Academic Enrichment; Teacher; Student grants

[From Philanthropy News Digest] The McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting students and teachers in developing strategies and skills that enhance learning, is accepting applications for the 2011-12 academic year in the categories of Academic Enrichment Grants, Teacher Development Grants, and Student Teaching Scholarships.

Academic Enrichment Grants provide funding for programs that nurture the intellectual, artistic, and creative abilities of children from low-income households. The foundation awards grants to individuals in amounts of up to $10,000 a year for a maximum of three years.

Teacher Development Grants provide funding to individuals or small teams of teachers in the formation and implementation of groundbreaking, collaborative K-12 classroom instruction. The foundation awards grants to individuals in amounts of up to $10,000 a year for a maximum of three years.

Student Teaching Scholarships provide $6,000 as well as one-on-one mentoring by foundation staffers to student teachers in their final year of teacher education programs at New Mexico State University, the University of California, Santa Cruz, the University of Texas at Austin, and West Virginia University.

Complete program guidelines, eligibility requirements, and application procedures are available at the McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation Web site.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Gannon new scholarships

[reposted from Erie Blogs] A $1 million gift from an anonymous donor will create a scholarship for students enrolled in Gannon University’s College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences.

The donor, a Gannon alumnus, has created the Cathedral College Endowed Merit Scholarship in the Liberal Arts. Gannon University was established, by Archbishop John Mark Gannon, as Cathedral College. The scholarship’s name is a tribute to the University’s founding name and to its early history. The scholarship is designed for academically qualified, full-time undergraduate students. Awards may be renewed annually, provided scholarship recipients maintain at least a 3.5 grade point average.

Preference for scholarship awards will be given to first-generation college students. Any individual, foundation, trust, company or other organization may at any time make additional gifts to the scholarship fund.

The College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences is comprised of more than 20 bachelor’s degree programs, five certificate programs, four associate’s degree programs and more than 20 academic minors. For more information on its programs of study, call 814-871-7549.

For more information on the Cathedral College Endowed Merit Scholarship in the Liberal Arts, contact Anthony Fulgenzio, director of philanthropy at Gannon University, at 814-871-7786.

Graduate Automotive Technology Education (GATE) Centers of Excellence

The Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), on behalf of the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Vehicle Technologies (VT) Program, is issuing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled "Graduate Automotive Technology Education (GATE) Centers of Excellence." Eligibility for this Funding Opportunity Announcement is restricted to U.S. Colleges and Universities and University-Affiliated Research Institutions with accredited graduate engineering programs (Reference Part III-"Eligibility Information" for additional restricted eligibility information). Eligibility is restricted in an effort to increase university involvement with the Vehicle Technologies Program to assure the inclusion of fresh, innovative ideas in the program, and to educate future scientists and engineers in advanced automotive/vehicle technologies. The goal of GATE is to overcome technology barriers preventing the development and production of cost-effective, high-efficiency vehicles for the U.S. market by training a future workforce of automotive engineering professionals who are knowledgeable about, and experienced in, developing and commercializing advanced automotive technologies.

Link to Full Announcement

https://www.fedconnect.net

Study Abroad Scholarships

[from Philanthropy News Digest]

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides scholarships for study abroad to U.S. undergraduates with financial need, including students from diverse backgrounds and students headed to non-traditional study abroad destinations. Established under the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000, Gilman Scholarships provide up to $5,000 per student.

The program is open to U.S. undergraduates in good academic standing seeking study abroad for college credit. Applicants must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant or be able to provide proof that they will be receiving a Pell Grant at the time of application or during the term of their study abroad. The applicant must be applying to or have been accepted into a study abroad program that is eligible for credit by the student's accredited institution of higher education in the U.S.

The applicant must be studying abroad for at least four weeks in one country. Programs involving more than one country are eligible if the student will be studying in any one country for at least four consecutive weeks.

Students studying critical need languages are eligible for up to $3,000 in additional funding as part of the Gilman Critical Need Language Supplement program. Those critical need languages include Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Turkic (Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Turkish, Turkmen, Uzbek), Persian (Farsi, Dari, Kurdish, Pashto, Tajiki), and Indic (Hindi, Urdu, Nepali, Sinhala, Bengali, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujurati, Sindhi).

For program information, complete eligibility requirements, application form, and an FAQ, visit the program Web site.

Fundamental Research Program for Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers

The National Science Foundation encourages the submission of industry-defined fundamental research proposals from NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC). Industry-defined fundamental research broadens the scientific and engineering understanding beyond the more specific applied research interests of the industries traditionally served by the I/UCRC. Industry participation extends the scope and horizon of center research projects so as to drive innovation with industrially relevant fundamental research projects.

Link to Full Announcement

NSF Publication 10-601

Youth Engagement Zones

Learn and Serve America Youth Engagement Zones

End Date: 3/31/2011 CFDA # 94.018

Contact:

Youth Engagement Zones https://questions.nationalservice.gov/app/ask 800-942-2677

The Learn and Serve America Youth Engagement Zones are designed to improve academic engagement - including student attendance and behavior - and academic achievement, high school graduation rates, and college-going rates by: Demonstrating the relevance of academic coursework and the value of civic engagement through service-learning; Connecting youth with citizens from diverse communities, backgrounds, and perspectives, providing them with expanded opportunities to serve; and Building enduring capacity within communities to use service as a solution to address pressing challenges. These grants will provide support for “eligible partnerships” to develop coordinated school- or community-based service-learning opportunities for secondary school students. All partnerships must include, at a minimum, at least one local education agency, one community college, and one community-based entity. Funding Available Subject to the availability of appropriations for fiscal year 2011, CNCS anticipates the availability of approximately $5.7 million for new Youth Engagement Zones grants. CNCS anticipates making an estimated 5 to 7 grant awards that will range from approximately $700,000 to $1,500,000 to support three years of operations. Deadline Applications are due no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on March 31, 2011. Applications must arrive at CNCS by or before the deadline in order to be considered. Letters of Intent to Apply If you intend to apply, please send an email to YEZ@cns.gov by March 10, 2011. Click here to view the Notice of Funds Availability (PDF)

Warren County School District seeks input from college admissions

[Warren Times Observer] February 2, 2011 - By COLIN KYLER

With class rankings weighing so heavily on students' futures, educators want to make sure the process provides fairness. Members of the Curriculum, Instruction and Technology Committee of the Warren County School District Board of Directors discussed the topic during their meeting Tuesday. Director of Secondary Education Amanda Hetrick said input from people who work in college admissions could help the district review its policy of awarding credits. Committee Chair Dr. Paul Yourchisin asked if she foresees a committee forming to address the issue. First, Hetrick said officials need to gather information.

According to Hetrick, it would be difficult to equate the work of a student participating in dual enrollment to that undertaken by more traditional students. Students want to collaborate among themselves, she said, and come to a solution.

The district could award recognition of the different ways students achieve success, Hetrick said, including implementing a system which gives graduates honors or high honors. Currently, she said students are simply ranked in order. Committee Member Kimberly Angove said a lot of statistics show this method is losing popularity. In fact, she said half of the high schools in the nation do not have class rankings now.

Members planned to hold their next meeting following meetings of the Physical Plant and Facilities Committee and the Personnel/Athletics and Co-Curricular Committee on Feb. 28 at Warren County Career Center. Full article here.

Mott Foundation supports community college small business incubators

(note: No Pennsylvania sites were included in these awards.) [Reposted from Philanthropy News Digest]

The American Association of Community Colleges has announced a $995,000 grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation to launch the Virtual Incubation Network, a pilot program designed to encourage the creation of small businesses in ten states.

Community colleges often host small business incubators to help sustain local companies through the challenging start-up stages of development. VIN aims to scale the concept to hundreds of community colleges in order to serve geographically isolated, economically disadvantaged communities in need of jobs and revenue. The initiative will be implemented by AACC in collaboration with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship and with other partner organizations in the future.

"Small businesses play an enormous role in stimulating and sustaining economic growth — both in local communities and nationally," said AACC president and CEO Walter G. Bumphus. "This new initiative presents an exciting and innovative way to encourage small business growth without costly investment in new facilities and added infrastructure."

“Community Colleges To Fuel New Business Creation Via Virtual Incubator Network.” American Association of Community Colleges Press Release 2/01/11.