Greetings, Grant Seekers,
Welcome to the Spring 2012 Grant Opportunities Newsletter. In this issue, you'll find grant programs with April, May, and June deadlines. Principals, please forward this newsletter to your school's listserve, and please keep me informed about all grant seeking activities at your school so I can obtain School Board approval for any applications you submit. Remember that any MCPS employee can call on me for assistance with any educational grant project. My web site (www.mcps.org/mcpsgrant) provides information on grant seeking and links to assist you in funding source searches. If you don't see a grant program in this newsletter that meets your needs, contact me and I'll help you find one that does!
School Board Policy Regarding Competitive Grants (Policy 3-3.11)
All competitive grants sought by MCPS will support projects that are aligned with the district's mission, vision, and goals. Proposals require prior approval by the grant seeker's principal or supervisor. All competitive grant proposals will be brought to the School Board for approval prior to submission or as soon thereafter as feasible, and always before acceptance of award.
The grant seeker or the principal at the originating school should let me know about any proposals to be submitted so I can include them on the school board agenda. This requires no extra work on the part of the originating school. All I need is a copy of the proposal and I prepare the necessary documents to present it to the board.
Upcoming Grant Opportunities
Funding Source: ING Unsung Heroes Awards
Eligible Applicants: All K-12 education professionals
Deadline: April 30
Now in its 15th year, the ING Unsung Heroes program helps K-12 educators and their schools fund innovative classroom projects. Each of 100 national finalists will receive $2,000. Of these, three top winners will be selected for additional awards of $5,000, $10,000, and $25,000. Application deadline is April 30 (postmark deadline). For information, examples of funded projects, and the online application, visit: http://ing.us/about-ing/citizenship/childrens-education/ing-unsung-heroes
Funding Source: Target Arts and Culture in Schools Grants
Eligible Applicants: Schools serving K-12 students
Deadline: April 30
Target awards grants of $2,000 to school arts programs that enhance students’ classroom curriculum by bringing the arts and cultural experiences to schools, such as in-school performances, artist in residency programs and workshops in schools. Application deadline is April 30. For more information and the online application, visit: http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031819
Funding Source: Target Early Childhood Reading Grants
Eligible Applicants: Preschool – Grade 3 teachers
Deadline: April 30
Target awards grants of $2,000 to programs that foster a love of reading and encourage young children, preschool through third grade, to read together with their families. Reading grants support programs such as library story times and family reading nights. Application deadline is April 30. For more information and the online application, visit: http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031821
Funding Source: Dominion K-12 Educational Partnership
Eligible Applicants: Public and private elementary and secondary schools
Deadline: May 1
Dominion offers grants of up to $10,000 to encourage the development of new instructional units that strengthen math and science programs through the study of energy and the environment. Mini-grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded for small projects that enhance the teaching of math and/or science (not limited to energy and the environment). Larger Grants of $1,000 - $5,000 will be awarded for projects involving multiple classes. Exceptional Grants of $5,001 - $10,000 will be awarded for projects with a school-wide/system-wide focus, or that involve the surrounding community. Application deadline is May 1. For more information and the online application, visit: http://dom.com/about/education/grants/index.jsp
Funding Source: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Grants
Eligible Applicants: Pre-K -12 teachers who are NCTM members
Deadline: May 4
NCTM’s Mathematics Education Trust offers several grant programs with May 4 deadlines. These include School In-Service Training Grants, PreK-8 Preservice Teacher Action Research Grants, Professional Development Scholarships Emphasizing the History of Mathematics and others. Applicants must be current NCTM members or must teach at a school with a current NCTM school membership. For more information and the application, visit: http://www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx?id=198
Funding Source: Dollar General Youth Literacy Grants
Eligible Applicants: Schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations
Deadline: May 16
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation provides grants of up to $4,000 to schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations to help with the implementation or expansion of programs for students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. Application deadline is May 16. For more information and the online application, visit: http://www2.dollargeneral.com/dgliteracy/Pages/youth_grants.aspx
Funding Source: Virginia Association of Science Teachers Mini-Grants
Eligible Applicants: Elementary or secondary teachers who are VAST members
Deadline: June 1
The purpose of the VAST Mini-grant program is to provide seed money for innovative curriculum activities which expand learning opportunities for science students. Funding will be awarded to projects that will directly impact student learning in the science classroom and that will provide the students with new experiences and make possible new scientific investigations. Most awards will be in the range of $200-$500. For more details and the application, visit: http://www.vast.org/grants.html
Funding Source: VEA Mini-Grants
Eligible Applicants: Members of the Virginia Education Association
Deadline: June 1
Members of the Virginia Education Association can apply for mini-grants of up to $500 to support ideas designed to improve student learning. Winning projects will show creativity and innovation, with well-defined activities that have a clear impact on student learning. Application deadline is June 1. For more information and a link to the online application, visit: http://www.veanea.org/home/grants-and-awards.htm