Greetings, Grant Seekers!
In this issue, you'll find grant programs with November, December, and January deadlines. Principals, please forward this newsletter to your school's listserve, and please keep me informed about 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. I can help with locating funding sources; defining needs, activities, and budgets; writing and editing; and submitting your proposal. 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, write or call me and I'll help you try to 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
Bob Costas Grants for the Teaching of Writing: This program recognizes exceptional teachers of Grades 6 through 12 for the innovative methods they use to develop their students’ writing skills. Teachers from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply; grants are designed to support not only language arts, but also teachers who include writing in the teaching of science, math, history, and the arts. Grants are awarded to enhance successful projects that are already underway. Grants of $3,000 will be awarded, one in each of the College Board's six regions. Application deadline is November 16, 2007. For more information, visit: http://www.collegeboard.com/counselors/teachers/costas_grants.html
Captain Planet Foundation Grants: The mission of the Captain Planet Foundation is to support hands-on environmental projects for youth in grades K-12. The Foundation offers grants of up to $2,500 for projects that promote understanding of environmental issues, focus on hands-on involvement, and promote group interaction, cooperation, and problem solving.
Deadlines are quarterly; the next deadline is December 31, 2007. Applicants will be notified by May 1, 2008. For more information and the online application, visit: http://captainplanetfoundation.org/default.aspx?pid=3&tab=apply
Goody’s Good Deeds for Schools: This new program is offering 50 $10,000 grants to schools. Grants can be used for whatever a school believes to be its area of greatest need, from a new computer lab, to new library books, to an arts enrichment program. Applications will be judged based on which schools demonstrate the greatest need and on the soundness of their project plan. A portion of judging will be based on presentation, so students and faculty are encouraged to become involved in creating materials to be submitted along with the application. Completed applications should be hand-delivered to our local Goody’s store. Each Goody’s store will select one nominee to put forward to the next level of competition. Submission deadline is December 31, 2007. For more information, visit: http://www.goodysgooddeeds.com/
We The People Bookshelf: Created Equal: Each year, the National Endowment for the Humanities in cooperation with the American Library Association identifies a theme important to the national’s heritage and selects a collection of classic books for K-12 students that embody that theme. In this, the fifth program year, 3,000 school or public libraries will receive a set of classic books related to the “Created Equal” theme. (See http://www.wethepeople.gov/bookshelf/createdEqual.html
for a list of the books included.) Online application deadline is January 25, 2008. For more information, contact me or visit: http://publicprograms.ala.org/bookshelf/
Toyota Tapestry Grants for Science Teachers: The Toyota TAPESTRY grants program awards 50 grants of up to $10,000 each and a 20-32 mini-grants of up to $2,500 each to K-12 science teachers. Interested teachers should propose innovative science projects that can be implemented in their school or school district over a one-year period. Grant categories are Physical Science, Environmental Education, and Integrating Literacy and Science. Applicants must be secondary teachers who teach at least two periods of science per day, or elementary teachers who teach some science. Online application deadline is January 28, 2008. For more information and application materials, visit: http://ecommerce2.nsta.org/toyota/
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Laura Williams, Grant Writer/Research Proposals
Montgomery County Public Schools
(540) 381-6158
www.mcps.org/mcpsgrant