Following are application deadlines for grants and fellowships available to individuals and schools. Asterisks (*) denote new entries.
*Open COMPUTERS
CyberLearning Universe, in cooperation with the nonprofit National Education Foundation, is offering 5,000 teachers free tuition for 12-month, unlimited access to more than 200 of its Internet-based office and school computing courses, including PC Basics, Internet Basics, Web Design Basics, Microsoft Office, and e-mail, among others. Tuition is covered, but a $90 registration fee is required. To sign up, go to CyberLearning’s Web site and click “IT Scholarships.” Live, instant, 24/7 online mentoring is also available. Contact: National Education Foundation, CyberLearning, 4926-C Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria, VA 22304; (703) 823-9999; fax (703) 823-9990; e-mail courses@cyberlearning .org; www.cyberlearning.org.
Open INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
The Edward E. Ford Foundation provides grants to U.S. secondary schools that are members of the National Association of Independent Schools and to NAIS member state and regional associations for education-related proposals, especially those directly benefiting teaching faculty or relating to schools’ ability to attract talented people to the profession. Grants of $20,000 to $100,000 are awarded; the average is $50,000, and all grants require a matching component. Contact: Robert W. Hallett, Executive Director, Edward E. Ford Foundation, 1122 Kenilworth Dr., Towson, MD 21204; (410) 823-2201; fax (410) 823-2203; e-mail office@eeford.org; www.eeford.org.
Open MATH AND SCIENCE
The Toshiba America Foundation supports hands-on math and science education in schools and offers grants to science and mathematics teachers. Grants of up to $5,000 are awarded monthly for grades 7-12; proposals for larger grants are due February 1 and August 1. All projects should provide direct benefits to students and include teacher-led, classroom-based experiences. Public and private schools are eligible. Application guidelines are available online. Contact: Toshiba America Foundation, 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 41st Floor, New York, NY 10020; (212) 596-0620; e-mail foundation@tai.toshiba.com; www.toshiba.com/taf.
Open STANDARDS
Each year, the NEA Foundation awards hundreds of Learning & Leadership and Innovation grants of $2,000 to $5,000 each. Applications are peer-reviewed and may be submitted at any time. Notification of award is sent within five months of application. Grants fund activities for 12 months from the date of the award. Contact: NEA Foundation, (202) 822-7840; www.nfie.org/programs/howtoapply.htm.
*Open TECHNOLOGY
Virtual Ink Corp. is giving away each month one or more mimio Xis, which connect a standard whiteboard to a PC or Mac, electronically recording board notes and drawings as well as making projector images interactive. Submit on the Web site a description of how the mimio would improve teaching effectiveness. Winners are selected on the criteria of originality and creativity. Contact: Virtual Ink Corp., Brighton Landing E., 20 Guest St., Suite 520, Boston, MA 02135; (877) 696-4646; fax (617) 254-6616; www.mimio.com/education/winmimio.php.
Open TOLERANCE
Grants of up to $2,000 are available to K-12 teachers from the Teaching Tolerance project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit group that fights discrimination. The grants are awarded for activities promoting diversity, peacemaking, community service, or other elements of tolerance education. Requests should include a typed, 500-word description of the activity and its proposed budget. Contact: Annie Bolling, Teaching Tolerance Grants, 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104; (334) 956-8381; www.tolerance.org/teach/expand/gra/guide.jsp.
*Open WILDLIFE
The National Wildlife Federation’s $250 Schoolyard Habitats Program Grants assist schools and youth organizations in the development, maintenance, and continued educational use of habitat-based learning sites. Grant recipients commit to certifying their facilities as official Schoolyard Habitats sites within one year of receipt of award. Contact: National Wildlife Federation, (703) 438-6287; www.nwf.org/schoolyardhabitats.
May 1 RURAL TEACHERS
The National Rural Education Association and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association announce the Mini-Grant program. Any K-12 rural teacher whose school or students’ homes are served by a rural electric cooperative is eligible. Ten grants of $500 are offered for classroom-based projects that investigate the science of energy or electricity. Projects must demonstrate student-teacher cooperation and coordination with local electrical cooperatives; they must also focus on student learning and adhere to other specified guidelines. Contact: Rural Teacher Mini-Grants, Dr. Bob Mooneyham, Executive Director, NREA Headquarters, University of Oklahoma, 820 Van Vleet Oval, Room 227, Norman, OK 73019; (405) 325-7959; e-mail bmooneyham@ou.edu; www.nrea.net.
*May 25 MATERIALS SCIENCE
The ASM Materials Education Foundation awards 10 grants of $500 each to K-12 teachers. Applicants submit two-page proposals describing curriculum-based, hands-on projects that enhance students’ awareness of the materials around them and involve observation, communication, and math and science skills. Contact: Jeane Deatherage, ASM International Foundation, 9639 Kinsman Rd., Materials Park, OH 44073-0002; (800) 336-5152, ext. 5533; e-mail jeane.deatherage@asminternational .org; www.asminternational.org.
*June 15 LOW-INCOME SCHOOLS
Nike’s Jordan brand sponsors the Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program, which recognizes public school teachers or paraprofessionals working to inspire 1st through 12th graders at public schools where at least 50 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. A committee of teachers chooses winners based on the uniqueness of projects or lesson plans submitted by applicants. Each year, up to 400 grants of $2,500 each are available for materials, supplies, equipment, and transportation costs related to the project. Contact: Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program, Scholarship America, 1 Scholarship Way, P.O. Box 297, St. Peter, MN 56082; (507) 931-1682; e-mail jordanfundamentals@scholarshipamerica.org; www.nikebiz.com/community.
*July 15 JAPAN
The United States-Japan Foundation offers grants to improve U.S. K-12 instruction about Japan through professional development, intensive study tours, and curriculum design. The foundation funds new or existing programs that include some of the following components: leadership development, information on U.S.-Japan relations and contemporary issues in both countries, training on using international issues in the classroom, and multimedia teaching tools. Grants are for one year but may be renewed by the foundation, which also supports the improvement of Japanese language instruction through teacher training and curriculum development. Letters of inquiry must be received by July 15; complete proposals are due August 31. Contact: David Janes, Program Officer, Precollege Education Programs, United States-Japan Foundation, 145 E. 32nd St., 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016; (212) 481-8757; fax (212) 481-8762; e-mail djanes@us-jf.org; www.us-jf.org.
*August 1 METEOROLOGY
The National Weather Association annually awards five or more Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants of $500 each to improve the quality of meteorology education. K-12 teachers may apply for individual scholarships to attend a course or professional conference, or they may request grant funds for equipment to enhance their students’ study of weather. Winners are announced in October at the NWA annual meeting. Contact: Kevin Lavin, Executive Director, National Weather Association, 1697 Capri Way, Charlottesville, VA 22911; (434) 296-9966; e-mail natweaasoc@aol.com; www.nwas.org/solhirsch.html.
