Apply for a Grant

The FIRE Foundation of Northeast Iowa is offering many grant opportunities to Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

The FIRE Foundation of Northeast Iowa has several grant opportunities below. 

2027 - 2028 Grant Applications Opens on January 31, 2027

For questions, please contact info@firefoundationneiowa.org.

2027-2028 School Year Grant

2026-2027 FIREball Inclusion Leader Award

2026-2027 FIREd Up About Inclusion School Award

Timeline for School Year Grant – FIREball Inclusion Leader – FIREd Up About Inclusion School

  • January 31, 2027: Grant Applications Open Online
  • March 4, 2027: Grant Applications Due
  • Week of March 8 & 15, 2027: Grant committee & applicant interviews conducted
  • April 30, 2027: Grant Award Winners will be notified.

The FIRE Foundation of Northeast Iowa and Learning Research Network are partnering to provide 14 FREE online, on-demand professional development sessions designed to support educators as they seek to understand and meet the needs of All Learners. Content is perfect for parents, too!

The sessions are packed with rich, relevant and relatable content presented by two leading inclusive learning experts. LRN founders, Sean J. Smith, Ph.D. and Michael Faggella-Luby, Ph.D., believe deeply in Catholic education and are passionate about supporting schools and families.

View all 14 sessions

The 14-sessions offered are outlined below.

TOPIC: Understanding Our Students

  • Specific Learning Disabilities
  • Intellectual Disability (e.g., Down Syndrome)
  • Struggling Neurotypical Learners

TOPIC AREA: Planning and Designing for ALL Learners

  • Planning for the Variability of ALL Our Learners (Part I)
  • Planning for the Variability of ALL Our Learners (Part II)
  • Addressing Barriers through Effective Planning
  • Universal Design for Learning (Part I)
  • Universal Design for Learning (Part II)
  • Universal Design for Learning (Part III)
  • SMARTER Planning (Part I)
  • SMARTER Planning (Part II)

TOPIC AREA: Priority Practice Points

  • Student Engagement
  • Formative Assessment
  • Reading Development

Program for Inclusive Education (PIE) – Online Learning Modules from the University of Notre Dame

Program for Inclusive Education - Notre Dame

The FIRE Foundation of Northeast Iowa is offering online modules to Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Dubuque to cover costs of the University of Notre Dame Program for Inclusive Education (PIE) Online Learning Modules. Each online module is $100. Each module includes one hour of content, integrates research, videos, and evidence-based practices to support students with disabilities and struggling learners. Click here to learn more about PIE’s Online Learning Modules.

The module topics are:

  • Inclusion Works: Benefits for All – Explore inclusion in Catholic schools and the academic, behavioral, and social benefits for every student.
  • Defining Variability: The Edges of Catholic Classrooms – Overview of student academic, behavioral, executive functioning, and social-emotional variability and the potential barriers to learning.
  • UDL: It’s Principled – Examine Universal Design for Learning’s defining principles while considering student learning needs.
  • Understanding the ABCs of Behavior – Explore antecedents (A), behaviors (B), and consequences (C) in the behavioral chain and how the ABCs impact student behavior.
  • Planning for the Edges with UDL – Consider Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to successfully plan lessons that meet the needs of all learners.
  • Accommodations, Modifications, Interventions…Oh My! – Review similarities and differences among accommodations, modifications, and interventions and how these concepts impact student learning.
  • All Are Welcome: Our Call to Serve – Overview Catholic schools’ call to serve all learners, specifically related to students with different abilities.
  • Practices to Support All Learners: High Leverage vs. Evidence-Based Practices – Examine high-leverage and evidence-based practices and how integrating these practices into classrooms promotes student success.
  • Sites for Inclusion: Practices that Work – Explore resources and websites of research-based practices for successful classroom implementation.
  • MTSS: Support for All – Consider a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) from a whole-child perspective as a means to ensure student success.
  • Individualized Plans: Meeting Student Needs – Examine the components of the Individualized Catholic Education Plans (ICEP) and how these plans can meet students’ unique needs.
  • From Inclusion to Belonging – Explore the critical concept of belonging as it relates to inclusive education for all students.