Onward 4 Educators — Onward 4 Excellence

Honoring Educators in Los Angeles.

The key driver of the success of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is a dedicated and talented team of teachers and administrators.

Onward 4 Educators honors educators in ADLA Catholic schools by providing professional development grants for teachers and principals and scholarships for the children of the school staff in selected deaneries who attend ADLA Catholic schools.

Scholarships

Tuition assistance is open to the children of staff members (teachers, principals, coaches, office staff, etc.) at parish and Archdiocesan elementary and high schools within deaneries 9, 15, 16, and 17, as well as Cathedral High School, St. Anthony High School, St. Mary’s Academy, and Verbum Dei High School. These children may attend any Catholic school in the ADLA; they do not need to attend the school where their parents work.

PK-8 grants may reach a maximum of $1,000 and maximum high school grants are $2,000. There will be $320,000 available for tuition assistance in the 2025-2026 school year. Please note that this tuition assistance is not needs based. The Smet Foundation wants to encourage and support the staff working in schools that serve our neediest young Angelenos. The Catholic Education Foundation will administer the Onward 4 Educators tuition assistance program.

Onward 4 Educators Applications will be sent directly to eligible elementary and high schools. Please see the CEF website for more information on how to apply.

Development Grants

The Development Grants that were previously available to teachers and principals are no longer being offered. The funding has been reallocated to support systemwide Onward 4 Excellence work.