About the Project
George Mason University’s ACE-STEM Project is a National Professional Development (NPD) Grant Project funded by the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), U.S. Department of Education (Fall 2021 – Summer 2026). ACE-STEM aims to support the education of English learners by providing quality professional development (PD) for English Learner (EL) educators. In partnership with Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS), the ACE-STEM Project Team provides a rigorous, evidence-based, and innovative PD program to enhance participating teachers’ content-integrated instruction with a focus on STEM.
In addition, the ACE-STEM project includes a focus on valuing and leveraging PK-12 multilingual learners’ (MLs) home and community language(s) as assets and resources for learning in the classroom.
Featured FMEP Events
Unity Braxton Middle School
On February 6th, 2024, Unity Braxton Middle School held its very own Family Literacy Engagement Program. The program for the night was centered around the book The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer.
Enterprise Elementary
Enterprise Elementary school hosted a Family Literacy Engagement Program on March 14th, 2024, which was titled “Reading Makes Life Sweet.” The event was designed to show the importance of literacy in the everyday lives of students.
Call for Proposals
Call for Proposals is Now Closed and Will be Open on Fall 2024
Please visit Call for Proposals Page for more information.
Resources
Please review the following resources that May be Helpful as You Develop Proposals Anchored in Best Practices
Family Engagement on the Multilingual Learning Toolkit
The Multilingual Learning Toolkit is an online hub for research-based key principles, instructional strategies, and associated, free, practical, and easy-to-use resources that are geared towards educators who teach PreK-3rd Multilingual Learners.
Language-Focused Family Engagement from WIDA
WIDA Focus Bulletins are resources for practitioners and educators who support, instruct, and assess multilingual learners in early care and education and K-12 settings. To see other Focus Bulletins, please visit wida.wisc.edu/resources.
WestED’s Family Engagement Toolkit
This toolkit, produced by the California Department of Education, was developed to provide districts and schools with practical planning and evaluation tools that support efforts to engage all families, particularly those of underrepresented and underserved students.
National Center for Families Learning–Sustain and Gain
This document outlines planning and execution steps and considerations for programs to explore as they expand and reinvent their sources of funding. Planning and preparation will enhance the likelihood of identifying and attracting new sources of support.
National Center for Families Learning—Equity in Family Engagement Toolkit
Based on a Parent University collaboration with AMPED, JCPS, and NCFL, stakeholders produced this Equity in Family Engagement Toolkit to support educators as they engage with families toward student learning and achievement.
State Support Network—Strategies for Equitable Family Engagement
This resource provides an overview of evidence-based strategies that schools and districts may use to promote equitable family engagement practices. This resource includes summaries of the research on equitable family engagement.