Request for 2025 Capital Projects Grant Program

The Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program is the Library of Congress's primary educational outreach initiative, designed to provide instructional materials, tools, education, and professional development to teachers. The program's core mission is to enhance educators' ability to integrate digitized primary sources from the Library of Congress into their instruction. This integration aims to build student literacy, critical thinking skills, content knowledge, and the ability to conduct original research. Since the establishment of the Center for Learning, Literacy and Engagement in 2018 and the release of the Library's strategic plans, the TPS goals have evolved to both influence and reflect the Library's broader outreach objectives, aligning closely with its vision of connecting to all Americans. The program primarily targets educators and, by extension, their students. Through its initiatives, TPS aims to reach a wide array of learners, including those representing specific professions, ethnicities, geographic locations, abilities, interests, and affiliations, particularly those identified as underserved by the program. The impact goals are centered on fostering deeper learning experiences, improving educational outcomes, and empowering both teachers and students with valuable research and analytical skills. TPS Consortium members are critical to achieving these goals, acting as "Connectors" who facilitate this extensive outreach and help the Library fulfill its mission of widespread public engagement. The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Continuing Awards (FY25-FY27) emphasizes several key priorities and focuses. It seeks project proposals from current TPS Consortium members to expand the use of existing teaching materials, tools, and strategies developed under previous awards. A significant focus is on disseminating these resources to meet the diverse needs of various recipient populations. Applicants are required to demonstrate how they will support current and new audiences by reviewing and revising existing TPS products, modifying them for enhanced value, and developing effective strategies and networks to facilitate outreach to targeted populations, especially those previously underserved. Expected outcomes and measurable results include an increased integration of Library of Congress primary sources into K-12 and higher education curricula, improved student engagement and learning outcomes in literacy and critical thinking, and expanded reach to diverse educational communities. Successful proposals are expected to demonstrate solutions that address specific educational needs of recipient populations, grounded in standard practice, documented experience, or research. The Library's strategic priorities, as reflected in its 2019-23 and 2024-2028 plans, and the TPS program's theory of change are centered on the belief that by equipping educators with high-quality, primary-source-based instructional materials and professional development, a more literate, critically thinking, and engaged populace will emerge, capable of conducting original research and connecting more deeply with historical and cultural resources.