Closes in 3 daysCalifornia state grant

21st Century California School Leadership Academy, Cohort 3

CA Department of Education Nonprofit eligible

This open federal grant from CA Department of Education supports education-focused work and is available to nonprofits and other eligible applicants, with applications due Jun 24, 2026.

Apply on the California Grants Portal
Deadline
Jun 24, 2026
Expected awards
8
Posted
May 13, 2026
Opportunity number
7537

Opportunity description

The CDE, SBE, and CCEE will select one awardee to serve as the 21CSLA Center and up to seven awardees to serve as 21CSLA Regional Academies. Please note that the Center application is a renewal. Only the current 21CSLA Center may apply. Awardees, supported by the CDE, CCEE, and SBE, will work collaboratively within the Statewide System of Support (SOS) to build the capacity of educational leaders statewide through professional learning aligned to the California Professional Standards for Education Leaders (CPSEL) and the Quality Professional Learning Standards (QPLS). A goal of this program is to have a Regional Academy located in each of the seven Geographic Lead Agency boundaries. A statewide map of the Geographic Lead Agency boundaries can be found on the CDE Geographic Lead Agency web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/sw/t1/crss.asp. The 21CSLA Center will be awarded a minimum of $2 million per year and each 21CSLA Regional Academy will be awarded a minimum of $1 million per year for a three-year period. Additional funding may be available based on regional needs. Regional Academy applicants shall develop a budget that reflects the coverage of their region. Final selection of awardees is subject to approval by the Executive Director of the SBE. The 21CSLA Program was established by Senate Bill 75, Section 26 Statutes of 2019 (see Appendix A). Article 5 (commencing with Section 44690) was added to Chapter 3.1 of part 25 of Division 3 of Title II of the California Education Code, see https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/pl/ca21cslasb75.asp. The law specifies that the professional learning provided through 21CSLA will be made free of charge to LEAs that receive federal Title II funds and include the following: ·Training and coaching for principals and other school leaders in critical areas identified by the CDE and CCEE, in consultation with the Executive Director of the SBE ·Training mentors for novice principals and teachers. ·Training coaches to support leaders in high-need settings. ·Training for central office leaders, principals, and other school leaders, including teacher leaders, involved in school improvement efforts. Lead applicants must be institutions of higher education (IHEs), nonprofit educational services providers, and local educational agencies (LEAs) with expertise in providing professional learning, coaching, and mentoring to principals and other school leaders in public schools serving transitional kindergarten and grades one to twelve, inclusive, to organize and offer high-quality professional learning, coaching, and mentoring for central office leaders, principals, and other schools leaders, including teacher leaders, involved in school improvement efforts.

Who can apply

  • Nonprofit
  • Public Agency

Ready to apply?

This is a California state grant. Applications are submitted through the awarding agency and the California Grants Portal — not VolunteerBadge. Confirm the deadline and full requirements on the official listing before you begin.

Official the California Grants Portal listing

This listing is sourced from the public California Grants Portal (data.ca.gov) and is provided for general informational purposes. VolunteerBadge is not affiliated with the State of California or the awarding agency. Always verify details on the official listing before applying.

Funded programs run on trusted volunteers.

Stretch every grant dollar: $5 FCRA-compliant checks with biometric identity verification, purpose-built for nonprofits.

See how it works

Keep browsing related grants