Grants, Awards & Freebies
Grants, awards & freebies - Oct. 1, 2009
Oct 1, 2009 12:40 PM
Seat-fillers wanted: Did you know that you can attend a show every night for less than the cost of two movie tickets? Play-by-Play is offering a special discounted membership of $87 (regular $107) to UFT members to be seat-fillers if you join by Oct. 31. Play-by-Play’s Web site posts daily listings which include dozens and dozens of theater, concert and dance performances all of which need seat-fillers. A seat-filler’s job is to “dress the house” and assist with the word-of-mouth promotion. A membership is good for one year and includes access to two tickets per show of available inventory. DEADLINE: Oct. 31. CONTACT: Go to www.play-by-play.com to apply. Keep in mind seat-filling is not for everyone; there are some downsides. Members should check the Web site regularly to get the best selection and having a flexible schedule is a must. Seat-fillers have to arrive early to pick up tickets and sit in the seats assigned by the box office.
Magna grants: The American School Board Journal, the National School Boards Association and Sodexo School Service request nominations for the Magna Awards, which honor school board best practices and innovative programs that advance student learning. K–12 school districts can apply for one of three grand prizes of $4,000 each. Magna nominations are judged according to three enrollment categories (under 5,000 enrollment; 5,000–20,000 enrollment; and over 20,000 enrollment). Only online nominations will be accepted. Tips on making your nominations are available online. DEADLINE: Oct. 31. CONTACT: www.asbj.com.
Love Your Veggies grant: The Love Your Veggies grant program, created by the makers of Hidden Valley salad dressings, requests applications to help schools execute innovative programs that will increase the access to, and consumption of, fresh fruits and vegetables in the lunchroom. Schools serving students in grades K–6 that have an approved local wellness policy in place as of July 1, 2006, can apply for a $10,000 grant. Funding must be spent on any of the following: fresh produce; a vegetable station; kitchen equipment (primary usage must relate to proposed program); program staffing; nutrition education supplies (School Nutrition Association [www.schoolnutrition.org] preferred); and food safety training. DEADLINE: Nov. 6. CONTACT: www.loveyourveggies.com.
National Band Association grants: The National Band Association is accepting applications from its members to fund research projects which pertain to bands or band music. Current members can apply for $500 grants. DEADLINE: Nov. 1. CONTACT: Go to www.nationalbandassociation.org/research_grants and download an application.
Math grants: The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is accepting applications for the Equity in Mathematics Grants program, intended to incorporate middle school classroom materials or lessons that will improve the achievement of student groups that have previous records of underachievement. Grants are for up to $8,000. Applicants must be current members or teach at a school with a current NCTM membership (as of Oct. 15, 2009). This award is for individual classroom teachers or small groups of teachers collaborating in one grade or across grade levels. Proposed activities are to be completed between June 1, 2010, and May 31, 2011. DEADLINE: Nov. 12. CONTACT: NCTM, 1906 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191; phone: 1-703-620-9840; e-mail: nctm@nctm.org; Web site: www.nctm.org.
Free musical instruments: Little Kids Rock provides free musical instruments, training and resources to any public school teacher who wants to run a music program in their school. Curriculum, resources and instruments that include electric guitars, acoustic guitars, bass guitars and drum kits will be provided. Also provided are donated microphones, amplifiers and recording equipment. Applicants must be full-time public school teachers; able to attend the two-day workshop; able to play at least five chords on the guitar; and willing and able to offer a guitar class to students at your school. Classes must meet at least once a week. The program focuses on popular music styles, including rock, blues, rap and hip-hop. Heavy emphasis is put on composition, improvisation and recording. DEADLINE: Rolling. Check the Web site for training dates in New York and New Jersey. CONTACT: Little Kids Rock, 116 Greenwood Ave., Montclair, NJ 07042; phone: 1-973-746-8248; e-mail: info@littlekidsrock.com; Web site: www.littlekidsrock.org/teacher-apply.html.
Sailing tour workshop: South Street Seaport Museum presents Sailing Through Time: A Voyage of Re-Discovery, a free professional development workshop available to all New York City teachers. The workshop will take place onboard South Street Seaport Museum’s historic schooner Pioneer. The sailing tour workshop will offer teachers a new perspective on the history of early New York. The workshop provides teachers with an opportunity to examine the early history of Dutch New Amsterdam through hands-on activities incorporating the maritime sciences. Subject matter will focus on early American history, physics, geometry, geography (navigation and wind power) and biology (harbor conservation). The one-day workshop takes place Oct. 7, 4:30–6:30 p.m., at the South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton St., Manhattan. The historic schooner Pioneer departs from Pier 16 at the end of Fulton Street. There is no cost for the workshop, but participants must register. CONTACT: Call the South Street Seaport Museum’s reservation department at 1-212-748-8786 or e-mail reservations@southstseaport.org. For more information, contact Michael A. Lord, director of education, at mlord@southstseaport.org.
Participate in National Day on Writing: The National Council of Teachers of English 2009 National Day on Writing is Oct. 20. Students, teachers, parents, grandparents and family and community members are invited to submit a piece of writing of any type of writing composition. Writing will be posted in the National Gallery of Writing, a searchable archive of writing from every state in the U.S. By participating, teachers can help students realize the importance of writing every day in every way. CONTACT: Visit www.ncte.org/dayonwriting for more information.
