Grants, Opportunities, & Free Resources
Communicator
September 2013, Volume 37, Issue 1
Grants | Classroom Resources | Curricula & Teaching Tools
Professional Development & Learning
| FEATURED OPPORTUNITY |
Keep America Beautiful’s, third annual, “Recycle-Bowl,” is a comprehensive nationwide recycling competition for elementary, middle and high-school students. Public, private and charter schools are eligible. Registration is now open on the Recycle-Bowl website at recycle-bowl.org. The first 1,000 schools to register will receive a Recycle-Bowl coordinator toolkit. The competition runs from October 21 through November 15, culminating on America Recycles Day. Participating schools will track and report how much recyclable material they collect for a chance to win prizes.
At the close of the four-week competition, the school in each state (and the District of Columbia) that collects the most recyclable material per capita will win $1,000. A national champion will then be chosen from the top statewide winners to receive additional prizes. Schools that collect material from the community will compete in a separate category for first-, second- and third- place cash prizes. Prizes will also be given to the most improved school and schools that use the competition to start recycling for the first time.
Deadline: October 15
| GRANTS |
The Sharing the Dream grant program offers schools an opportunity to win a $5,000 grant to support global learning projects. The program was launched in 2004 after the annual MetLife Survey of the American Teacher revealed a significant disconnect between the ways in which principals and other members of the school community view their schools and relationships with one another. Five grants of $5,000 will be awarded for new projects that create globally oriented schools and international learning communities, and that engage children in transformative, multidisciplinary experiences and service learning projects. Ten grants of $5,000 will be awarded to past recipients of Sharing the Dream grants to grow and extend the reach of projects funded between 2003 and 2012. For more details, visit sharingthedreamgrant.wordpress.com or email sharingthedreamgrant@gmail.com .
Deadline: September 11
President’s Environmental Youth Awards
The President’s Environmental Youth Award program promotes awareness of our nation’s natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Since 1971, the President of the United States has joined with EPA to recognize young people across the U.S. for protecting our nation’s air, water, land, and ecology.
Deadline: December 31
Tennis, Anyone?
United States Tennis Association Southern offers matching equipment grants to elementary schools that organize a kids’ tennis club. No tennis courts are required. Kids’ tennis clubs can be located in schools, parks, youth centers, or tennis facilities. This grant is available for schools in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Deadline: Ongoing
Grant for Salad Bars in Schools
Seeking to increase children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables, the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools program plans to fund and grant 6,000 salad bars to schools across the nation by 2013. Any K-12 school or district participating in the National School Lunch Program is eligible to apply.
Deadline: Rolling
| CLASSROOM RESOURCES |
Literacy Empowerment Foundation – Common Core Book Grants
Schools can apply to receive a free set of Common Core books for each set ordered at normal price. There is no special application or screening process. Simply choose from over a hundred different titles. There is a limit of $40,000 worth of books per school.
Final Deadline: June 30
Books for Children in Need
First Book donates 35,000 books per day to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada. Educators or program administrators at schools where at least 70 percent of the children come from low-income families are eligible to apply for the nonprofit’s book distribution programs.
Free Classroom Supplies
Teachers can use a helping hand when it comes to stocking up on school supplies. That is why The Clorox Company is launching the Canisters for Classrooms program to help teachers get Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes for their classrooms and get parents involved in donating, too! When teachers put Clorox Disinfecting Wipes on their back-to-school list, Clorox will automatically donate two canisters to their classroom (while supplies last)! Visit Clorox Classrooms to upload your back-to-school supply list or create your back-to-school supply list online.
Scholastic Book Fairs Warehouse Sale
Scholastic is holding a sale at its many warehouse locations across the country. Books are discounted as heavily as 25 to 80 percent, with most being at least half off. You can also register online to save $10 on your first purchase over $50, or $25 on your first purchase over $100.
| CURRICULA & TEACHING TOOLS |
Financial Literacy Resources
Money as You Grow—20 Things Kids Need to Know to Live Financially Smart Lives, an online tool to help improve the financial capability of America’s youth, offers 20 essential, age-appropriate lessons kids need to learn about money. The President’s Council on Financial Capability developed the website.
Free Fitness Curriculum
The ACE Operation FitKids curriculum from the American Council on Exercise is designed for educators looking to integrate health and fitness into classroom learning. The 7-lesson curricula for grades 3 to 8 and teach students the dangers of being overweight and the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle.
Free Pen Pal Club Subscription
Pen Pal Kids Club, a global social network for kids, is offering free classroom subscriptions to K-8 teachers across the United States. The website promotes cross-curricular collaboration by integrating nonfiction writing, geography, social studies, and technology while offering students a chance to discover different cultures and meet new friends from across the globe.
Powerful Free Tool for Data, Tutoring
School leaders know that every minute spent testing is a minute taken away from teaching. ASSISTments, a new, free web-based platform developed by Worcester Polytechnic Institute, aims to change that, offering teachers the ability to blend assessment questions and tutoring. Students receive real-time guidance, while teachers see instant reports on student progress. Plus schools and districts can build benchmarks right into the system. Contact NAESP@wpi.edu for training and more information.
Symbaloo Personal Learning Environment
Symbaloo is a free cloud-based, student centered educational solution that allows easy bookmarking of important websites along with the ability to share these resources. Teachers and students have instant access to their important resources, regardless of their device or where they are. To learn more, visit www.symbalooedu.com.
Grades of Green
Grades of Green is an environmental education non-profit with the mission to empower and inspire students and the broader school community to protect the environment. Their website offers free tools, lesson plans and activities for teachers and principals to use to green their schools.
We Do Listen Foundation
The We Do Listen Foundation is home to a host of free educational resources for children. The award-winning Howard B. Wigglebottom animated books are available online, along with songs, games, activities, and more, including guidelines and resources for dealing with issues like bullying.
| PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & LEARNING |
Partners in Learning
The Microsoft Innovative Schools Program helps district and school leaders embrace innovation and implement technology effectively to support teaching and learning. Through this program school leaders can explore the possibilities, collaborate with other leaders and create a vision for the future of your school community.
Educating K-12 English Language Learners with Disabilities
The Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota released a publication titled Impact: Feature issue on Education K-12 English Language Learners with Disabilities, which offers information on how to effectively educate English-language learners with disabilities and measure their progress.
Green Strides – Webinar Series
This webinar series, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools initiative, features experts from the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and other federal programs. Topics include fitness, solar energy, life in space, and more.
Implementing Common Core Standards in Math – Webinar Series
This free webinar series and online professional learning community, sponsored by ETA/Cuisenaire, provides advice and support regarding the national math curriculum. The program provides free webinars, live chats, lesson plans and online discussions to assist teachers in connecting and collaborating with others in the same grade level.
Global Learning for Educators – Webinar Series
The Asia Society is providing a free, year-long webinar series, Global Learning for Educators, designed to help educators prepare students for college and the interconnected world beyond. Topics include project-based global learning, preparing your school for global learning initiatives, and more.
RTI in Early Childhood Settings – Webcast
“Implementing Response to Intervention in Early Childhood Settings: National, State, and Program Perspectives,” an 80-minute webcast from the RTI Action Network, features a panel of nationally recognized researchers and dynamic RTI implementers on RTI’s role RTI in early childhood. This unique blend of multiple perspectives targets matching high-quality instruction and interventions to meet learning needs during the early childhood years.
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