A symbol (**) marks available grants that have not appeared in a previous issue of Education Week.
GRANTS AWARDED
FROM CORPORATE SOURCES
NEW AMERICAN SCHOOLS’ MIDDLE START
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Battle Creek, Mich.-based philanthropy arm of the cereal-maker Kellogg Co., recently awarded $3 million to New American Schools and its affiliate, the Education Entrepreneurs Fund. The grant will support NAS’s Middle Start program, which focuses on improvement in the middle grades.
New American Schools promotes comprehensive school reform models, such as Middle Start, that improve student achievement. The Education Entrepreneurs Fund supports the business activities of school improvement service providers.
The Kellogg Foundation grant will act as seed money for the Middle Start program, with the expectation that the EEF will help the program become self-sustaining by the end of the three-year grant.
ARTS EDUCATION GRANT
The GE Fund, the Fairfield, Conn.-based philanthropic arm of the General Electric Company, recently awarded $300,000 to the Arts Education Partnership, a coalition of arts, education, business, and government organizations that promotes the arts in learning and school improvement.
The grant will be used to create a guide for school administrators describing how to incorporate arts education into the curriculum in their schools to improve student performance. The manual will focus especially on bringing arts education to low-performing, high-poverty schools.
FROM FEDERAL SOURCES
SCIENCE TEACHING IN PHILADELPHIA
The National Science Foundation recently awarded $850,000 to the program “GK-12 and GeoKids: Bringing Place-Based Science to Urban Philadelphia Schools.”
The grant will be used to send graduate and advanced undergraduate science students from Saint Joseph’s Unversity, a Jesuit university in Philadelphia, into city schools to help teach science courses that emphasize hands-on, project-based learning.
GRANTS AVAILABLE
FROM CORPORATE SOURCES
MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHING GRANTS
Applications are accepted at any time for small grants for programs that improve classroom teaching and learning of math, science, and technology for students in grades 7-12, sponsored by the Toshiba America Foundation. Public and private schools, local education agencies, and youth organizations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico may apply. Projects should provide direct benefits to students and include teacher-led, classroom- based experiences. Grants of up to $5,000 are offered monthly throughout the year. Contact: TAF, Program Office, 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 41st Floor, New York, NY 10020; (212) 588-0820; e-mail: foundation@tai.toshiba.com; Web site: www.toshiba.com/about/taf.html.
FROM PRIVATE SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION
Applications are due June 3 for grants from the Venture Grants program, sponsored by the National Geographic Society Education Foundation. Grants support work by nonprofit organizations and educational institutions engaging children in nontraditional, hands-on programs in three areas: understanding cultures through their own heritage and preserving cultural diversity; learning and using geographic concepts and skills; and building the skills to make environmental decisions based on scientific knowledge, a geographic perspective, and a commitment to conservation. Grants from $50,000 to $200,000 are available. Contact: Venture Grants, NGSEF, 1145 17th St. N.W., Washington, DC 20036; Web site: www.nationalgeographic.com/foundation.
GEOGRAPHY TEACHING GRANTS
Applications are due June 14 for grants from the Teacher Grants program, sponsored by the National Geographic Society Education Foundation. Grants support teachers’ work in the classroom, district, or community in four areas: exploring uses of new technologies, expanding students’ experiential-learning opportunities, providing professional development and mentoring, and engaging families and communities in education. Individual teachers or teacher teams are eligible. Grants from $500 to $5,000 are available. Contact: Teacher Grants, NGSEF, 1145 17th St. N.W., Washington, DC 20036; Web site: www.nationalgeographic.com/foundation.
GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION GRANTS
Applications are due June 14 for grants from the Grosvenor Grants program, sponsored by the National Geographic Society Education Foundation. Grants support the work of educational institutions and nonprofit organizations in two areas: expanding learning opportunities for teachers and students via experiential learning, professional development, and teacher mentoring; and promoting global geographic literacy via student assessments and innovative teaching and learning practices. Grants from $50,000 to $70,000 are available. Contact: Grosvenor Grants, NGSEF, 1145 17th St. N.W., Washington, DC 20036; Web site: www.nationalgeographic.com/foundation.
SPACE EDUCATION GRANTS
Applications are accepted at any time. Space Education Initiatives provides funding for Internet-based, K-12 space education programs. The four programs sponsored nationwide are Moonlink, NEARlink, Marslink, and Orbital Laboratory. The availability of grant money varies by state. Educators may apply for funding through Space Explorers Inc. Contact: SEI, (800) 965-3763; Web sites: www.space-explorers.com/grantinfo; www.moonlink.com; near.space-explorers.com; www.marslink.com; www.orbitallaboratory.com.
TOLERANCE EDUCATION GRANTS
Applications are accepted at any time. The Teaching Tolerance project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit group that fights discrimination, offers grants of up to $2,000 to K- 12 teachers. The grants are awarded for activities promoting diversity, peacemaking, community service, or other aspects of tolerance education. Applications should include a typed, 500-word description of the activity and the proposed budget. The number of grants awarded depends on available funding. Contact: Teaching Tolerance Grants, 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104; (334) 264-0286, ext. 374.
FROM FEDERAL SOURCES
READING FIRST GRANTS
Applications are due May 29 for grants from the Reading First program, sponsored by the office of elementary and secondary education. Grants support scientifically based reading programs that help all students read proficiently by 3rd grade. About 57 awards of unspecified amounts are available. Contact: Chris Doherty, Reading First Program Office, USDE, 400 Maryland Ave. S.W., Room 2W108, Washington, DC 20202-6201; (202) 401-4877; email: ReadingFirst@ed.gov.
** UNDERGROUND RAILROAD EDUCATION
Applications are due May 30 for grants from the Underground Railroad Educational and Cultural Program, sponsored by the office of postsecondary education. Grants support nonprofit organzations that research, display, interpret, and collect artifacts relating to the underground railroad. About four awards from $100,000 to $2 million are available. Contact: Jay Donahue, USDE, 8th Floor, 1990 K St. N.W., Washington, DC 20006-8544; (202) 502-7507; e-mail: Jay.Donahue@ed.gov.
** READING RESEARCH PROJECTS
Applications are due May 31 for grants from the Program of Research on Reading Comprehension, sponsored by the office of educational research and improvement. Grants support programs of research that expand scientific knowledge of reading comprehension and reading development. About 10 awards from $75,000 to $500,000 are available. Contact: Anne P. Sweet or Rita Foy Moss, USDE, 555 New Jersey Ave. N.W., Room 513, Washington, DC 20208-5573; (202) 219-0610; fax: (202) 219-2135; e-mail: PRRCinfo@ed.gov.
AMERICAN-HISTORY TEACHING GRANTS
Applications are due June 3 for grants from the Teaching American History Grant Program, sponsored by the office of elementary and secondary education. Grants support professional-development programs for teachers that increase their knowledge and appreciation of traditional American history. About 200 awards from $350,000 to $1 million are available. Contact: Christine Miller, Teaching American History Grant Program, USDE, 400 Maryland Ave. S.W., Washington, DC 20202-6200; (202) 260-8766; e-mail: teachingamericanhistory@ed.gov.
** ELEMENTARY FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Applications are due June 3 for grants from the Elementary School Foreign Language Incentive Program, sponsored by the office of English-language acquisition. Grants support programs to teach foreign languages to elementary students. About $6 million is available for an unspecified number of awards. Contact: Rebecca Richey, USDE, 400 Maryland Ave. S.W., Room 5617, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-6510; (202) 205-9717; e-mail: rebecca.richey@ed.gov.
** ENGLISH-LANGUAGE TEACHING
Applications are due June 6 for grants from the English Languge Acquisition: National Professional Development Program, sponsored by the office of English-language acquisition. Grants support professional-development programs for teachers of limited-English- proficient students, including certification or licensure programs for LEP teachers. About 150 grants of roughly $250,000 are available. Applicants west of the Mississippi river, contact: Brenda Compton-Turner, USDE, 400 Maryland Ave. S.W., Room 5090, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-6510; (202) 205- 9839; e-mail: Brenda.Turner@ed.gov; applicants east of the Mississippi river, contact: Mahal May, USDE, 400 Maryland Ave. S.W., Room 5090, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-6510; (202) 205-8727; e-mail: Mahal.May@ed.gov.
** PHYSICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Applications are due June 7 for grants from the Carol M. White Physical Education Program, sponsored by the office of elementary and secondary education. Grants support in-school and after-school K- 12 physical education programs that help students reach state physical education standards. About 165 grants of roughly $300,000 are available. Contact: Ethel Jackson, USDE, 400 Maryland Ave. S.W., Room 3E308, Washington, DC 20202-6123; (202) 260-2812; e-mail: Ethel.Jackson@ed.gov.
** NATIVE-LANGUAGE SPEAKERS
Applications are due June 7 for grants from the Native American and Alaska Native Children in School Program, sponsored by the office of English-language acquisition. Grants support language-instruction programs for limited-English-proficient students from Native American, Alaska native, native Hawaiian, and native American Pacific Islander descent that result in increases in English-language proficiency. About 26 awards from $100,000 to $225,000 are available. Contact: Samuel Lopez, OELA, USDE, 400 Maryland Ave. S.W., Room MES 5605, Washington, DC 20202-6400; (202) 401-1427; e-mail: samuel.lopez@ed.gov.
** SAFE AND HEALTHY SCHOOLS PROGRAMS
Applications are due June 21 for grants from the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, sponsored by the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice. Grants support communitywide programs that promote safe and drug-free schools and healthy children. About 40 awards of roughly $2 million are available. Contact: Kellie Dressler Tetrick, SS/HS Coordinator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, USDOJ, 810 7th St. N.W., Washington, DC 20531; (202) 514-4817; TDD: (888) 877-8339; e-mail: dresslek@ojp.usdoj.gov; Web site: www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/safeschools.html.
** TEACHER-QUALITY STATE GRANTS
Applications are due July 1 for grants from the Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants ProgramState Grants, sponsored by the office of postsecondary education. Grants support state efforts to improve the quality of new teachers. About 25 awards of up to $5 million are available. Contact: Brenda Shade, Teacher Quality Program, OPE, USDE, 1990 K St. N.W., Room 6152, Washington, DC 20006-8525; (202) 502-7878; fax: (202) 502-7699; e-mail: Brenda.Shade@ed.gov.
