Peabody Faculty Development Fund

About the Program

The Peabody Faculty Development Fund was established in 2025 to give licensed Redwood Area School District teachers opportunities to keep learning, growing professionally, and bringing new ideas back into their classrooms. Each year, the fund provides support for professional development opportunities such as workshops, conferences, and specialized classes that improve and enhance the subjects they teach. Teachers then share what they’ve learned with colleagues, extending the impact to students across the district.

Donor Background

This fund was made possible through the generosity of Douglas Tiffany (RFHS ’70). Doug carries fond memories of teachers and classes that helped prepare him for studies at the University of Minnesota, where he earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in agricultural economics.

In his career he combined his love of science with economics in roles in Minnesota State government, agricultural banking and academic production economics. He also spent 25 years on the research faculty at the University of Minnesota, where he especially enjoyed analyzing renewable energy technologies. The Peabody Faculty Development Fund is being offered to sponsor efforts of the teaching faculty, as they seek to improve their base of knowledge in subject areas and to enhance their teaching techniques.

Application & Process

Application Deadline: March 1, 2026

Eligibility:

Open to licensed teaching staff of the Redwood Area School District.
Applicants must have completed a minimum of 1 year of service in the district at the time of application.
Recipients must reasonably expect to remain employed in the district for the following school year.

Award Guidelines:

Awards of up to $3,000 may support individual or team professional development.
Application cycle: March 1 deadline; additional rounds as funds permit.
Eligible uses: workshops, conferences, non-credit seminars, curriculum institutes, unique professional learning aligned to district goals; registration, travel, lodging, and related materials.
Not eligible: athletics-related activities, coursework for graduate/college credit, personal licensure renewal fees, meals outside of scheduled presentations, or equipment not essential to the PD experience.
Prior to submission, the applicant must have verified with their site-level principal and/or the Director of Teaching and Learning that no other district funds are available to support the request.
Professional development opportunities during a scheduled school day must be approved by administration prior to applying. Costs to obtain a substitute teacher must be included as an expense.

Selection & Administration

Applications are reviewed by the Administrative Team, led by the Director of Teaching & Learning.
Criteria include: clarity of learning goals, alignment to district/site priorities, expected impact on students, plan to share learning, and feasibility of budget.
Administration reserves the right not to award if applications do not meet the guidelines or intent of the fellowship.
All selected awards will be required to submit a written report and be available to share with colleagues about the learning and experiences.

APPLY HERE

Recognition

Recipients will be honored as fellowship awardees, with their professional learning experiences highlighted for colleagues, the community, and the fellowship donor. Stories and photos will showcase the impact of their learning in classrooms.