VA High School Student Voter Registration Week: April 23-29

Terry McAuliffeGovernor McAuliffe has issued a proclamation to officially recognize April 23-29, 2017, as Virginia High School Student Voter Registration Week. During this week, high school students, teachers, and administrators across the Commonwealth are encouraged to conduct voter registration drives at their schools. As part of the Governor’s Challenge in High School Voter Registration, schools that succeed in registering at least 65 percent of their voting-age population will receive a congratulatory certificate. Read more in the Governor’s news release »

Academic Enrichment Grants – Apply by Apr. 15

MDEF LogoThe McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation (MDEF) offers Academic Enrichment Grants designed to develop in-class and extra-curricular programs that improve student learning. The Foundation considers proposals that foster understanding, deepen students’ knowledge, and provide opportunities to expand awareness of the world around them.

Academic Enrichment Grants provide funding for programs that nurture the intellectual, artistic and creative abilities of children from low-income households. Continue reading

Apply for a 2017-18 Shannon Grant by April 21!

Shannon-Foundation-BannerThe Edgar and Eleanor Shannon Foundation for Excellence in Public Education wants to help teachers and schools implement their best ideas. Two levels of proposals are invited for the 2017-18 school year:

  • Level 1 grants, not to exceed $750, will be awarded to classroom teachers for projects that support original and innovative student activities.
  • Level 2 grants, not to exceed $5,000, may be awarded to schools for creative projects that enhance student learning across age and grade levels.

Completed applications must be submitted to Tim Shea (tshea@k12albemarle.org), Legislative and Public Affairs Officer, by April 21, 2017. Continue reading

Current Grant Opportunities

Open GrantsTeachers: Don’t forget to visit the Open Grants & Contests page within the Compass for current opportunities. In addition to highlighting specific funding opportunities, our Open Grants page serves as a portal to websites that maintain a running list of grant opps; for example, Edutopia and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Also, our Open Grants page includes several older posts that are still current! Organizations like Naiku, the NEA, and Toshiba accept grant applications either on a rolling basis or during multiple windows throughout the year.

Ready to apply for a grant? Following these steps will help you develop a strong application.

Piedmont Master Gardener Association Offering Education Horticulture Grants – Apply by Feb. 28

Piedmont Master GardenersThe Piedmont Master Gardener (PMG) Association, a volunteer organization within the Virginia Cooperative Extension, is offering grants dedicated exclusively to youth education related to horticulture and/or gardening. Any public or private K-12 educator within Albemarle County or Charlottesville City is eligible to apply for a 2017 grant. Grant applications must be submitted by February 28, 2017. Continue reading

Environmental Education and Stewardship Grants – Apply by March 1

Dominion FoundationThe Dominion Foundation is accepting applications for their competitive environmental education and stewardship grants program through March 1. Eligible organizations include nonprofits and public and private K-12 schools in communities served by Dominion companies. The Dominion Foundation considers K-12 grant requests up to $5,000 for projects that support one or more of the following priorities: Continue reading

Digital Promise filmMAKER Challenge – Entries Due Mar. 24

Digital PromiseThe Digital Promise filmMAKER™ Challenge invites middle and high school students to reinvent an everyday product to make it more sustainable, accessible or beautiful and create a documentary video that tells the story of the process.

Students are invited to submit their videos to Digital Promise by March 24, 2017, to be considered for an invitation to present their film and designs at the Bay Area Maker Faire in May 2017 or the World Maker Faire in New York in October 2017. Learn more »

16th Annual Golden Apple Awards: Nominations Now Open!

Golden Apple AwardsNominations are now open for the 16th annual Golden Apple Awards, a program designed to honor outstanding teachers in public and private schools in Albemarle County and Charlottesville City. One winner from each school will receive a Golden Apple and gift certificates from local businesses. Eight award recipients also will receive a $1,000 Golden Apple Grant, which can be used for classroom materials or professional development.

Nominations will be accepted by colleagues, students, and community members through February 2, 2017! Access the nomination form on the Golden Apple Awards web page, as well as details about eligibility, nomination criteria, the nomination and selection processes, and more.

Professional Learning Tour Scholarship – Apply by Jan. 6

VSUP LogoThe Virginia School-University Partnership (VSUP), in conjunction with EF Education First, is offering one teacher or administrator an international travel scholarship. The 2017 tour, Comparative Education Systems: Helsinki & Milan, is limited to educators in grades 7-12. Scholarship recipients will travel to Helsinki, Finland, and Milan, Italy, to explore the foundations and future of education while immersing themselves in Finnish and Italian culture with other like-minded educators. Get the scoop »

To apply, please complete the scholarship application and email it to Stephanie Lennon, EF Regional Manager (stephanie.lennon@ef.com), by January 6, 2017.