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Motorola Innovation Generation Grants
The Motorola Innovation Generation Grants provide funds for initiatives that creatively foster a love of science early in life and show a new generation of inventors that careers involving science and math are important, challenging and possible. Priority will be given to programs that incorporate Motorola employees as volunteers. Maximum Award: $250,000. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations. Deadline: June 15, 2008.
http://www.motorola.com/content.jsp-globalObjectId=8153
Scholastic Lexus Environmental Challenge
The Scholastic Lexus Environmental Challenge program is designed to educate and empower students to take action to improve the environment. The program encourages middle and high school students to develop and implement environmental programs that positively impact their communities. Middle and high school teams comprised of 5 to 10 students and one teacher advisor are invited to participate in four initial challenges, each addressing a different environmental element — land, water, air, and climate.
Maximum Award: $75,000.
Eligibility: students in grades 6-12 and their teachers.
Deadline: varies.
http://www.scholastic.com/lexus
Resiliency Strategies Can Change the Culture of Dropout Factories
Every nine seconds, another student drops out of school in America. The most recent national statistics peg the national high school graduation rate at only 69.9 percent. These sobering statistics have astonishing implications for our economy and our ability to compete globally, not to mention the daily lives of those dropouts and their communities. According to a new report, authored by Kelly Hupfeld, a research associate at the Center for Education Policy Analysis at the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, research shows that decreasing the dropout rate can only happen on a student-by-student basis. Hupfeld says that the focus must be turned to individuals, because students drop out for a myriad of personal reasons. Consequently, the best dropout prevention strategies lock on to students as individuals and engage them in school and teach the m the skills they need to cope with difficult times. Resiliency-based programs, which help students develop the skills and relationships they need to succeed inside and outside the classroom, can be incredibly effective in preventing high school dropouts. Still, there is no foolproof method to identify students who will drop out of school, as dropping out seems to be a function of multiple factors across multiple domains.
To read more of this article visit: http://scholarcentric.com/key_facts_at_risk_students_dropouts_resiliency_skills.html
Staples Foundation for Learning
PROGRAM: Staples Foundation for Learning
PURPOSE OF PROGRAM: The goal of the Staples Foundation for Learning is to supply funding to programs that support or provide job skills and/or education for everyone, with a special emphasis on disadvantaged youth.
DEADLINE: November 30, 2007.
FUNDING: Each grant can be up to $25,000, but most grants awarded by the Foundation are in the $5,000-$25,000 range.
ELIGIBILITY: 501(c)(3) organizations and alignment with Staples Foundation for Learning’s mission, and focus on job skills and education.
CONTACT: foundationinfo@staples.com.
You may visit the website at http://www.staplesfoundation.org/foundapplication.html
Teaching Core Subjects Through Music
Making the Schoolhouse ROCK! Teaching Core Subjects Through Music
For years, researchers have studied whether music education raises IQ points, test scores, spatial sense and math and verbal skills, reports Michael Alison Chandler in the Washington Post. Definitive results are scarce, but experts agree that music sparks memory. Just think of what wonders the alphabet song has accomplished over the decades. And as music classes are squeezed out of many schools in order to permit more time on math and reading, teachers are looking for new ways to integrate music into classrooms. In the past three years, nearly 200 artists have contributed to a Michigan-based website, http://SongsforTeaching.com, which offers music for the core subjects, but also for foreign languages, special education and classroom management. One Loudon County, V a. teacher, Eric Chandler, writes his own songs, finding his inspiration in the Virginia Standards of Learning. Chandler embraced musical pedagogy after learning about the teaching method called Quantum Learning, which encourages music to keep students engaged and focused. According to Chandler, after winter break each year, a handful of students come in with new guitars wanting to learn class tunes. Other students are simply happy to sing, and learn, along.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/22/AR2007102202243_pf.html
Toyota TAPESTRY
PROGRAM: Toyota TAPESTRY
PURPOSE OF PROGRAM: Toyota TAPESTRY recognizes outstanding educators who are making a difference by demonstrating excellence and creativity in science teaching. Toyota offers funding for K–12 science teachers that have innovative projects that enhance science education in the school and/or school district.
DEADLINE: January 28, 2008.
FUNDING: 50 large grants of up to $10,000 each and 20-32 mini-grants of up to $2,500.
ELIGIBILITY: The project director must be a middle or high school science teacher who teaches a minimum of two science classes per day or an elementary teacher who teaches some science in the classroom. All applicants must have a minimum of at least three years science teaching experience in a K-12 school not including the current school year. Staff people (up to four allowed) may also work on the proposal.
CONTACT: tapestry@nsta.org. You may also visit the website at
http://ecommerce2.nsta.org/toyota/
HP Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative
Transforming teaching and learning through technology
The HP Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative is designed to support the innovative use of mobile technology in K-16 education, and to help identify K-12 public schools and two- and four-year colleges and universities that HP might support with future grants. Based on the outcomes of the projects funded through this initiative in 2008, HP may offer some rant recipients additional, higher-value grants in 2008.
Find out more information at http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/grants/us/programs/tech_teaching/index.html
Toyota Family Literacy Teacher of the Year Award
| December 5, 2007 |
The National Center for Family Literacy and Toyota Family Literacy Teacher of the Year Award is given to educators who demonstrate exemplary efforts to help parents and children achieve their academic and non-academic goals. Eligibility: nominated teacher must have worked in a comprehensive family literacy program for three years that includes children’s education, adult education, parenting education (Parent Time), and interactive literacy activities between parents and children (Parent and Child Together Time). Maximum Award: $5,000. Deadline: December 5, 2007.
Stand Up for Me—Train the Trainer
| December 4, 2007 |
The Transition Center at the University of Florida is sponsoring a one-day training event to promote self-determination skills and provide information about the self-directed individual education plan (IEP) process. This training is most appropriate for personnel with the capacity to conduct district level training, however interested teachers and family members are also encouraged to come.
December 4th, 2007
Embassy Suites Hotel Tampa Airport/Westshore
555 N. Westshore Blvd. Tampa, FL 33609
For additional information please contact Drew Andrews at (352) 392-0701 ext. 260 or at drewa@coe.ufl.edu
New Online Class Offered Through University of Florida by Transition Center
| December 14, 2007 |
Who: Individuals who work with students with disabilities as a special education or content area teacher in a middle or high school.
What: EEX 6750 “Families and Transition for Students with Disabilities” with paid tuition from the Transition Center at the University of Florida
Where: This is an online course offered through the University of Florida and worth 3 graduate credits.
When: This class will be available in the Spring of 2008 (from January 7th to March 17th) and the enrollement deadline is December 14th
For more information contact Dr. Jeanne Repetto at jrepetto@coe.ufl.edu and include your name, school, and grade level with “TC online course” as subject.
