Obama Proposes $1.35 Billion Expansion to Race to the Top Fund

[Philanthropy News Digest] President Barack Obama has called for a $1.35 billion expansion to the public school reform program known as Race to the Top fund, which was included in last year's stimulus package, as part of his fiscal 2011 budget proposal, the Washington Post reports.

The funding would be in addition to the $4.35 billion that states already are competing for under the program, which is designed to encourage and support ideas that address the problems of a public education system that, most people agree, is failing too many students. To date, eleven states have implemented reforms to make them eligible to receive funding, and more than thirty states are expected to have applied by yesterday's deadline for the first round. Some of the stimulus money allocated to the schools program will be awarded in April, with states that do not receive funding eligible to re-apply in June.

Competition for funds from next year's budget will be opened to school districts, eliminating the tensions that emerged between local and state governments over stimulus money distribution. Obama wants states to use the funds to ease limits on charter schools, link teacher pay to student achievement, and move toward common U.S. academic standards. Charter schools receive public funding but are exempt from some state or local rules and serve as an alternative to regular public schools.

Math and Science Partnership grants

The National Science Foundation's Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program is a major research and development effort that supports innovative partnerships to improve K-12 student achievement in mathematics and science. MSP projects are expected to raise the achievement levels of all students and significantly reduce achievement gaps in the mathematics and science performance of diverse student populations. In order to improve the mathematics and science achievement of the Nation's students, MSP projects contribute to what is known in mathematics and science education and serve as models that have a sufficiently strong evidence/research base to improve the mathematics and science education outcomes for all students. NSF's MSP program coordinates its effort with the Mathematics and Science Partnerships program of the U.S. Department of Education in the expectation that effective innovations in mathematics and science education will be disseminated into wider practice.

Computer Science STEM grants

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is accepting proposals with innovative new ideas to encourage students to major in Computer Science (CS)-STEM and pursue careers as engineers and scientists. Increasing the number of graduates in Computer Science is a key goal, but the project will also be considered a success if the number of graduates in the broader STEM community is increased.

The goal of the CS-STEM Education project is to develop a well-educated population of college-level graduates in computer science, science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics. This may be accomplished by various means; however, proposals are expected to describe the model to be used, which must include two basic elements: Student Activities and Organizational Structure. Offerors must create compelling activities, requiring STEM, that are targeted to middle (grades 7, 8) and high school (grades 9, 10, 11, 12) students.

Sprint Character Education grant

The Sprint Foundation will award grants to school districts and individual schools to fund the purchase of resource materials, supplies, equipment and software that facilitates and encourages character education among K-12 students. The program will accept applications for Character Education programs that promote youth leadership, youth volunteerism, school pride and a positive school culture. The Sprint Character Education Grant Program will award individual school grants up to $5,000 and school district grants up to $25,000. The grant application period will run from Jan. 4th - Feb. 5th 2010. For more information, visit the foundation's website.

Letters of support for race funding sought

From the TEAM PA Newsletter: Pennsylvania has been presented with a wonderful opportunity to secure its share of up to $400 million in federal funding for its schools, but the state urgently needs your help. The Race to the Top is an unprecedented federal program that will reward states that have raised student performance in the past and have the capacity to accelerate achievement gains with innovative reforms.

As the only state to see increases in student achievement in elementary, middle and high school from 2002 to 2008 and because of such programs as the Pennsylvania STEM Initiative, the commonwealth is in an excellent position to receive this funding. State officials have been fervently working on the grant proposal that will help elevate student achievement in Pennsylvania to an even higher level. More importantly, this funding will be a major investment in the STEM regional networks as the regional representatives carry forward the incredible work they have accomplished over the past two years.

You can assist in this process by writing your letter of support. Click to read more or to see the form letter. You are also welcome to write your own letter as well.

Time is of an urgent matter, however, as all letters must be received at the Pennsylvania Department of Education by Friday, January 15.

A PDF of your letter to endorse Pennsylvania’s Race to the Top application can be e-mailed to: ra-pde@state.pa.us; you can fax it to 717-783-8230; or mail it to:

Leah Harris, RTTT
PA Department of Education
333 Market St., 10th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333

Gloria Barron Youth Prize

The Gloria Barron Prize honors outstanding young people, ages 8 to 18, who have shown leadership and courage in developing and implementing an extraordinary service project. The project must clearly benefit other people, our fellow creatures, or the planet we share. Winners must have demonstrated strong personal initiative as well as positive spirit, courage, intelligence, generosity, and high moral purpose. While outside help may have been obtained, the activity must be largely the winner's own creation. The service activity cannot have been done primarily to complete an assignment for work or school. The Barron Prize places significant emphasis on recognizing young people who help the environment. To nominate a young person, visit the Barron Nomination page.

New $250 million STEM initiative

According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the White House has launched a $250 million public-private initiative "to improve science and mathematics instruction with the goal of helping the nation compete in key fields against global economic rivals...With funding from high-tech businesses, universities, and foundations, the program will work to prepare more than 10,000 new math and science teachers over five years and provide on-the-job training for an additional 100,000 in science, technology, engineering, and math. The initiative nearly doubles, to more than $500 million, the Educate to Innovate initiative, which the White House launched in November to improve STEM education."