SchoolGrants - Nationwide Grant Opportunities

Nationwide Grant Opportunities -

With Deadlines

Opportunities found on this page are available to schools across the Nation. Some of the grants may also be available to Canadian schools and/or internationally. Opportunities are listed in alphabetical order. Links to grantor Web sites accompany all listings.

The very best way to stay on top of federal - as well as corporate and foundation - grant opportunities for your school is to subscribe to the electronic SchoolGrants Biweekly Newsletter. If you're interested in PK-12 grant opportunities, you won't find a better value anywhere at only $45/year for 24 comprehensive issues. Every annotated opportunity is researched prior to appearing in the newsletter. Many opportunities in the Biweekly Newsletter are never listed on the SchoolGrants site.

Disclaimer:
My time is very limited due to preparing for and conducting workshops and planning and writing grant proposals. Grant opportunities listed on this page were accurate at the time they were researched and posted. However, the economic downturn has caused many grantors to re-evaluate their funding priorities. Links are provided to grantor Web sites - be sure to research the accuracy of the annotations below before expending much energy on proposal preparation.

Some expired opportunities remain listed on the SchoolGrants site for planning purposes.

CONNECTIONS! A Global Education Initiative

Grants are now available for educators who are selected to participate in a new program called CONNECTIONS! A Global Education Initiative. The central theme is the 2004 Summer Games. The AT&T Foundation in collaboration with the USA TODAY Charitable Foundation has developed this program to promote students' understanding of world cultures.

At no cost to educators, CONNECTIONS! will provide selected classrooms with:
• Delivery of 25 copies of USA TODAY and corresponding lesson plan for 13 weeks.
• Curriculum resources, developed by USA TODAY, that focus on the 2004 Summer Games and the important role they play in increasing students' understanding of the global community.
• The opportunity to enter your class in a national project that will encourage students to select a city of their choice to host the games of the future. The project will incorporate elements of students' cross-curricular studies and will be submitted for review and recognition.
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Participation is limited to the first 400 schools to register. To apply for participation in this program sign up today! Visit the Web site to sign up.

(Opportunity posted to SchoolGrants on 1/31/2004)

2004 All-USA Teacher Team Awards

USA TODAY is now accepting nominations for its seventh All-USA Teacher Team. The annual recognition program honors 20 teachers as representatives of all outstanding educators. The 20 individuals and instructional teams named to the First Team will be featured in USA TODAY in October 2004 and will receive trophies. A cash award of $2,500 will be shared by each of the First Team educators and their schools.

USA TODAY seeks to honor teachers in grade levels K-12 who excel in a variety of teaching situations. Teachers from urban, rural and suburban schools, teachers of special education and gifted students, teachers of core subjects and electives, and teachers who travel to more than one school throughout the year have all been named to previous First Teams.

Teachers must be certified teachers K-12 teaching full-time for the 2003-2004 school year. Individuals must have at least four years of experience, including the 2003-2004 school year. Teachers may be nominated by anyone willing to describe their accomplishments in writing, including administrators, colleagues, past and present students and parents, and community volunteers. No self-nominations are accepted, but teachers must complete the form, describing how they achieve the success described by their nominators. Teams of up to four teachers who team teach are eligible to be nominated as an instructional team. Team members must average at least four years of teaching experience, including the 2003-2004 school year.

Nominations must be postmarked by April 19, 2004.

For more information or to download a nomination form, log on to http://allstars.usatoday.com.

3-A-Day of Dairy for Stronger Bones Nutrition Education Program

America’s low calcium intake is recognized as a major public health problem. To address this concern, the National Dairy Council will award five $5,000 grants to organizations or individuals proposing innovative, community-based nutrition education programs aimed at helping children, ages 9-18, develop positive eating behaviors to improve the overall quality of their diet, including 3-A-Day of Dairy.

Grants are open to all groups or individuals in the U.S., including those self-employed, commissioned by or employed by organizations or local government, state and local health departments, regional and state agencies and schools, medical facilities and extension specialists.

The application deadline is September 1, 2003.

ADA Health Foundation
The American Dental Association's ADA Health Foundation makes grant awards of up to $5,000 to organizations whose oral health promotion programs are designed to improve children's oral health through community education programs. Eligibility is limited to community-based, not-for-profit, oral health promotion programs in the United States and its territories including dental health education conducted at schools, health fairs, social agencies, mobile dental clinics or outreach programs.

Request for proposals will be distributed each year by March 31. The 2003 completed proposals were due on July 11.

Clay Aiken ABLE to SERVE Awards

Youth Service America and The Bubel Aiken Foundation have teamed to offer the Clay Aiken ABLE to SERVE Awards. Twenty-five grants up to $1,000 each are available to encourage young people, between the ages of 5 and 22 with developmental disabilities to plan and carry out service projects in the United States for National Youth Service Day 2004.

All grant winners will be eligible for an additional grant of $1,000 for the purpose of continuing the project beyond April. Receipt of this follow-up grant will be contingent on the satisfactory completion of a project evaluation and a cash or in-kind match from a local community partner for the award winner.

To apply, simply follow the application guidelines and submit a complete application to Youth Service America postmarked by February 9, 2004.

Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Foundation, Ltd.
Grants of $1,000 are awarded to educators to develop or implement environmental curricula. The Foundation prefers to support the actual development of curriculum rather than purchase of equipment though in some cases, equipment has been an allowable expense to implement teacher-developed curriculum.

The Foundation prefers to fund teachers at public schools. Curricula that encourage the integration of multiple disciplines and that include cooperative work with multiple school districts will be given preference.

Completed proposals are due in the early part of April each year.

Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
The Bell Association has four different programs:

Parent-Infant/Preschool Services Financial Aid Award:
Stipends are awarded to parents of infants (no older than six years of age by December 31) who have been diagnosed with moderate to profound hearing losses. Stipends may be used to cover expenses associated with early intervention, educational, and rehabilitative services. Families/guardians must demonstrate financial need. Applications must be requested, in writing, between June 1 and September 1.

School-Age Financial Aid Awards:
Grants are for elementary and secondary school students (no college students) with moderate to profound hearing loss who plan to attend or are currently enrolled on a full-time basis in an independent or parochial elementary, middle, or high school that primarily enrolls students with normal hearing. Applicants must be between the ages of 6 and 21 (as of January 1 in the year following the application date) and must use speech, residual hearing and/or speechreading as primary forms of communication. Request applications between January 1 and April 1.

Arts and Sciences Awards:
Stipends are awarded to aural/oral students (older than 6 years by January 1 and younger than 19 years by December 31) with moderate to profound hearing losses. Stipends may be used to help students participate in upcoming extracurricular activities in the fields of art or science during the summer, weekends, or after school. Please note that recreational summer camps, sports camp, and sports, travel and study abroad programs that do not have an explicit arts or science focus are not eligible for this award. Only the first 200 applications are accepted. Applications may be requested between December 1 and March 1.

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American Association of University Women (AAUW) Educational Foundation Grants
The American Association of University Women's Eleanor Roosevelt Teacher Fellowship program offers two types of funding opportunities for women public school teachers:

Professional Development Grants provide up to $5,000, including attendance at the five-day Eleanor Roosevelt Teacher Institute and Forum on Educational Equity held in Washington, DC in July 2003; additional professional development activities (e.g., workshops, courses, conferences); and seed money to plan a classroom-based gender equity project.

Project Implementation Grants offer up to $10,000 to support a classroom or school gender equity program.

Fellowships are available to teachers who have taught for three years. The AAUW encourages women of color and teachers working with underserved students to apply.

Applications are closed for the 2003-04 academic year. Applications for 2004-05 will be available after Aug. 1, 2003 (July 1, 2003, for Eleanor Roosevelt Teacher Fellowships).

AT&T CARES Youth Service Action Fund

Youth Service America and AT&T are partnering to offer the AT&T CARES Youth Service Action Fund. The AT&T CARES Youth Service Action Fund supports young people as they improve their communities through service on National Youth Service Day, April 16-18, 2004.

Grant applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
• Be an organization (public, private, or non-profit) or;
• Be a youth between the ages of 5-25; and
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident

Fifty grants of $500 each will be available to young people (ages 5-25) and organizations to implement service projects for National Youth Service Day, the largest service event in the world. To apply, follow the simple application guidelines and submit a complete application by February 13, 2004. Applications are available for download in WORD and PDF formats.

Balance Bar Company
BALANCE Grants are 4-month grants (financial support) for anyone over the age of 18. They are designed for enthusiasts and amateur athletes who prioritize balancing their minds and their bodies. The grants are provided to help provide financial support to the grantee can focus on pushing personal limits in their mind/body sports. Mind//Body activities are described as activities that are both goal and process oriented; activities that require physical exertion and mental discipline. Applications must be filed online. Awards will range from $500 to $10,000 and must be used within 4 months.

To qualify, applications, including the Statement of Purpose of no more than 500 words, must be submitted online. 2003 deadlines are 3 PM EST on January 15, May 15 and September 15, 2003.

Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
The goal of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy's National Grant Program is to develop and expand family literacy efforts nationwide and to support the development of literacy programs that build families of readers. Approximately 10 grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded.

Eligible applicants must include all of the following components in their proposals: reading instruction for parents or primary caregivers, literacy or pre-literacy instruction for children, and intergenerational activities where the parents and children learn and read together.

Applications for the 2004 FY grant cycle will be available in early July. To be placed on their mailing list, email your mailing address to plimjap@cfncr.org. The application will also be available to download on the Foundation's Web site in July.

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Beaumont Foundation of American (BFA)
The Beaumont Foundation of America (BFA) is a not-for-profit philanthropic organization that grants technology equipment to support digital inclusion for underserved individuals.

BFA is seeking innovative digital inclusion programs from across the country that will directly benefit underserved communities. Since the Foundation only gives away hardware, BFA makes grants to established programs that have the funding, infrastructure and staffing to maintain and sustain their programs.

The foundation will award grants in 21 states and the District of Columbia in 2003 and in the remaining 29 states in 2004. Additional grants will be available in subsequent years. For the 2003 grant cycle, grants will be awarded in Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

The foundation has three distinct grant programs: Community Grants of technology equipment to community-based organizations; Education Grants of technology equipment for schools; and Individual Grants of technology equipment directly to individuals. Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations or government agencies that serve citizens at or below the poverty level as defined by U.S. Census Bureau thresholds are eligible for Community Grants; K-12 public, private, parochial, or charter schools where a minimum of 50 percent of students qualify for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are eligible for the Education Grants; and individuals living at or below the poverty level as defined by U.S. Census Bureau thresholds are eligible to apply for the Individual Grants. Equipment provided will be a selection of Toshiba-branded hardware.

Applications will be accepted from January 6, 2003 to March 31, 2003. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their proposals and supporting documents sooner rather than later. See the BFA Web site for complete program and application information and for the complete list of available products.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation focuses its education investments in two primary areas both aimed at addressing this inequity: creating more small high schools and reducing financial barriers to higher education. The foundation is helping large, troubled high schools transform themselves into smaller, more personalized learning environments, while at the same time funding the replication of successful small school models. And to increase the number of talented low-income students who attend and graduate from college, the foundation funds scholarship programs that are helping.

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Bowerman Track Renovation Program
The Bowerman Track Renovation Program provides matching cash grants to community-based, youth-oriented organizations that seek to refurbish or construct running tracks. This five-year, $1 million program, administered by Nike's Community Affairs department, provides matching funds of up to $50,000 to youth-oriented nonprofit organizations anywhere in the world. The program will distribute approximately $200,000 in matching grants each year.

Organizations applying for the grant must demonstrate a need for running track refurbishment or construction and must provide track access to neighboring communities. Bowerman Track Renovation Program funds must also be matched in some amount by other contributors by an agreed upon deadline.

Applications may be submitted for this program through May 31, 2004.

The Boyer Center
The Boyer Center, established in 1997, exists to facilitate renewal in school and community by conducting research on critical education issues, providing resources which advocate integrated approaches to teaching and learning, and offering services which connect educational and social institutions. Check the Web site for current opportunities.

The Braitmayer Foundation
The Foundation is interested in K-12 education throughout the United States. Of particular interest are:

Curricular and school reform initiatives.
Preparation of and professional development opportunities for teachers, particularly those which encourage people of high ability and diverse background to enter and remain in K-12 teaching.

The Foundation is pleased to have its grants used as seed money, challenge grants, or to match other grants to the recipient organizations. The Foundation does not make grants to individuals, multi year grants, nor grants for endowment purposes or building programs.

Grants up to $35,000 are due to the Foundation's offices by June 30. Grants of up to $10,000 are due by June 30 or November 15.

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Candle Foundation
The Candle Foundation accepts proposals from across the United States. Priority is given to those agencies that are in areas where Candle's employees live and work. The Foundation funds projects that address: community investment, education and information dissemination, hunger and homelessness, medical research, and preventive health services. Grants range from $1,000 to $10,000. Information must be postmarked no later than May 1, 2003, to be eligible for 2003 grant awards. The foundation will begin accepting proposals Jan. 2, 2003.

CAPCO Science Class Challenge Contest

The Science Class Challenge is an opportunity to win $500 to $5,000 for your school and a pizza party for your class.

The CAPCO Science Class Challenge is a classroom contest for grades 4-9. The purpose of the competition is to encourage students and teachers to learn about the Earth's protective upper ozone layer, aerosols, and the environment by using provided activities or their own creative methods.

If you are a full-time teacher employed by a public or private school teaching within grades 4-9 and can spend 20 minutes of class time teaching students about the Earth's ozone layer, go to http://www.nocfcs.org/scc/scchome.htm to learn more!

Deadline for entry is May 21, 2004.

Craftsman/NSTA Young Inventor's Award Program
The Craftsman/NSTA Young Inventors Awards Program challenges students to use creativity and imagination along with science, technology, and mechanical ability to invent or modify a tool. The 2004 Young Inventors Awards Program is open to all students in grades 2-8 in the United States and the U.S. Territories. Students must work independently to conceive and design their tool inventions. The student, with guidance from a teacher-advisor, parent, or significant adult, will design and build a tool. The tool must perform a practical function, including (but not limited to) tools that mend, make life easier or safer in some way, entertain, or solve an everyday problem.

The two national winners (one from grades 2-5 and one from grades 6-8) will each receive a $10,000 United States Series EE Savings Bond. The 10 national finalists (five from each grade category) will each receive a $5,000 United States Series EE Savings Bond. The winning teachers and schools will receive prizes from Sears, Roebuck and Co. retail stores.

The 12 second-place regional winners (six from each grade category) will each receive a $500 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond. The 12 third-place regional winners (six from each grade category) will each receive a $250 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond.

All entries must be received by March 16, 2004. Late or faxed entries will not be accepted.

Cultivating Classroom Awareness Mini Grant
The International Rescue Committee Community Collaboratives for Refugee Women and Youth (Community Collaboratives) will award up to 4 grants of up to $1,000 each to 4th – 12th grade educators to facilitate a student project on the topic of refugees in the United States. We encourage high impact projects reaching as many students, teachers, school administrators and community members as possible.

Projects must be completed by December 31, 2003.

This award is open to any current 4th – 12th grade educator in any subject deemed appropriate for incorporating the topic of refugees into classroom learning. Educators must be located in one of the following Community Collaboratives sites: Baltimore, MD; Chicago, IL; Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh, NC; Salt Lake City, UT; and Seattle/South King County, WA. Educators will work with local refugee resettlement agencies to implement projects.

Proposals may be submitted by email (preferred) or U.S. mail and must be received by 5pm EST, Friday, September 12, 2003. Each applicant will receive confirmation of receipt after September 18, 2003 and winners will be notified by September 23, 2003.

Curriculum Associates' Excellence in Teaching Cabinet Grant Program
As the Teachers Who Publish, Curriculum Associates will honor teachers who exhibit excellence in K-8 teaching practices by selecting three educators to participate on their Excellence in Teaching Cabinet. Grants of $1,000 (in U.S. funds) plus a $500 gift certificate for Curriculum Associates materials will be awarded.

K-8 teachers in the U.S. or Canada with a unique project idea are invited to submit a project proposal. Projects can span from three months to a full school year and will reflect educators' abilities to make classrooms creative, quality learning environments through the use of a variety of teaching tools, including technology and print. Updates on the winning projects will be highlighted here, at our web site. Cabinet members will also serve as resource educators to Curriculum Associates on current and future programs.

A panel of independent educator judges will evaluate project proposals based on creativity, educational goals and objectives, ability to incorporate technology and print materials, and ease of implementation.

Proposals must be received by March 15, 2003.

eBeam Tech Fund
Educational institutions, government agencies and other eligible non-profit organizations can now qualify to receive technology grants from EFI in the form of a FREE or discounted eBeam System 1.

The eBeam Group at EFI would like to know how you would integrate the eBeam System into your learning or working environment. In 300 words or less, write a proposal that describes how you think the eBeam System's unique, idea-sharing technology can be implemented into your learning or working environment.

The eBeam Group at EFI will accept written proposals - until April 30, 2003 - from any public or private K-12, colleges, universities, government agencies and all accredited 501.c.3 non-profit organizations in the U.S. Upon review by The eBeam Group, select applicants will receive FREE eBeam Systems for use in their organization or institution. Applicants that are not selected to receive free systems may still be eligible for special discounted pricing.

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ExploraVision

ExploraVision is a competition for students of all interest, skill, and ability levels in grades K-12. Entrants must be United States or Canadian citizens or legal residents, living within the United States, U.S. Territories, or Canada and enrolled full-time in a public, private or home school. The purpose of the competition is to encourage students to combine their imaginations with the tools of science to create and explore a vision of a future technology.

Entrants must be full-time students, in grades K-12, currently enrolled and attending a public, private, or home school in the United States or Canada. Students must be no older than 21 years of age.

To prepare an entry, students work in groups of two, three or four, simulating Research and Development (R&D) teams, along with a team coach and an optional mentor. Each team selects a technology, or an aspect of a technology, that is present in the home, school, and/or community or any other technology relevant to their lives. They will explore what the technology does, how it works, and how, when, and why it was invented. The students must then project into the future what that technology could be like 20 years from now. Finally, they must convey their vision to others through both a written description and five graphics simulating Web pages.

There are four entry categories. Each entry category will be judged separately, based on the abilities of students in those grades. Students in a lower grade may be part of a team competing in the next higher entry category. However, students may not move down to a lower grade-level entry category.
• Primary Level (Grades K-3)
• Upper Elementary Level (Grades 4-6)
• Middle Level (Grades 7-9)
• High School Level (Grades 10-12)

Prizes:

Students: Student members of the four first-place teams will each receive a U.S. EE Savings Bond worth $10,000 at maturity. Second-place winners will receive U.S. EE series bonds worth $5,000 at maturity. U.S. EE savings bonds issue price is half their face value. National finalist team members and their parents/guardians will travel to Washington, D.C. in June for ExploraVision Awards Weekend where they will be recognized for their outstanding achievement.

Each student on the 24 regional winning teams will receive a Toshiba digital camera.

Coaches and Mentors. The coach and mentor of each finalist team will be given a trip to Washington,D.C., in June, to attend the awards ceremony. Each coach and mentor of the 24 regional winning teams will receive a gift.

Schools. Schools of the 24 regional winning teams will each receive a Toshiba laptop computer, which will be used by the regional winning teams to create their Web sites.

Entries are due at NSTA headquarters February 3, 2004.

Handspring Foundation
The Handspring Foundation currently focuses on supporting non-profit organizations or international equivalents that help at-risk children and youth. The Foundation makes cash grants from $1,000 to $25,000 for projects that focus on preK-12 education or other issues directly related to at-risk children and youth. Preference is given to organizations with a strong underserved outreach component. The Foundation is particularly interested in organizations and programs that are directed towards the following: at-risk youth (infants to 18 years); children's health (e.g. immunization campaigns, food programs); children who are victims of abuse or neglect, including foster care services; and homeless shelters serving families with children or youth (infants to age 18).

Please note: I wrote to Handspring to request clarification to their eligibility requirements and received the following information, "Schools themselves would not be eligible to apply for funding. 501[c]3 organizations providing services that are school or community based would be eligible for funding. An example would be a non-profit organization that provides peer counseling targeting high-risk youth, and whose services are provided at various school sites would be eligible for funding." Based on these requirements, schools interested in developing proposals for the Handspring program should partner with community organizations in the planning and preparation. Your students will benefit regardless of who the fiscal agent of the grant is.

IDEAS Grant Program
As part of the overall OSS E/PO program, the IDEAS Grant Program provides start-up funding for innovative, creative education and public outreach projects that feature active collaboration between astronomers/space scientists and formal education/informal education professionals. Through this effort, the IDEAS objective is to enhance science, mathematics and/or technology education in the United States for K-14 students, teachers and the general public by promoting partnerships that explore new ways to translate astronomy and space science into contexts that will educate and stimulate the interest of students, teachers and the general public.

The deadline for IDEAS 2003 is Friday, October 24, 2003 at 5:00 pm ET. The Call for Proposals will be released by the end of June 2003. If you would like to receive an email notification of when the Call for Proposals has been released, click here.

Join Hands Day Mini-Grants

JOIN HANDS DAY, through the Points of Light Foundation's Youth & Family Outreach Department, is making available up to 75 mini-grants ranging from $250 to $500 to fund youth-led (up to age 25) projects. The goal of the project is to develop relationships between young people and adults through volunteering. JOIN HANDS DAY occurs on May 1, 2004 and is a day dedicated to seeing young people and adults working together on an equal basis to plan, organize and implement a project that tackles a community problem.

The application deadline for the 2004 mini-grants is February 2, 2004. Applications are available online.

Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program
The Jordan Fundamentals Grants are awarded to teachers or paraprofessionals who work with students in grades from six (6) through twelve (12) in a U.S. public school who also demonstrate instructional creativity and exemplify high learning expectations for economically disadvantaged students. At least 40% of the school's student population must be eligible for the free or reduced school lunch program.

Applicants must develop an original lesson plan or thematic unit. Unique teaching methods and projects are encouraged. The grants fund resource materials, supplies, equipment, transportation, or other costs related to field trips. Applications for the 2003 Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program must be postmarked no later than June 15, 2003 to be considered.

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Ezra Jack Keats Foundation
The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation makes mini-grants of $350 to school and public libraries for programs that encourage literacy and creativity in children. Programs that will be considered include innovative or noteworthy workshops, lectures and festivals, as well as programs targeted at parents and pre-school children. Priority will be given to programs relating to the work of Ezra Jack Keats. There is an application online that can be completed and mailed to the Foundation. Applications must be submitted by September 15 annually.

Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation
The Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation gives grants of up to $10,580 to men and women whose individual initiative and work in a wide spectrum of disciplines furthers the Lindberghs' vision of a balance between the advance of technology and the preservation of the natural/human environment. Lindbergh Grants are made in the following categories: agriculture; aviation/aerospace; conservation of natural resources - including animals, plants, water, and general conservation (land, air, energy, etc.); education - including humanities/education, the arts, and intercultural communication; exploration; health - including biomedical research, health and population sciences, and adaptive technology; and waste minimization and management. A Jonathan Lindbergh Brown Grant may be given to a project to support adaptive technology or biomedical research which seeks to redress imbalance between an individual and his or her human environment. The deadline for grant applications is the second Tuesday of June in the year preceeding the awarding of funds. For example, for funding beginning in June of 2002, applications were due June 15, 2001. All applicants receive notification of final selections by April 15 of each funding year. Grants are presented in June. The Foundation receives approximately 200 formal applications each year and approximately 10 of those are funded.

Ludwick Family Foundation
The Ludwick Family Foundation seeks opportunities to encourage new and expanded projects and programs by providing grants to non-profit organizations for new equipment, equipment replacement and modernization, improvements to facilities, and educational materials. Only 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charitiesare eligible for funding.

Grants are made for a single year and typically range from $5,000 to $50,000. Foundation grants are awarded twice a year, in February and October. There is a two-step application process: 1) a letter of inquiry with the Information Form (available on Ludwick's Web site) and, if chosen, 2) a full proposal. Letters of inquiry are open to any organization that wishes to be considered. Full proposals are by invitation only.

Deadlines for the letters of inquiry are March 31st (to be considered for the October grant cycle), and August 31st (to be considered for the February grant cycle).

Please note: Ludwick Family Foundation revised their guidelines on 5/11/00. The revisions include the following limitations: salaries, general operating expenses, scholarships, endowment funds, fundraising events or capital campaigns, feasibility studies, consulting fees or advertising will not be funded.

Ludwick Family Foundation does not accept any unsolicited requests for research or from public/private schools (K-12), universities/colleges, child day care/development centers, hospitals, or libraries.

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The Robert H. Michel Civic Education Grants
The Dirksen Congressional Center announces the sixth year of a new grants program to help teachers, curriculum developers, and others improve the quality of civics instruction, with priority on the role of Congress in our federal government. Areas of interest include designing lesson plans, creating student activities, and applying instructional technology in the classroom.

The Center created the Michel Civic Education Grants to fund practical classroom strategies to improve the quality of teaching and learning about civics, with a particular emphasis on the role of Congress in the federal government. The goal of education in civics, we believe, is informed, responsible participation in political life by competent citizens.

A total of $35,000 will be awarded in two selection rounds: May 2002 and May 2003. Teachers and teacher-student teams are eligible to apply.

Teachers (4th through 12th grades), community and junior college faculty, and college and university faculty are eligible as are teacher-led student teams and individuals who develop curriculum. Priority will be given to the following disciplines: history, government, social studies, political science, and education. Institutions and organizations are eligible under certain conditions. The funds are intended solely to produce "deliverables" of use to classroom teachers.

NEA Fine Arts Grant Program

The National Education Association (NEA) Fine Arts grants are awarded to fine arts teachers, through local NEA affiliates, to enable them to create and implement fine arts programs that promote learning among students at risk of school failure. Programs must address the arts (e.g., painting, sculpture, photography, music, theater, dance, design, media, or folk arts).

Ten grants of $2,000 each will be awarded to local NEA affiliates on behalf of arts teachers who teach at the secondary level (grades 6-12). The teacher must be a member of the NEA in a U.S. public secondary school that is at risk of school failure.

Applications must be received by no later than February 2, 2004.

National Book Scholarship Fund
Literacy programs have an opportunity to obtain books and materials to improve the services they provide. Grant applications are now being accepted for the National Book Scholarship Fund (NBSF), sponsored by Laubach Literacy International. NBSF grants distribute New Readers Press books and educational materials to qualified adult literacy providers in the U.S. New Readers Press materials are specifically designed for use by adult new readers, tutors, and trainers and can make a positive, significant impact on the learning experience of adult students. The National Book Scholarship Fund gives special emphasis to grant applications from family literacy programs, followed by ESL and adult basic educational initiatives.

Grant requests for 2002 were due on December 5, 2002. During the 2001-2002 program cycle the NBSF gave $188,735 in grants to 86 programs. Since 1995, the fund has given $1,482,855 in NBSF grants to 730 programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

National Geographic Society Education Foundation - Teacher Grants
Teacher grants are given directly to educators to facilitate their work in the classroom, school, district, and community. Teacher Grant applications are accepted in the spring from any current teacher or administrator in an accredited K-12 school within the United States. Projects that have outreach to urban areas are particularly encouraged.

The Foundation encourages high-impact projects with potential to reach as many teachers and students as possible and projects that directly engage students and encourage them to understand the power and relevancy of geographic skills, the uses of geography, and a spatial perspective.

In 2003, the Education Foundation plans to make more than $100,000 in grants of up to $5,000 each to help teachers—or a group of educators—make an even greater impact in their classroom, school, district, and/or community through innovative geography education projects. Projects must either promote geographic knowledge through education or promote stewardship of natural and cultural resources.

Applications for the 2003-2004 school year or summer 2004 must be received by close of business (5:00 PM EST) June 12, 2003. Awards will be announced by August 31, 2003. Online applications are strongly encouraged.

Be sure to read the "Tips for Applying" before submitting your proposal.

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National KIND Teacher Award
K-6 classroom teachers that include lessons about kindness to people, animals and the environment in their curriculum are eligible to apply to come a KIND Teacher.

Each year since 1981, the National Association for Humane and Environmental Education has recognized an outstanding teacher who consistently incorporates humane and environmental education into his or her curriculum. To nominate yourself or another K-6 teacher for this award, please fill out the online nomination form. The 2003 deadline for nominations is February 15, 2003, and the winner will be notified before the end of the 2002-2003 school year.

If selected as National KIND Teacher, you or your nominee will receive an award plaque and a free year's subscription to KIND News for every class in your school! If your school already receives KIND News, you may designate another school to receive your subscriptions as a gift in your name.

The National School and Business Partnerships Award

Created by The Council for Corporate & School Partnerships, The National School and Business Partnerships Award will recognize exemplary partnerships between schools and businesses around the country. Partnerships involving kindergarten through 12th grade public schools and/or school districts and businesses are eligible to apply for the award.

Applicants for the award will be judged on a number of criteria, including:
• The strength of the partnership's foundation, as evidenced by shared values, and the school and business partner's ability to define mutually beneficial goals;
• The success of the partnership's implementation, as evidenced by such factors as the management process and determination of specific, measurable outcomes;
• The partnership's sustainability, based on such factors as support by school and business leaders and by teachers, employees, students and other constituents; and
• The partners' ability to present a clear evaluation of the partnership's impact, as measured by evidence that the partnership was developed with clear definitions of success for all parties, and that it has resulted in improvements of the academic, social or physical well-being of students.
• Judges may also consider the uniqueness of the partnership and the value of third-party support of the partnership.

The Council will present six awards in the inaugural year. Those selected for the award will receive national recognition and the schools or districts will receive $10,000 to support partnership efforts.

Applications must be submitted by January 29, 2004.

NWA Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants
National Weather Association (NWA) Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants of $500 are available to teachers in grades K-12 to help improve the education of their students in meteorology. Selected teachers may use the funds to take an accredited course in atmospheric sciences, attend a relevant workshop or conference, or purchase scientific materials or equipment for the classroom. Completed applications are due to the Education Committee by August 1. Grant applications are available online.

These grants are available annually. There will be at least five grants made in 2003.

Newman's Own
Actor Paul Newman donates all profits, after taxes, from the sale of his products for educational and charitable purposes. Grants are awarded annually to a wide range of organizations.

Areas of giving are the arts, affordable housing, children, disaster relief, education, elderly groups, environmental causes, and hunger relief.

Schools and other public agencies as well as 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible to apply.

For 2003, applications will be available in March. Proposals must be submitted between April 1 and July 1.

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Student Publishing Awards Program
The Student Publishing Awards Program encourages students to strive for excellence in their publishing efforts and provides a platform for national recognition.

A national winner in each of three categories will be announced in April 2003. Each national winner will receive: $1500 in cash for the school, $500 in classroom product, a beautiful award for the school, and a workshop by a TIME or TIME FOR KIDS editor. In addition, each student participant will receive a recognition certificate.

12 additional regional awards will be announced in April 2003 as well. Each regional winner will receive: $250 in classroom product, an award for the school, and recognition certificates for each student participant in the published entry.

Qualified entries must be student-produced between September 1, 2002 and March 1, 2003. $65 per entry must accompany each entry. Entries must be postmarked by March 15, 2003. There is a late fee of $15 for entries postmarked after the deadline.

Target Community Giving Grant

Target grants focus on three areas: arts, early childhood reading and family violence prevention. Most local grants range from $1,000 to $3,000 and are given to nonprofit organizations, schools and units of government. Target store team leaders play a key role in local grant programs because they know their communities best.

The 2004 grant application will be available beginning March 1, 2004. Grant applications will be accepted at all Target Stores between March 1 and May 31, 2004.