A Modest Proposal: Education Grants

It’s no secret that we’re in the midst of the worst recession since The Great Depression. While some news outlets have reported that the recession is, in fact, over, many people haven’t felt financial relief yet. The economic meltdown was years in the making, and it’s an unfortunate fact that recovery will likely take some years more. By now, we’re all pretty tired of the unpleasant – but necessary – financial belt-tightening demonstrated by our local communities. Town and city budgets are stretched thin, and all public departments have been hit hard.

In his recent interview at the Global Learning Resource Connection meeting, National Education Association Executive Director John Wilson spoke of the challenges of providing quality education in an anemic economy. Schools nationwide have been particularly affected by the economic downturn, and some communities have resorted to closing and consolidating schools in an attempt to reduce budget gaps. In my town, we’ve had to cut jobs (teachers as well as staff), delay building maintenance, and slash education programs due to a shortage of funding. The schools have responded to the financial crisis by being proactive in finding ways to help reduce finances without sacrificing quality. For example, nearly all school-to-home communications in the district are now conducted online rather than via paper copies, Styrofoam lunch trays have been replaced with lower-cost (and greener) biodegradable paper models, and bus routes have been redrawn and consolidated. Still, gaps between what many schools need to simply maintain level service, and the budgets they have to work with, persist.

This week, Peggy and I are focusing on resources and ideas to further stretch your classroom dollars, and perhaps help you find extra money for your classroom or school. Grants are one way to help fund projects or programs, and although time-consuming, can be well worth the effort. The resources below all offer tips and guidelines on how to pursue and write grants, and throughout the week we’ll be featuring daily resources on our Facebook and Twitter pages on locating, identifying, and pursuing educational grants. There is money out there – go get it!

Show Me the Money: Grant Writing
Subjects: Writing
Grades: K-12 teachers
If you can write a lesson plan, you can write a winning grant proposal. This article helps you to get started. This resource is a product of Teachers.net, an education portal with lesson plans, chat boards, employment postings, and more.

Grantwriting Tips
Subjects: Writing
Grade: K-12 Teachers
This resource explores the ins and outs of grant writing, and provides ideas and links to fundraising sources. This article was produced by Lone-Eagle, a consulting company that trains people, offers online courses, and incubates new businesses.

Proposal-Writing Outline
Subjects: Writing
Grade: K-12 teachers
This outline assists users in writing a grant proposal and implementation plan. This article was produced by Lone-Eagle, a consulting company that trains people, offers online courses, and incubates new businesses.

~Joann's Picks - December 30, 2010~