25G toward projects: The 2014 ING Unsung Heroes Awards Program seeks to help educators fund their innovative class projects. Awards range from $2,000 to $25,000. Applicants must be employed by an accredited K-12 public or private school located in the U.S. They also must be full-time educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals or classified staff with effective projects that improve student learning. Funding must be used to further the projects within the school or school system. Indirect costs or administrative fees should not be paid or withheld from the grant award.
DEADLINE: April 30
CONTACT: Scholarship Management Services, 1-507-931-1682; ing@scholarshipamerica.org; Unsung Heroes Awards Program
Business challenge for students: Do you have any business-minded students? If so, you might want to encourage them to enter the Fairholme Foundation’s third Warren Buffett Secret Millionaires Club’s Grow Your Own Business Challenge. The national online competition invites students to create new business ideas. Each entry must be a new, original business idea based on a unique product and/or service. Students 7 to 14 years old can apply. Grand-prize winners each receives $5,000. One teacher will also receive $1,000.
DEADLINE: Jan. 31
CONTACT: Learn and Earn contest
For the birds: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology requests applications for the Celebrate Urban Birds mini-grants program. The program seeks to help fund creative neighborhood events that integrate the arts, greening, birds and community involvement. Nonprofit organizations, educators and youth can apply for grants ranging from $100 to $500. All mini-grant applicants are offered materials and training to support their events (even if their proposals are not funded).
DEADLINE: Dec. 31
CONTACT: 1-607-254-2455; urbanbirds@cornell.edu; Celebrate Urban Birds
Awesome Without Borders grants: The Harnisch Foundation’s Awesome Without Borders grants program supports projects that demonstrate the power of love in action; unusually creative solutions to unsolved problems; big answers to small challenges; simple answers to big challenges; and contagious passion for the project. Grants of $1,000 are awarded weekly. Eligibility: Unrestricted.
CONTACT: info@thehf.org; Harnisch Foundation
Win Follett products: Don’t miss the opportunity to be one of the winners of $200,000 in Follett products and services for your school, including print books, eBooks, textbooks, workbooks, audiobooks, hands-on learning materials, digital resources/databases, and more. Follett Challenge wants to reward top-notch educators who are designing innovative teaching and learning programs that focus on student outcomes to help students master the multi-dimensional abilities required of them in the 21st century. A written entry and video is required. Your video and written entry will be judged by their expert panel of education thought leaders and voted on by the world! The grand prize winner will be selected from among the four semifinalists and bring home a total of $60,000 in Follett products and services. Grand Prize: $30,000; Semifinalist High School: $30,000; Semifinalist Middle School: $30,000; Semifinalist Elementary: $30,000; Semifinalist Other: $30,000; 10 Video Winners: $5,000.
DEADLINE: Feb. 24.
CONTACT: Follett Challenge
Funding for music education: The Music Is Revolution Foundation administers a mini-grant program for Music Is Revolution activities designed by teachers to implement, support, and/or improve their ability to provide quality music education for their students. Mini-grants of up to $500 are available to teachers for music education activities of all types. Funds may be used for supplies, materials, equipment, transportation for a field trip, and/or to bring a performer or musical group to the school. Funds may not be used to pay for personnel, to replace state or local school funds, or for celebration food and drinks. Public school teachers of children in grades K-12 may apply for funding. Students and/or parents may participate in the writing of the application.
DEADLINE: Jan. 15; the next deadline is April 15 if you miss this one
CONTACT: Music is Revolution mini-grant application [PDF]
Improve self-directed learning: The NEA Foundation provides its Student Achievement Grants to improve the academic achievement of students in U.S. public schools and public higher education institutions in any subject area. The proposed work should engage students in critical thinking and problem solving that deepen their knowledge of standards-based subject matter. The work should also improve students’ habits of inquiry, self-directed learning and critical reflection. Grant funds may be used for resource materials, supplies, equipment, transportation, technology or scholars-in-residence. Although some funds may be used to support the professional development necessary to implement the project, the majority of grant funds must be spent on materials or educational experiences for students. Grant funds may not be used to support after-school, weekend, or summer programs; pay indirect costs, grant administration fees, or salaries; pay stipends to the applicants; or support conference fees for more than one person. The grant amounts available are $2,000 and $5,000.
DEADLINE: Feb. 1; if you miss this deadline the next one is June 1
CONTACT: NEA Foundation
Make a difference: Canvas by Instructure solicits applications for its grants program, which seeks to help K-12 educators get their difference-making ideas off the ground. K-12 schools can apply for grants of up to $5,000. Submissions may include, but are not limited to, the following: meeting demands of standards; extending the classroom; involving parents in meaningful ways; pre-K-5 technology; special education; personalized learning paths; one-to-one initiatives; universal design for learning; project-based learning; and science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
DEADLINE: Jan. 20
CONTACT: info@instructure.com or Canvas grants