The National Council for the Social Studies invites teachers of grades 3-12 to form teams of three and apply for a CiviConnections: Constructing the Past, Creating the Future grant. To be eligible, the teachers must work in the same school district, partner with at least one community agency, and plan to engage at least 25 students per teacher in a 20-hour service learning project. The $7,500 award funds a three-day summer training, implementation of the project, and attendance at the NCSS Annual Conference. To learn more, visit www.ncss.org/civiconnections. The deadline for applications is February 25.
Fifteen girls, ages 12-16, who demonstrate budding entrepreneurship, have taken initial steps toward financial independence, and have made a difference within their schools or communities will be awarded Girls Going Places College Scholarships. Sponsored by Guardian Life Insurance, scholarships range from $1,000 for the 12 finalists up to $10,000 for the top winner. Self-nominations are not accepted. Further information is available at www.guardianlife.com/womens_channel/girls_going_places/girls_going_places.html. Nominations must be postmarked by February 25.
Do you have an elementary or middle school student who has created an extraordinary Web site? If so, the child's parent or guardian may nominate him or her for an America's Youngest Web Wizards award. Hostway Corporation will give two winners a Dell Inspiron 8600 laptop and 12 months of free Web hosting. Nomination information is available at www.hostway.com/webwizard. The deadline for online nominations is February 28.
Kaplan and Newsweek are sponsoring the 'My Turn' High School Essay Competition. Current high school students who plan to attend college may submit a 500 to 1,000 word essay on a topic of their choice. Winning writers will receive scholarships ranging between $1,000 and $5,000, and the essay may be printed by the Newsweek Education Program. Additional application requirements are available at www.kaptest.com/oneoff/essay/index.jhtml. The deadline for submissions is March 1.
Teachers of grades K-12 may apply now to attend the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminars & Institutes. Participants in these rigorous, residential programs receive a stipend based on the length of the seminar or institute. Application information is available at www.neh.gov/projects/si-school.html. The deadline for applications is March 1.
Individuals and organizations that have, over a period of five years, demonstrated outstanding mentoring and effective guidance to underrepresented students in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics may apply for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring Program. Approximately $200,000, funded through the National Science Foundation, is expected to be available for 10 individual and 10 organizational awards. For additional information, visit www.ehr.nsf.gov/EHR/HRD/paesmem.asp. Applications are due March 1.
Resource
Wondering how to make your grant proposal stand out for readers while staying within the guidelines? Talking to someone who has past experience as a grant reader is a good strategy. An alternate resource is Dale S. Brown's article, "Grant Proposals: One Reviewer's Ideas On How to Get the Reviewer's Attention (And the Money)." This short piece describes Brown's approach to the task of reading and selecting winning grants. The article may be accessed at www.icdri.org/DSB/granpropdsb.htm.
Tip of the Month
By the time you've written performance goals, objectives, strategies, and benchmarks, it's easy to lose track of how all the pieces connect with one another. Less experienced grant writers often forget to include an evaluation instrument for a benchmark or leave out a strategy for an objective. Using a table to track each goal from related objectives through evaluation steps will help you stay on top of every required piece of the proposal.
Visit www.techlearning.com/resources/grants.jhtml to search through the extensive database of grants and contests.
