Severe weather flooded the ATA’s main office building, Barnett House on Friday July 10.
Crews and administration are assessing damage and determining reclamation of key electrical systems.
Staff have transitioned to working from home, and continue to serve members online and by phone.
The Southern Alberta Regional Office (SARO) in Calgary is unaffected and conducts business per usual.
The ATA offers grants, awards and scholarships for locals, individuals and specialist councils.
See below for information on each opportunity.
Amount: Up to $6,000
Recipients: One per application period
The ATA is a stakeholder of the Alberta Advisory Committee for Educational Studies (AACES) committee. The University of Lethbridge, University of Calgary and University of Alberta are the other members.
The AACES grant is awarded for projects designed to improve teacher preparation or benefit elementary and secondary education. Preference is given to projects investigating educational issues or questions.
To be eligible, you must be affiliated with one of the contributing organizations (the ATA, U of L, U of C or U of A) and meet one of the following categories:
Deadline: By 4:30 pm on October 15 and June 1
Selection: The committee chooses the recipients.
For more questions, please contact Molly Garstad at molly.garstad@ata.ab.ca.
Amount: $15,000
Annual recipients: Up to two annually
Each year, up to two doctoral fellowships are awarded to members who are entering or enrolled in their first year of full-time study towards a PhD in Education or EdD at recognized public universities in Alberta or Canada.
Applicants are evaluated on exemplary K-12 teaching practice, contribution to the ATA and public education in Alberta, academic achievement and the potential impact of their doctoral research.
To be eligible, you must:
Fellowships are paid in two equal instalments in September and January once proof of continued full-time registration is received. Recipients must provide the ATA with a printed bound copy and a digital copy of their completed dissertation.
Deadline: 5 pm on February 28, annually.
Selection: A selection committee will review all eligible applications in mid-April and forward recommendations to the May meeting of Provincial Executive Council. Applicants will hear whether they were successful by the end of May.
Application form: Please ensure that you carefully read and complete the application form below. Incomplete application packages, those received after the deadline, and those that contain additional unsolicited documents (such as resumes and extra letters of reference) will be rejected.
The 2025-26 Application BookletThe ATA Educational Trust provides bursaries and grants to help teachers pay for professional development.
See more information on the Educational TrustAmount: $2,500
Recipients: Up to one annually
Each year, Belairdirect sponsors support one Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) member to continue their learning (through formal coursework) and leadership (by sharing what they have learned with their colleagues).
Applicants are evaluated on exemplary K-12 teaching practice, contribution to the ATA and public education in Alberta and the potential impact of their coursework on their professional practice and the professional practice of others.
To be eligible, you must:
The award will be paid in full once proof of registration is received.
Note: Belairdirect also sponsors the Belairdirect Insurance Centennial Fund for Teacher Development, administered by the ATA Educational Trust.
Deadline: 5 pm on February 28, annually.
Selection: A selection committee will review all eligible applications in mid-April and will forward its recommendations to the May meeting of Provincial Executive Council. Applicants will hear whether they were successful by the end of May.
Application form: Please ensure that you carefully read and complete the application form below. Incomplete application packages, those received after the deadline, and those that contain additional unsolicited documents (such as resumes and extra letters of reference) will be rejected.
The 2025-26 Application BookletCity University, which has in-person campuses in Edmonton and Calgary, and a virtual Canada-wide campus, is pleased to offer active members up to 7 scholarships beginning with the 2026/27 school year for their master’s programs. City University will offer up to 5 scholarships at a discounted rate of 50% for the Master of Education, Leadership Program, and up to 2 scholarships at a discounted rate of 25% for the Master of Counselling Psychology Program. City University will manage the application process and adjudication process for the scholarships. All information is available on the following websites.
https://cityuniversity.ca/master-of-education-med-in-leadership/
https://cityuniversity.ca/master-of-counselling-psychology-mcp/
Amount: $5,000
Recipients: One
The Educational Research Award recognizes a faculty of education member or sessional lecturer at an Alberta university or university college who has undertaken high-quality research on classroom teaching and learning.
Along with involving Alberta teachers or students, the research must
Deadline: May 30, 2026
Selection: A panel of four Association representatives and one retired faculty of education professor will review the applications and select a recipient.
| 2025 | Robinson, Gillian. “Teaching Critical Thinking Under Censorship: Alberta Teachers' Perceptions of Education Under Bill 27 and Ministerial Order 030/25.” University of Alberta. |
| 2024 | Robert LeBlanc. "Digital Platforms and Education." University of Lethbridge. |
| 2023 | Robin Gibb. “Building Adolescent Executive Functioning Through a Play-Based Curriculum.” University of Lethbridge. |
| 2023 | Rahat Zaidi. “Optimizing Parent-Teacher Collaboration in Refugee Children’s Learning.” University of Calgary. |
| 2022 | Cory Wright-Maley. “Glossed Over and Missing: Alberta Preservice Teachers Learn About Slavery in Canada, Many for the First Time.” St Mary’s University. |
| 2021 | Cathryn van Kessel. “Teacher Education, Diversity, and Worldview Threat.” University of Alberta |
Educational Research Award application form
Amount: $5,000
Recipients: Up to one annually
The research bursary is provided to a member in a graduate program in education offered by a recognized public university in Canada. Research must focus on contemporary issues impacting professional practice or public education, and/or innovative approaches to teaching or school leadership.
Applicants are evaluated on exemplary K-12 teaching practice, contribution to the ATA and public education in Alberta, academic achievement and the potential impact of their graduate research.
To be eligible, you must:
The bursary will be paid in full once proof of registration is received. Recipients must provide the ATA with a printed bound copy and a digital copy of their completed thesis or research project.
Deadline: 5 pm on February 28, annually
Selection: A selection committee will review all eligible applications in mid-April and will forward its recommendations to the May meeting of Provincial Executive Council. Applicants will hear whether they were successful by the end of May.
Application form: Please ensure that you carefully read and complete the application form below. Incomplete application packages, those received after the deadline, and those that contain additional unsolicited documents (such as resumes and extra letters of reference) will be rejected.
The 2025-26 Application BookletAmount: Up to $2,000
Recipients:
The Diversity, Equity and Human Rights (DEHR) Committee provides grants for special projects that promote the following principles:
If your application is approved, half of the grant is paid in the spring or fall. The rest is paid after the accounting and evaluation report is submitted.
Projects will be approved for funding by the Diversity, Equity and Human Rights Committee based on how well they meet the purpose and criteria outlined above.
Deadline: By 5 pm on March 30
Selection: Based on how well applicants meet the outlined criteria
Amount: Up to $2,000
The Indigenous Education Initiatives Grant Program supports innovative projects that foster community connections and contribute to fulfilling the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls' Calls for Justice.
If your application is approved, half of the grant will be paid in the spring or late fall. The remaining half will be disbursed upon submission and approval of the project report, along with all receipts accounting for the full grant amount.
1. Focus on Indigenous Education:
Initiatives must emphasize the development and integration of Indigenous education within the school community. These initiatives can vary and may include, but are not limited to:
2. Alignment with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples UNDRIP:
Projects must align with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action affirming the objectives and principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) focusing on education.
3. Sustainability and Lasting Impact:
Projects must be sustainable and should be designed to have a lasting impact on students, teachers, and communities.
4. Ineligible Projects:
The following types of project proposals will not be considered:
Projects will be approved for funding by the Indigenous Education Committee based on how well they meet the purpose and criteria outlined above.
Deadline: By 5 pm on March 30
Selection: Applicants will be chosen based on how well they meet the outlined criteria, as determined by the Indigenous Education Committee and approved by the Provincial Executive Council.
Amount: $250 plus $1 per member with the option of doubling this amount for the mental health supplement
Recipients: varies
The Local Community Relations Grant program supports locals that are planning and creating activities that profile public education and portray teachers as the active and concerned citizens they are.
Looking for ideas? Check out the Community Relations Grants booklet for examples of activities carried out by locals across Alberta.
The ATA works with the Alberta division of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) to promote mental health, discourage the negative stigma often associated with mental illness, and provide teachers with information resources to help them support students with mental health needs.
Locals are encouraged to use their Community Relations Grants for activities that promote the mental health of children and youth. These activities will double your Community Relations Grant, meaning that your local will be eligible for up to $500, plus $2 per member, for community relations projects that are connected to mental health issues.
We encourage locals to work with regional CMHA staff and neighbouring locals to develop programs that promote public education and portray teachers as active and concerned about the mental health of children and youth. In some cases, sponsorship opportunities already exist. Additional information about CMHA is available at www.cmha.ab.ca.
Deadline: Throughout the school year
Winning applicants must submit a brief write-up of the completed project, detailing the outcomes and successes. Photos submitted with identifiable people must include signed consent forms. Consent forms and more details will be provided once grant recipients have been chosen.
Contact: government@ata.ab.ca
Community Relations Grant application formAmount: 45 cents per kilometre or the cost of airfare, $130.00 per night for commercial accommodation or $65.00 per night for noncommercial accommodation, $37.50 per full- or partial-day meeting, with an extra day’s subsistence each way allowed for travel of 400 kilometres or more to the meeting site.
Recipients: Varies
Grants-in-aid help locals with the cost of sending representatives to provincial ATA meetings.
Deadline: Within one month of the meeting
Application form: Ask your local executive for the form
Amount: Variable
Recipients: Local presidents
Awarded to locals that provide release time for presidents of at least 0.1 FTE
Deadline: January 31 each year
Application form: Local Presidents' Release Time Application
Amount: Variable
Recipients: One annually per eligible local
Awarded to locals to assist with financial burden resulting from sparse teacher population and large geographic size
Deadline: ongoing
Application form: No application form necessary. Locals should contact ATA Finance for more information.
Amount: $2,000 over three years
This grant supports the creation of a mentorship steering committee to plan, promote, monitor and evaluate the beginning teacher mentorship program.
The steering committee must include representation from the ATA local, school jurisdiction and the provincial ATA.
Deadline: June 30
Mentorship Steering Committee GrantAmount: up to $600
This grant supports locals that strive to develop meaningful relationships between them and elected officials.
It may be paid in two installments, the first to a maximum of $300 on approval of a political engagement plan, the remainder on receipt of expenses and a report of the activities.
Deadline: Ongoing
Amount: $1,000 plus $0.50 per member
This grant is awarded to locals that work toward electing a government that supports policies that are good for public education.
The ATA does not align with any political party, but we encourage locals to engage members in the election process, inform candidates of ATA policy, inform the public of the high stakes for education in provincial elections, and engage stakeholders to promote the importance of public education.
Below are some of the activities that are eligible for funding:
Activities that align with the general strategy and follow these guidelines will be approved on a first-come, first-served basis.
Deadline: Varies
Provincial Election Grant Application InstructionsAmount: Up to $2,000 (matching grant)
As a professional organization, the Association is facing significant changes. To adapt to these changes, the Association engages in strategic planning and actively encourages all of its subgroups—convention associations, locals and specialist councils—to develop long-term strategic plans of their own. To help subgroups engage in this kind of planning, the Association offers matching grants of up to $2,000 each to support initiatives that would not be covered under normal subgroup operations. Subgroups can use these grants to offset the costs of organizing strategic planning activities to discuss their plans and set long-term goals. ATA staff are also available to support strategic planning activities and to clarify the relationship between the organization’s strategic framework and the leadership role of the subgroup.
Deadline: There are two deadlines per year: October 15 and January 15. Applicants who weren’t successful in the first round can be considered in the second round.
Selection: Based on previous strategic planning efforts, indication of working with other subgroups and alignment with the ATA’s strategic framework.
See how to applyThis grant is intended provide support to WIL committees and/or groups of teachers in locals who plan to engage in projects and events that promote gender equity in the teaching profession. The total budgeted amount for the grants is $20,000 and each eligible project would be provided with up to $2000 per grant awarded.
Projects would be varied and could include the formation of local sharing circles, support groups for caregivers in the teaching profession, the development of policies at the local level to support gender equity, career planning projects, and mentorship projects for women in the teaching profession.
Local WIL committees and teachers who apply for this grant opportunity will be expected to provide a final report outlining and describing the activities they undertook and how these made a difference.
2026-27 WIL Grant deadline is 5 PM on December 31
Apply now
Amount: A base grant per specialist council sufficient to cover the administrative costs of council operations for one year, plus an additional prorated amount based on the relative number of active, associate and student members in each council.
Recipients: Paid annually to Association specialist councils
Specialist council grants are transferred to each of the Association’s specialist councils annually to fund council operations. The membership portion of the grant is based on council membership data from the previous fiscal year. Provincial Executive Council may reduce a council’s base grant if the council’s surplus exceeds the maximum listed in Association policy for two or more years.
Deadline: Ongoing
To apply: No application is necessary. Grants are calculated and distributed by Association staff. E-mail pd@ata.ab.ca for more information.
Amount: Up to 50 per cent of total cost or $2,000, whichever is less
Recipients: Each specialist council can apply for one special project grant per year.
Additional grants (up to the amount listed in the budget notes for the Specialist Council Field Service budget line) are available to encourage specialist councils to collaborate with:
Deadline: Ongoing
Selection: Access to special project grant funds will require the completion of an application that outlines the project’s goals, deliverables, budget (including the amount requested, sources of other revenue, anticipated expenses) and timelines. Applications are reviewed regularly by the Association’s Table Officers Committee. Applications from specialist councils with surpluses that exceed the maximum listed in Association policy will not be considered.
To apply: E-mail pd@ata.ab.ca.
Amount: $1,000 plus $5 per member for the first 200 members and $3 per member thereafter, based on the membership as at October 31 of the year for which the grant is paid
Recipients: One annually per student local
This grant helps fund student local expenses. To be eligible, the student local needs to submit part one and two of their local’s annual report, the student membership list, plus $1 per student member.
Deadline: October 31 annually
Application form: For more information, contact locals@ata.ab.ca.
Amount: $75 per delegate
Recipients: Up to six delegates annually per eligible student local
This grant supports attendance at the Western Canadian Association for Student Teaching conference
Deadline: February 1 annually
Application form: Please submit grant request and the names of attending delegates to locals@ata.ab.ca.
Amount: 18-karat gold-plated medal + $2,000 per recipient
Recipients: 1 graduating BEd student at every recognized teacher education program in Alberta (13 total)
The ATA Gold Medals in Education are presented annually to the top overall student based on coursework and field experiences. These awards recognize the talent of up-and-coming leaders in the field of education and reinforce the Association’s public commitment to maintain high standards of excellence in the profession. The ATA has a long history of presenting gold medals to education graduates at the University of Alberta, Campus Saint-Jean, the University of Calgary, and the University of Lethbridge.
Starting in the 2024/25 academic year, ATA Gold Medals in Education will also be awarded at:
*The medals awarded to Keyano College and Northwestern Polytechnic graduates will be administered by the University of Alberta. The medals presented to Medicine Hat College graduates will be administered by Mount Royal University.
There is no need to apply for this award. Recipients are chosen by faculty each spring.
If you have any questions about the ATA Gold Medals in Education, please contact pd@ata.ab.ca