Looking for funds to make an innovative technology project possible? Seeking recognition for outstanding teachers or students in your district? Here's a sampling of some great opportunities.
Inspired Teacher Scholarships for Visual Learning, from Inspiration Software, are offered annually to K-12 teachers. Thirty educator scholarships of $750 each will be awarded to support ongoing training in technology and visual learning for teachers across the United States. Learn more about the scholarships and how to apply by visiting www.inspiration.com/scholarship. The deadline for applications is January 27.
Cable in the Classroom's Leaders in Learning Awards recognize policy makers, educators, administrators, and community leaders who have made major contributions to transform K-12 education in and outside the classroom. Winners receive $3,000 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. Awards are made for achievements that are examples of best practices and that show potential for national expansion. Further information is available at www.ciconline.org/leadersinlearningawards/default.html. The deadline for nominations is January 31.
Follett Software Company sponsors the AASL Information Technology Pathfinder Award. This award recognizes members of the American Association of School Librarians for their innovative use of information technology in the school library. Awards are made in two categories: grades K-6 and 7-12. The library media specialist receives $1,000, and the school library receives $500. Application information is available at www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslawards/aaslawards.htm. The deadline for applications is February 1.
The Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation invites students in grades 6-8 to compete for a Christopher Columbus Award. Students work in teams to apply the scientific method of problem solving to real-world issues in their communities. The finalist teams receive $200 to further develop their ideas and travel, all-expenses-paid, to The EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World in Florida to display their solutions and compete for prizes. For additional information, visit www.christopher columbusawards.com. The deadline for entries is February 14.
The HP Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative, sponsored by the Hewlett-Packard Company, encourages teams of teachers to work together to explore the use of various technologies as instructional tools. Each winning team member receives an HP tablet PC, an HP multimedia projector, HP help desk technical support for one year, a $500 stipend, and individualized professional development opportunities. Grant information is available at grants.hp.com/us/programs/tech_teaching/index.html. The deadline for proposals is February 15.
Youngsters ages 8-18 may enter the Listen to a Life Contest, sponsored by the Legacy Project. Young people interview adults over 50 years old (the adult may not be the child's parent) about their dreams, goals, and life experiences and then write a 300-word essay based upon the interview. The grand prize is an IBM ThinkCentre computer and a $1,000 gift certificate from Books Are Fun. For additional information, visit www.legacyproject.org. Essays are due February 28.
Tip of the Month
Increasing numbers of grantors are requiring that final proposals be submitted online in Portable Document Format. It's easy to convert a document into PDF, but some PDF converters may shrink your text slightly. After you've converted your files to PDF, double-check that your margins and font size still meet the formatting requirements. If you find variations in your document, check the converter's help file to learn how to make corrections.
Resource
Don't know your RFP from your LEA? Not to worry! Grant writers sometimes seem to speak a language of their own, using words and abbreviations that many of us do not understand. You can demystify much of this terminology by visiting Houghton Mifflin Company's online Grantionary. This easy-to-use resource lists terms and acronyms that are frequently used in grant proposals, providing clear definitions and explaining how each term is used.
