, and leadership.
Our mission is to advocate for and financially support immersive K-12 student educational travel, whether local, national, or international. We provide funding for focused activities including language learning, academic exchanges and school visits, peer-to-peer and community engagement, host family connections, as well as cultural learning experiences.
Overview: Twice a year (fall and winter), we open our online portal for school funding applications. Trips must have a clear intercultural focus, enhancing the international curriculum at DCIS.
Eligibility: Only partner schools may apply due to limited funds. Students must still be attending the school at the time of travel. Solo or group trips without a lead teacher or a certified student travel company are not eligible for funding consideration.
Process:
A lead teacher collaborates with students to plan intercultural trips. Group trips that involve grades 6-12 should contact us to let us know about their trip a couple of months before filling out an application.
The board reviews applications* and conducts in-person interviews.
If the application is approved, the board allocates funds based on the budget (dollars we have raised) and the number of applications.
An awards celebration is held to honor student scholars and to give “the check” to the school.
*Weighting: Weight is given to trips: 1) with a clear intercultural immersion, such as service learning, language practice, and exchanges involving peer activities and host family stays; 2) that are cost-efficient and created by a school/DIY (not using a vendor); and 3) that can be duplicated more than once so increase frequency and effort.
Important Notes:
Due to travel costs, students should seek additional funding sources (e.g., travel companies, Rotary, private donations). [CLICK HERE for resources].
The DCIS Foundation is not involved with any aspect of trip development; we focus solely on fundraising.
Schools are responsible for managing and distributing trip funds.
Schools must sign the SCHOOL FUNDING ACCEPTANCE FORM when accepting funds.
This group of DCIS Fairmont students are enjoying the Denver Aquarium as part of their Elementary SChhol Funding grant.
Elementary School Funding (Grades K-5)
Teachers apply for funding ranging from $300+/group. These trips are rare for our students and can include visits to local museums, programs, nature parks/exhibits, themed overnights, and special events. All programs have an educational and intercultural aspect and tie to the curriculum or a class project. Examples are overnights at the HISTORY COLORADO CENTER Museum.
Travel Level: BEGINNER. These young students get their feet wet being away from school and home, learning about new people and places, and gaining basic independence.
Fall 2024 Application Portal Opens: Oct 21 - Nov 4, 2024, CLOSED, Interviews in December, Awards given in late Jan - early Feb
Spring 2025 Application Portal Opens: March 24 - April 14, 2025, Interviews in mid-May, Awards given in early June or Fall
Group Travel Scholarships (Grades 6-12). Students enjoy their time with peers as they practice their language skills and work on a service learning project abroad.
Group Travel Funding (Grades 6-12)
Teachers (Educators) collaborate with their students to develop group journeys that connect with specific curriculum goals. Typically these multi-grade trips receive $200+/student and are dependent on costs, application criteria, the number of groups applying, and our budget. Programs often include multiple days, out-of-state or country experiences, language, and/or specific curriculum connections, and service learning. Group trips involving grades 6-12 should contact us to inform us about their trip a couple of months before filling out an application. This application has two parts.
Travel Level: INTERMEDIATE. These middle school and high school students start to get out of their comfort zone with these educational travel experiences. These excursions tie directly to their multicultural curriculum and learning goals.
Fall 2024 Application Portal Opens: Oct 21 - Nov 4, 2024, CLOSED, Interviews in December, Awards given in late Jan - early Feb
Part 1 GROUP APPLICATION: One lead teacher submits this between Oct 21 - Oct 28, 2024 (midnight), reopened Nov 18 - Dec 2, 2024
Part 2 GROUP APPLICATION: All students participating in the trip submit this between Oct 29 - Nov 4, 2024 (midnight), reopened Nov 18 - Dec 2, 2024
Spring 2025 Application Portal Opens: March 24 - April 14, 2025, Interviews in mid-May, Awards given in early June or Fall
Individual Travel Funding (Grades 9-12) brings cultures, languages, and people together. Often this includes longer stays, study abroad, and home stays.
Individual Travel Funding (Grades 9-12)
Students work independently with their language teacher, school travel director, and/or travel vendors to create a travel plan, budget, and personal fundraising goal. Some of these trips are with a peer group, some are alone. Typically these multi-grade trips receive $500+/student and are dependent on costs, application criteria, the number of groups applying, and our budget. GPA standards, student fundraising contributions, letters of recommendation, language skills, service learning plans, and personal essays are used in the rigorous assessment process. Examples include homestay exchanges in Italy and China and language-learning trips to Spain and Peru. Students looking for programs can refer to our RESOURCES & INSIGHT page for ideas.
Travel Level: ADVANCED. High school students are encouraged to stretch themselves to plan travel that includes cultural exchanges, language proficiency, service learning, and homestays.
How Should a Student Prepare? 1) Request a copy of your transcript; 2) Understand ALL the costs and details of your trip; 3) Ask two professionals (one teacher is OK) to fill out the Recommendation Form; 4) Start reflecting and writing notes about your personal story, trip goals, language skill opportunities, and the impact this trip can have for you; and 5) Make sure to include your parents or guardians in all of your plans.
Fall 2024 Application Portal Opens: Oct 21 - Nov 4, 2024, CLOSED, Interviews in December, Awards given in late Jan - early Feb
Spring 2025 Application Portal Opens: March 24 - April 14, 2025, Interviews in mid-May, Awards given in early June or Fall
“This trip changed my life. I hadn’t been away from my family before but studied Italian at DCIS for six years. I did a homestay, practiced my Italian, and actually lived in a place I had learned so much about in my classes. DCIS is so different from other schools. None of my friends are taking a language or traveling to see new things.”
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