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Olga Kagan Professional Development

ACTR Professional Development Fund in honor of Olga E. Kagan

Starting in 2025-2026, grants are available for Russian language instructors with a yearly rotating priority system among three groups: pre-college teachers, non-tenured college faculty, and graduate students. However, any instructor of Russian may apply in any year other than tenured college faculty.

Up to $500 is available for each of two awardees per year.

Recipients must be members of ACTR (but membership is not required to be considered).
The priority for the 2025-2026 cycle was graduate students. Applications opened on October 1, 2025 and closed on April 10, 2026.
The 2026-2027 cycle will open in October 2026.

Past Grant Recipients

Apply

Follow the link above to apply for the fund, starting in October 2026.

Congratulations to the 2024-2025 recipients of the Olga E. Kagan Professional Development Grant!

The 2024-2025 grants supported Russian language teachers at elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Irina Feofanova Anna Surin

Summit Christian Academy, Spokane, WA North Forsyth High School, Cumming GA

Enlightium Academy, Department of World Languages, WA

Honoring Olga E. Kagan, an expert in second language and heritage language pedagogy and a colleague who was renowned for her dedication to professional development, the purpose of this grant is to support the professional development of Russian language instructors.

Two grants (up to $500 each) awarded annually will help offset the cost of professional development in language pedagogy. Eligible reimbursable expenses include travel to professional and academic conferences, conference registration fees, pedagogical workshops, and other professional development and/or training activities which focus on language pedagogy. Some suggestions are available here.

Requirements for the 2025-2026 grant period:

Starting in 2025-2026, teachers of Russian at all levels are welcome to apply for the grant in any give year. This year, the priority (but non-exclusive) category is current graduate students (MA or PhD, including ABDs) enrolled full-time or part-time graduate students who are employed as adjunct instructors at a U.S. post-secondary institution. Prior experience teaching Russian is not required. However, applicants should have a teaching appointment planned in the future and may use the grant to support professional development activities that will enhance their future teaching. Graduate students with prior teaching experience are also welcome to apply.
ABDs with a full-time teaching appointment are not eligible.
Funds must be used within 12 months of notification of the award.
Grants will be disbursed upon presentation of receipts.
Must be an ACTR member if awarded (membership is not required to be considered).

The application includes:

an application form
a statement explaining how the chosen activity or event will support the applicant’s professional development as an teacher of the Russian language
an itemized budget showing eligible expenses
a letter from the program director or school supervisor stating that the full cost of the professional development opportunity cannot be covered by other resources available to the applicant at their home institution

This fund is made possible by generous donations by ACTR members, Olga's family, and Olga's colleagues outside of ACTR.

Donate to the Fund

The 2025-2026 Selection Committee

Susan Kresin, UCLA, chair
Julia Denne, By the Onion Sea Program
Irina Dubinina, Brandeis University
Natalia Petrova, University of Wisconsin

Questions?
Email: BoardACTR at gmail.com

Olga Kagan (1947-2018) was a professor of Russian at UCLA for more than 30 years. She directed both the UCLA International Institute’s Center for World Languages and the National Heritage Language Resource Center. She co-authored 11 Russian-language textbooks, as well as numerous articles and book chapters on the study and teaching of Russian as L2 and heritage language. A talented educator, a dedicated researcher, and a passionate advocate for bilingualism, she made fundamental contributions to the field of heritage language study and pedagogy. She served on the ACTR Board of Directors for many years and supported Russian language teachers both in the US and internationally through professional workshops, mentorship, and research collaborations.