($200,000 is budgeted for this category of grants in 2025)

      The Castle Foundation has, for well over a century, provided charitable support for preschools that intend to upgrade teacher quality and outcomes for children. Preschool teachers are among the most influential educators in our state, and continuing education and training are essential to continuing quality. Most accrediting agencies require periodic preschool investments in teacher education. Increasingly, parents seeking the best educational venue for their child are asking what continuing education the teachers in their child’s school have and will have. In addition to the public and accreditation expectations for continuing faculty learning, teachers appreciate institutional investment in them. This is important not only for enhanced outcomes for children but also for essential teacher retention.
      The Castle Foundation makes substantial grants to organizations in Hawaii and the Continental US to provide substantial instruction to the faculty of numerous preschools. For example, the nationally prominent Erikson Institute of Chicago teaches our ongoing expert teacher education in early social-emotional early learning. In Honolulu, Hanahau’oli School has been awarded several grants to educate numerous preschools in the latest culturally relevant and responsive STEM instruction.
      For 2025, the Castle Foundation invites requests from individual Hawaii-based preschools seeking funds for stand-alone training for single preschool organizations. Generally, grants for up to $25,000 may be available for high-quality preschools with a demonstrated interest in improving outcomes for children. A school intending to include multiple preschool faculty in their training may request additional funds. The size of the multiple-site training grants will depend on the number of teachers served and the expenses related to training. In all cases, preschools planning for educator training grants are expected to show internal financial support; organizational commitment to high-quality instruction must be evidenced through substantial and ongoing support.
      Before writing an application for the above funds, please email, call, or visit the Office of the Executive Director in Honolulu’s Business District.
      Your application should follow the general application instructions given on this website. If an eligible preschool has not applied to the Foundation before, include the preschool’s charter, by-laws, and proof of tax-exempt status. If a preschool is close to achieving accreditation or is seeking to retain accreditation from a recognized accrediting agency, it should document its status in the application. The Castle Foundation works with the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools – HAIS is a state-wide coordinator for accreditation and licensing. We are frequently in contact with HAIS to confirm accreditation status and activity.
      Your application should include a short cover letter signed by the preschool director and the board of directors chairperson. The application narrative should explain who is providing the instruction, how many teachers will benefit from the program, the duration of the training, and the expected outcomes. Be sure to indicate in your project budget how much the school invests in the program, whether other donors will be approached for investment, and how much is needed from the Castle Foundation. Include your most recent audit or year-end financial statement. Also, include a list of your school directors. Include a letter from HAIS confirming your accreditation status if the preschool seeks first-time accreditation. A preschool must be actively engaged in the accreditation process.
      As always, please get in touch with Executive Director Alfred Castle before planning for the application starts. Please also observe the Castle Foundation’s due dates posted on the website.