Cure for the summertime blues: The National Endowment for the Humanities offers teachers opportunities to study a variety of humanities topics in NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes. Contact the specific projects for more information about the programs and the application process. The opportunity is open to full-time teachers in public, charter, independent and religiously affiliated schools, as well as home-schooling educators. Other K-12 school personnel, including librarians, administrators, substitute teachers and classroom professionals, are also eligible to participate. Up to two seminar spaces and three institute spaces are available for current graduate students who intend to pursue careers in K-12 teaching. You may apply to no more than two NEH Summer Programs (Summer Seminars, Summer Institutes, or Landmarks Workshops) and you may attend only one. Stipends of $1,200-$3,900 help cover expenses for these one- to five-week programs.
DEADLINE: March 4
CONTACT: NEH Summer Programs
In the running: ING and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education solicit applications for their Run for Something Better School Awards Program. The awards are available for school-based running programs that benefit students in grades K-8. Schools can apply for grants of up to $3,500. In order to be considered for a grant, each program must be structured for a minimum of eight weeks and conclude with an organized running event that celebrates the students’ achievements. In addition to the grants, schools can download unique running lesson plans developed by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and based on the National Standards for Physical Education to serve as the foundation of the running program or to supplement an existing school program.
DEADLINE: May 15
CONTACT: ING Run for Something Better
Unlock Your Future Challenge: The Western Union Foundation and Discovery Education seek entrants for the Open Doors: Unlock Your Future Challenge. The challenge aims to underscore the connection between personal interests and career opportunities by encouraging students to reflect on their future by making direct connections between what they strive to do in the future and their current passions and interests. The winning student will receive $5,000 to support their own career plans and $5,000 for their school’s job-readiness efforts. Eligibility: high school students. Teachers and parents are encouraged to enter on behalf of a high school student.
DEADLINE: March 27
CONTACT: andrew.silver@westernunion.com; www.opendoorschallenge.com/challenge
Improve student learning: The McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation offers Academic Enrichment Grants designed to develop in-class and extracurricular 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. Maximum award: $10,000 per year for three years. Eligibility: educators employed by schools or nonprofit organizations with the background and experience to complete the project successfully and have direct and regular contact with students in grades pre-K to 12 from low-income households.
DEADLINE: April 15
CONTACT: McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation
Color your world: Crayola is accepting applications for the Champion Creatively Alive Children grant program. Grants are offered for innovative, creative leadership team building within elementary schools. Winning schools receive $2,500 and $1,000 worth of Crayola products. Only elementary schools are eligible. To apply, educators should: form a collaborative team to plan innovative ways of infusing creativity throughout the school; brainstorm a leadership program that will enrich the creative capabilities and confidence within the school community; and plan who will lead this collaborative effort and how. Tip: Early-bird applications submitted before midnight on June 9 will receive a Crayola product Classpack.
DEADLINE: June 23
CONTACT: creativelyalive@crayola.com; www.crayola.com
Studying industrialization: The Henry Ford organization is accepting applications for its National Endowment for the Humanities workshops. The workshops bring together K-12 educators from around the country to dialogue with leading scholars and museum curators to learn about the impact of industrialization in America. Participants receive a stipend of $1,200 to help cover living expenses, books and travel. Workshop dates are July 14–18 and Aug. 11–15 at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Mich.
DEADLINE: March 4
CONTACT: Christopher Hemler, manager of education and learning programs, 1-313-982-6036; christopherh@thehenryford.org; www.thehenryford.org/neh
It’s a numbers game: The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics solicits applications for the program of mathematics study and active professionalism grants for pre-K to 6th-grade teachers. The program seeks to provide financial support for teachers seeking to improve their understanding and appreciation of mathematics by completing course work in school mathematics content and pedagogy, working toward an advanced degree, and taking an active professional approach toward teaching mathematics. Eligibility: individuals teaching mathematics for at least three years and teaching at least 50 percent of the time in classroom(s) at the pre-K-6 level. Awards up to $24,000 are offered.
DEADLINE: May 2
CONTACT: nctm@nctm.org; NCTM
Fertilizer money: Grow to Learn NYC is accepting applications for its next round of garden mini-grants of $500 to $2,000 to start or enhance a learning garden at New York City public and charter schools. If you need help, you can attend a grant-writing and garden-design workshop.
DEADLINE: March 5
CONTACT: 1-212-788-7900 or www.growtolearn.org. Applications are available at www.growtolearn.org/view/mini_grant.
Tall order: K-12 teachers are invited to apply for a weeklong Chicago summer workshop, The American Skyscraper: Transforming Chicago and the Nation, to be held July 6–12 and July 20–26. The workshop will explore the impact of the skyscraper on Chicago and the nation, and will engage you in exploring how to use buildings as primary sources in your K-12 social sciences, language arts, science, mathematics and fine and visual arts teaching. A $1,200 stipend will help offset your housing, travel and food costs.
DEADLINE: March 4
CONTACT: Chicago Architecture Foundation