News and Trends
Grants & Contests
11/1/2012 By:
Follett Challenge Returns to Reward Innovative
Schools
The Follett
Challenge, which
awarded $100,000
worth of products
and services to six
K-12 schools a year
ago, is returning
with the prize
money doubled
and a new focus looking to reward top-notch educators who are
aligning their curricula to teach 21st-century learning skills. While
the inaugural contest sought entries solely from school libraries, the
second Follett Challenge has evolved and expanded to seek entries
from educators throughout all departments in schools that are
designing programs that develop critical thinking, communication,
creativity, and collaboration between students and among
educators. Six winners again will be selected, with this year’s total
prize value increased to $200,000.
Deadline: Jan. 4, 2013
Details: www.follettchallenge.com.
Teacher Innovator Awards
PBS LearningMedia and The Henry Ford today announced the
third annual Teacher Innovator Awards. Teachers can apply for
the Teacher Innovator Awards by submitting a video, up to three
minutes in length, or a written essay, up to three pages with
images. Entries must
address how they
are using digital
media to enhance
students’ learning
by augmenting the
traditional textbook approach to teaching. Thirty educators in total
will receive prizes for their outstanding work with the top 10 winners
receiving a professional development prize package for a week-long,
all-expense-paid “Innovation Immersion Experience” at The Henry
Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, and a PBS TeacherLine course.
Deadline: December 12, 2012
Details: www.pbslearningmedia.org/innovators
Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge
Since 2008, through the
Siemens We Can Change
the World Challenge, K-12
students have been asked
to identify environmental
problems or issues in their
schools, communities, and
across the globe and devise
plans to solve them. The
Challenge pairs student
teams with advisors, asks
them to tackle local (K-5),
regional (6-8) and global
(9-12) environmental
problems or issues and find replicable green solutions. A panel
of environmental experts and science educators will judge teams
based on their research, analysis and the ability of the solution to
be replicated on a larger scale.
Deadline: March 5, 2013
Details: www.wecanchange.com
Global Student Invention Contest
ePals announced the launch
of Invent It, the second annual
invention contest for K-12
students in partnership with
the Smithsonian’s Lemelson
Center for the Study of
Invention and Innovation. Each
challenge will have four age
categories for submission: ages
5-7, 8-11, 12-14 and 15 and up.
Submissions, which can be in
the form of videos, PowerPoint
presentations. or printed
documents, will be judged
on originality, effectiveness,
creativity, and technical quality.
Deadline: Jan. 4, 2013
Details: www.epals.com/invent-it