…create an artist!
…teach a child to read!
…make math and science exciting!
…inspire healthy choices!
…develop the next big thing!
Classrooms Can! grant awards will be announced the week of June 3rd. Stay tuned!
WHAT CAN YOUR CLASSROOM DO?
"By 3rd grade, a child's grades, attendance rates, and behavior can foreshadow with 80% accuracy whether she'll finish high school." according to a recent study from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The study also showed that "children who aren't reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade are FOUR TIMES as likely to drop out of school." Half the battle in educating our students is getting them in the classroom and keeping them engaged. We know you want to make a difference in your students’ lives, and we know that your classroom CAN make that difference.
That is why the Community Foundation of NCW has partnered with Chelan-Douglas United Way and received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a new grants program, Classrooms Can!. Fifty $1,000 grants will be available to K-12 teachers with fun, innovative, entrepreneurial classroom projects that engage their students, especially the hard to reach learner. Projects need to be in one of five areas: math/science, technology, arts education, literacy, or obesity prevention. Our goal is to give teachers an opportunity to teach their students in new ways that get them excited about subjects and going to school.
PROJECT EXAMPLES
Arts Education
- Paint a mural
- Perform a play
- Learn a dance from another culture and perform it
Literacy
- Write a classroom “choose your own adventure” book
- Create a book try to publish it (children’s book, poems, essays, etc.)
- Put together a classroom zine
Math & Science
- Grow and tend to something living
- Create your own archeological dig
- Develop a budget for a business
- Graph the outcomes of the other classroom’s obstacle race!
Obesity Prevention
- Start a Zumba class
- Have an Iron Chef competition with fruits and vegetables
- Create a fun, obstacle race
Technology
- Create a circuit board that lights something up
- Build a computer
- Build a weather station
RESOURCES
Check out some of these resources for inspiration and project ideas:
- Kinf.org - See the winning classroom projects from the Kids in Need Foundation.
- Edutopia.org - created by George Lucas, this organization shares evidence-based K-12 learning strategies that empower you to improve education.
- DonorsChoose.org - see what projects other teachers are asking donors to fund.
- gk12.org - STEM activities and resources for K-12 teachers and students.
GRANT DETAILS
This grant is open to any K-12 certified public school teacher in Chelan, Douglas or Okanogan counties.
Awards will be given to projects that fit within one of five categories: arts education; literacy; math and science; obesity prevention; or technology. Please select one category only per project. You may apply for multiple awards in separate categories, for separate projects.
We are looking for fun, innovative projects that engage the hard to reach learner.
Awards may not be used to:
- purchase computers or administrative equipment (including ipads/ipods) - these awards are meant to be used to purchase supplies and materials that students need to create a project, conduct an experiment, grow or tend living things, or learn a new skill;
- provide salary compensation to teachers, teacher’s aides, or substitutes;
- support teacher development, trainings or conferences. Students should be a main participant in any project;
- fund requests where the majority of the funding is to be used for a field trip, admissions, speaker stipends or bus rental and driver fees. As educational as these opportunities may be, no more than 20% of any request can be used for the above referenced activities.
You will be asked to identify the costs of the project by providing an itemized budget of how you plan to use the funds.
All supplies and equipment for programs are yours to keep!
You may collaborate with other teachers on a single project (ie: two teachers can each write a technology grant for one project - please be sure to indicate collaboration in project description).
Awards will be announced at the end of the school year and projects will be implemented during the 2013-2014 academic year.
Your application will be reviewed by a team of regional business and community leaders. This is your chance to show the public what you do!
HOW TO APPLY
1. Download the application and save it on your computer.
2. Fill in the responses on the application.
3. Be sure to check the box next to "Terms and Conditions" to acknowledge that you have received approval from your principal to implement your project, should it be funded.
3. Email the application to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. Please do not include any other attachments.
We are accepting applications via email only. We will NOT be accepting paper/mailed applications. You can choose to complete your application via PDF or WORD document. If you have any problems with either application, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 509--663-7716.
DOWNLOAD APPLICATION [PDF] | DOWNLOAD APPLICATION [WORD]
Next Application Deadline April 2014.
