Deadline Approaching for The NEA Foundation’s October Grant Review

Applications are due by October 15, 2006, for both the Student Achievement Grants and the Learning & Leadership Grants. Recipients will be notified by March 15, 2007. Grants fund activities for 12 months from the award date.

Student Achievement (formerly Innovation Grants) and Learning & Leadership Grants are available for all subjects, including the arts, literacy, mathematics, science, and technology. Grant amounts are $5,000 for Student Achievement Grants and either $2,000 (individual) or $5,000 (group) for Learning & Leadership Grants.

Through the years, the NEA Foundation has funded over 1,600 grants nationwide to public school educators. Read about recent projects at the Foundation’s Web site, and submit your own ideas! Practicing K–12 public school teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff are all encouraged to apply. New, improved guidelines and applications make it easier than ever to apply!

Visit www.neafoundation.org today for more information, including guidelines and applications. Or call 202-822-7840.

NEA Urban Grants

NEA’s Urban Grants Program supports local affiliates in the development of education reform leadership programs for preK–12/graduate school faculty and education support professionals. Each year, NEA awards 25 Urban Grants in the amount of $5,000 each to local affiliates to help support them with these programs. NEA Constituent Relations administers the grants and looks for proposals that contribute to restoring public confidence in public education by reflecting some aspect of NEA’s Strategic Priorities.

NEA local affiliates of 500 members or more who are listed with the NEA membership office, or the largest local NEA affiliate of any state regardless of membership number, are eligible to apply.

Applicants must submit a proposal postmarked no later than September 30, 2006, to NEA Constituent Relations/NCUEA Office, 1201 16th St., N.W., Washington, DC, 20036. The Constituent Relations staff will correspond with applicants, as well as their respective state Association and regional office, notifying them of receipt of the proposal.

For information on applying, selection criteria, and the review process, visit www.nea.org/teachers/urbangrants.html.

2007 Disney Teacher Awards

Each year Disney presents innovative preK–12 teachers with the Disney Teacher Awards in celebration of their creativity, innovative teaching methods, and ability to inspire students while actively engaging them in learning.

Each honoree receives $10,000 from the Walt Disney Company and a trip to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, for a week of festivities that includes an awards gala, professional development, and fun in the theme park. In addition, each honoree’s school will receive $5,000 from Disney.

Nominations will be accepted through October 15, 2006.

To learn more about the awards or to nominate someone, see the Disney Web site at http://disney.go.com/disneyhand/learning/teacherawards/.

Grants Teach Students to be ‘Good Neighbors’

Funded by the State Farm Companies Foundation, 100 Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grants of $1,000 each are available from Youth Service America for teachers, youth (ages 5–25), and school-based service-learning coordinators to implement service-learning projects for National & Global Youth Service Day, April 20-22, 2007.

The grants enable youth and educators to bring the positive benefits of service-learning to more young people across America. Service-learning helps youth build stronger academic skills, foster civic responsibility, and develop leadership ability. Grant applications must be received by mail by October 16, 2006 (available to U.S. applicants only). For more information, visit the Web site at www.ysa.org/awards.

Graph Your Way to a Grant

Full-time science teachers from elementary to college level are eligible to apply for the Vernier Software & Technology/ National Science Teachers Association Technology Award. Vernier will provide up to seven awards, each valued at $3,000, for educators who demonstrate innovative uses of data-collection technology using a computer, graphing calculator, or other hand-held device in the science classroom.

Awards will be given to one elementary teacher, two middle school teachers, three high school teachers, and one college-level educator. Winners will receive a $1,000 cash award, $1,000 in Vernier equipment, and $1,000 toward travel and expenses to attend NSTA’s National Convention in 2007. Entries are due by October 15, 2006.

Applications must include the application form, an abstract of the program, a copy of an actual lab activity, a vita, and letters of support. Information, materials, and guidelines are available online at at www.vernier.com/grants .