Apply Now for NEA Foundation Grants

Deadlines Approaching for The NEA Foundation’s December and February Grant Review. On behalf of NEA, the NEA Foundation offers nea fine arts grants. Available this year to secondary (grades 6–12) school art specialists through local NEA affiliates, the grants allow educators to create and implement fine art programs that promote learning among students at risk of school failure.

The grant amount is $2,000. At least 10 grants will be awarded. Grant funds may be used for resource materials, supplies, equipment, transportation, software, and/or professional fees. Funds may not be used to pay indirect costs, grant administration fees, or salaries, or for lobbying or religious purposes. A majority of the funds may not be used to engage an artist-in-residence.

Applications are due by December 15, 2006. The NEA Foundation will notify successful applicants by mail no later than June 30, 2007. For more information on eligibility, visit www.neafoundation.org/programs/finearts.htm.

February 1, 2007, is the next submission deadline for both the Student Achievement Grants (formerly Innovation Grants) and the Learning & Leadership Grants. Recipients will be notified by June 15, 2007. Grants fund activities for 12 months from the award date.

• Student Achievement Grants provide $5,000 to improve the academic achievement of students by engaging in critical thinking and problem-solving that deepen knowledge of standards-based subject matter.
• Learning & Leadership Grants provide opportunities for teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff to engage in high-quality professional development and lead their colleagues in professional growth. The grant amount is $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for groups engaged in collegial study.

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

Applications are due by December 14, 2006, for NEA’s Books Across America Library Books Awards.

Made in collaboration with NEA, these awards provide $5,000 to public schools serving economically disadvantaged students to purchase books for school libraries. The 2007 NEA’s Books Across America Library Books Awards are made possible with support from individuals who donated to NEA’s Books Across America fund, which brings the gift of reading to students affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Only award recipients will be notified in writing. A list of award recipients will be posted on the NEA Foundation’s Web site by March 5, 2007. For information, visit www.neafoundation.org/
programs/BooksAcrossAmericaAwards.htm.

Tomorrow’s Teachers—Today’s Members

Building a strong presence on campus is one of the biggest challenges that NEA Student Program chapters face. The NEA Student Program provides financial assistance in the form of SOAR (Student Organizing and Assistance Resources) grants to support efforts to recruit new members or organize a chapter. Chapters may apply for funding to recruit members in urban institutions, schools with minority populations and historically minority campuses, community colleges, and high-school future teacher programs. Applications for second semester efforts are due by January 31, 2007. Go to www.nea.org/student-program/programs/soar.html  for information and a downloadable application.

Is One of Your Students America’s Next Great Inventor?

Sealed Air Corporation, the creator of Bubble Wrap cushioning, is sponsoring the first-ever Bubble Wrap Competition for Young Inventors. Students in grades 5–8 can demonstrate their creativity and ingenuity by creating an invention that incorporates Bubble Wrap cushioning.

Ten semi-finalists will each receive a $500 savings bond. Three finalists will win a three-day trip to New York City, along with a parent or guardian, where the grand prize winner will be announced on Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, January 29, 2007. This winner will receive a $10,000 savings bond, while the second and third place winners will receive $5,000 and $3,000, respectively, in savings bonds. The teacher/mentor of each finalist will receive a $500 gift card. Entries must include an explanation of the invention and accompanying visuals. Go to www.nmoe.org/bubblewrap/index.html to learn more. Applications may be submitted year round.

Christopher Columbus Awards

The Christopher Columbus Awards challenge middle school students to explore opportunities for positive change in their communities. Teams of up to four students and a coach—who may be a teacher, parent, community leader, or mentor—identify a community issue and use the scientific process to solve it. The program attracts many students who might not typically enter a science competition—more than half of the entrants are girls, and more than a quarter are from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
Finalist teams win an all-expenses-paid trip to Walt Disney World, where they compete for U.S. Savings Bonds and the $25,000 Columbus Foundation Community Grant to bring their idea to life. This program is sponsored by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation with support from the National Science Foundation. For more information, go to www.
christophercolumbusawards.com. The deadline to apply is February 12, 2007.

Get Creative—In Italy

Creativity Workshop Educator Fellowships will be given to two educators attending the Creativity Workshop in Florence, Italy, July 13–22, 2007. Workshop participants learn to break through creative blocks and find new sources of inspiration through creative writing, art, memoir, storytelling, drama, journaling, and map-making exercises. The fellowships will be awarded on the basis of a 500-word proposal: “How to Inspire and Implement Creativity in the Classroom.” The concept of creativity can be in any subject area from science to the more traditional creative arts.

The first prize fellowship includes free tuition and nine nights’ accommodations in Florence. Airfare is not included. The second prize fellowship includes free tuition to attend a Creativity Workshop in Florence, but does not include airfare or hotel accommodations.
 Applicants must be full-time educators at an accredited educational institution. Go to www.thecreativityseminars.com/educatoraward.html for full guidelines. The deadline to apply is December 1, 2006.