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 30,000 teachers free tuition for 12-month, unlimited access to more than 2,000 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 $180 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
Toshiba America Foundation supports hands-on math and science education in schools and offers grants to grades 7-12 science and mathematics teachers. Grants of up to $5,000 are awarded monthly; 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 nonprofit private schools are eligible. Applications are available online in the “How To Apply” section of the Web site. 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.taf.toshiba.com.
*Open STANDARDS
Each year, the NEA Foundation awards hundreds of Learning & Leadership and Innovation grants of $2,000 or $5,000 each. Applications are peer-reviewed and may be submitted at any time, with reviews in February, June, and September. Notification of award is sent within five months of application. Grants fund activities for 12 months from the date of the award. Contact: The NEA Foundation, 1201 16th St. N.W., Washington, DC 20036; (202) 822-7840; www.neafoundation.org/programs/howtoapply.htm.
*Open TECHNOLOGY
Each month, Virtual Ink Corp. gives teachers one or more mimio Xis, which make a standard whiteboard interactive by connecting it with a data projector to a PC or Mac. The device will also electronically record board notes and drawings for printing, posting to the Web, or distributing by e-mail. Submit on the Web site a description of how 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) 987-0479; e-mail productioninfo@virtualink.com; 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/grants/guide.jsp.
*September 15 LITERACY
The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation offers a number of $350 grants to U.S. public school teachers and librarians and to librarians in public libraries for programs that foster creativity and literacy in children. Application forms are available on the Web site only. Contact: Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, 450 14th St., Brooklyn, NY 11215-5702; www.ezra-jack-keats.org.
*September 16 MUSIC
For the sixth year, the National Music Foundation’s American Music Education Initiative will award cash grants of up to $1,000 to K-12 teachers of any subject and in any educational setting who create lesson plans using American music. Lesson plans are reviewed and evaluated by a distinguished panel of judges, who make awards at three levels: finalist, semifinalist, and honorable mention. Finalists receive grants of $1,000; semifinalists receive $500. All award-winning lesson plans are published in a free online database, where they are available to other teachers. Applications and guidelines are available on the Web site. For more information, contact: Thomas J. Heany, Director of Programming, NMF, 2457A S. Hiawassee Road, #244, Orlando, FL 32835; (800) USA-MUSIC; e-mail tom@usamusic.org; www.usamusic.org.
*September 30 CURRICULUM
The SHOPA Kids In Need Foundation offers grants for teachers who have innovative classroom projects but lack the funding to bring them to life. Certified teachers in K-12 public, private, and parochial schools may apply. Grants of $100 to $500 are awarded for motivational projects that give students hands-on experience. Applications are available on the Jo-Ann Fabrics Web site, www.jo-annstores.com; at Office Depot stores or on its Web site, www.community.officedepot.com/local.asp; or at Fred Meyer and Publix store locations. Applications may also be submitted online at the Kids In Need Web site below. Contact: Penny Hawk, Program Manager, SHOPA Kids In Need Foundation, 3131 Elbee Rd., Dayton, OH 45439; (800) 854-7467; e-mail pennyh@shopa.org; www.kidsinneed.net.
*October 1 ART
The National Art Education Foundation invites applications for its grant programs in five categories. Teacher Incentive grants award up to $1,000 to proposals that promote the teaching of art. The Mary McMullan Fund offers recipients up to $1,000 each for development of curriculum models and pilot projects. The Research Grants in Art Education Fund provides as much as $5,000 for proposed research. The Ruth Halvorsen Professional Development Fund grants up to $1,000 for proposals focusing on the goals for student learning outlined in the association’s National Visual Arts Standards; the SHIP Fund awards up to $500 to selected art educators whose proposals seek equipment or instructional curriculum resources to focus on student learning specifically related to the association’s visual art standards. Grants are available only to active National Art Education Association members; the 2005 booklet can be downloaded from the Web site. Contact: Krista Jarrell, National Art Education Foundation, 1916 Association Dr., Reston, VA 20191-1590; (703) 860-8000; e-mail kjarrell@naea-reston .org; www.naea-reston.org.
*October 1 MATH AND SCIENCE
Toshiba America Foundation supports hands-on math and science education in schools and offers $1,000 grants to grades K-6 science and mathematics teachers. Projects should provide direct benefits to students and include teacher-led, classroom-based experiences. Public and nonprofit private schools are eligible. Applications are available online in the “How To Apply” section of the Web site. For more information, 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.taf.toshiba.com.
*October 15 TEACHER EXCHANGE
The Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, provides opportunities for teachers and administrators at K-12 schools and two-year colleges to exchange positions with their counterparts in another country. U.S. citizens who are fluent in English and have a bachelor’s degree and three years of full-time teaching experience are eligible. Contact: Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program, 600 Maryland Ave. S.W., Suite 320, Washington, DC 20024-2520; (800) 726-0479 or (202) 314-3527; e-mail fulbright@grad.usda.gov; www.fulbrightexchanges.org.
*October 21 ASTRONOMY
The Initiative to Develop Education through Astronomy and Space Science (IDEAS) grant program provides startup funding for innovative education or public outreach programs that feature collaborations between astronomers/space scientists and education and informal science professionals. Requests may be made for up to $50,000. The call for proposals is available on the Web site. Contact: Space Telescope Science Institute, (410) 338-4968; e-mail ideas@stsci.edu; http://ideas.stsci.edu.
