Pennsylvania Awards $36.1 Million to Strengthen Literacy Programs, includes Erie & Clarion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 23, 2012

Harrisburg – Secretary of Education Ron Tomalis today announced that more than $36.1 million in federal funding has been awarded to 56 local education agencies to support literacy programs for students from birth through 12th grade.

The Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy grant, also referred to as the Keystones to Opportunity grant, is a five-year, competitive federal grant program designed to assist local education agencies in developing and implementing local comprehensive literacy plans.

“I applaud these schools for securing funding to ensure that students have the essential skills to succeed academically,” Tomalis said. “Literacy programs help to improve student reading and comprehension, which could result in higher academic achievement.”

This grant program will support Pennsylvania’s comprehensive approach to improving literacy outcomes for all children, including disadvantaged students, limited English proficiency students and students with disabilities.

This funding will provide the necessary tools to foster 21st century literacy environments where children can develop the reading, writing, speaking, listening and language skills they need to succeed academically.

A total of 149 school districts submitted grant applications.

As one of only six states to receive funding for the first year, Pennsylvania was awarded a total of $38.6 million by the U.S. Department of Education. The grant requires that 95 percent of the award must be driven out to local education agencies.

Funds for the second year are pending release by the federal government, and funding for years three through five is contingent upon the availability of federal funds.

In less than one year, Pennsylvania has been awarded more than $80 million in federal funds to improve educational opportunities for students.

Clarion County - Allegheny-Clarion Valley School District, $739,252

Erie County - Girard School District, $59,691

Math and Science Partnership

The 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 STEM performance of diverse student populations. MSP projects contribute to what is known in K-12 STEM education. All STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields supported by NSF may be involved in this work, with special encouragement to areas that are gaining increased traction at the K-12 level, such as computer science and engineering, in addition to mathematics and science. MSP projects also serve as models that have a sufficiently strong evidence/research base to improve STEM education outcomes for all students. Through this solicitation, NSF seeks to support two levels of Targeted Partnership awards, Implementation and Prototype. Implementation awards are intended to develop and put into practice innovative approaches and strategies in education. Prototype awards explore potentially innovative approaches and strategies in education. Both types of Partnerships incorporate significant new innovations to STEM education, linked to a strong educational research agenda, in one of four focal areas: Community Enterprise for STEM Learning; Current Issues Related to STEM Content; Identifying and Cultivating Exceptional Talent; and K-12 STEM Teacher Preparation. In addition, there are three types of Research, Evaluation and Technical Assistance (RETA) project opportunities in this solicitation: research related to sustainability, or policies, or state plans for STEM education; technical assistance for evaluators of MSP projects; and the STEM Education Resource Collaboratory.

Link to Additional Information

NSF Publication 12-518

Awesome list of open grants from MANY

Visit www.manynet.org to sign up for their newsletter. They also provide excellent webinars and training for those interested in applying for youth-related grants.

Youth Leadership Program
Application Deadline: May 31, 2012
The program will support the participation of high school youth and adult educators in intensive, substantive three- to four-week exchanges in the United States.
Click here for more information.

Statewide Consumer Network Grant
Application Deadline: May 18, 2012
For the purposes of this funding opportunity, this program seeks to address the needs of underserved and under-represented consumers, such as veterans; those with histories of trauma; those from ethnic, racial, or cultural minority groups; and those who have been involved in the criminal justice system.
Click here for more information.


BJA FY 12 Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program
Application Deadline: June 7, 2012
The BCJI application requires a consortium of partners (hereinafter referred to as “cross-sector partnership”) to work together to design a strategy addressing a targeted crime problem and respond to the scope of this solicitation.
Click here for more information.

Drug Free Communities Mentoring Program
Deadline May 4, 2012.
Click here to access the full funding announcement.

Research and Evaluation on Children Exposed to Violence
Deadline May 22, 2012.
Click here to access the full funding announcement.


OVW Fiscal Year 2012 - Grants to Enhance Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Program
Includes providing culturally specific programs for children exposed to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking among others.
Click here for more information.


OJJDP FY 2012 Mentoring Best Practices Research
Deadline May 1, 2012
Click here to access the full funding announcement.


FY 2012 Mentoring Enhancement Demonstration Program
Deadline May 14, 2012.
Click here to read more.


FY 2012 Local Mentoring Coordinator Program
Deadline May 14, 2012.
Click here to read more.


Child Welfare - Education System Collaborations to Increase Educational Stability
Deadline May 29, 2012.
Click here to read more.


Youth Environmental Outdoor Education and Camps
Deadline  April 23, 2012.
Click here to read more.


OJJDP FY 2012 Field-Initiated Research and Evaluation Program
Deadline May, 7, 2012.
Click here to read more.


FY 2012 Second Chance Act Juvenile Offender Reentry Program for Demonstration Projects
Deadline May 14, 2012.
Click here to read more.


Serving Adult and Youth Ex-Offenders through Strategies Targeted to Characteristics Common to Female Ex-Offenders
Deadline May 4, 2012.
Click here to read the full announcement.


Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Planning Grants
Deadline May 1, 2012.
Click here to read more.

Afterschool innovator awards

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The Afterschool Alliance and the MetLife Foundation are seeking nominations of exemplary afterschool programs serving middle school youth for the MetLife Foundation Afterschool Innovator Awards.

Nominees are sought in four categories. The afterschool and digital learning category is for programs that have demonstrated success with leveraging digital technology to facilitate learning experiences, enhance technical skills, and strengthen critical thinking across core subject areas. The afterschool and arts category is for programs that have demonstrated success in using the arts as means to strengthen self-confidence and self-expression, to build community, and to improve academic and skills development. The afterschool and parent involvement/engagement category is for programs that have demonstrated success in creatively engaging parents to help them become more involved in students' learning both in and outside of school. The afterschool and school improvement category is for programs that have successfully utilized school improvement grant funding to help promote positive change and improved academic outcomes in partnering schools.

The awards aim to identify potentially lesser-known yet effective programs and the individuals running them. Nominees will be judged by the innovative nature of their approach and demonstrated effectiveness.

Program staff and directors are allowed and encouraged to nominate their own program, but a nominator does not have to be officially affiliated with a program to nominate it. Each of the five award winners will receive $10,000 for their program.

Winners will receive additional support (up to $1,500, plus media outreach assistance) to hold a Lights On Afterschool event on October 18, 2012, to announce the award. Additionally, awardees and other notable nominees will be recognized in nationally released issue briefs and the alliance's Afterschool in Action Compendium.

Visit the Afterschool Alliance Web site for complete program guidelines

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

Clinton Global Initiative announces new commitments

[from Philanthropy News Digest] At the fifth annual Clinton Global Initiative University meeting atGeorge Washington University this past weekend, former President Clinton announced over nine hundred new projects that students and universities will undertake to improve the world.

New commitments announced at the two-day meeting include an expansion of Code the Change, a project of Stanford University student Sam King that hosts Code Jams in which computer science students provide up to twenty-four hours of pro bono volunteer services for nonprofit projects; the development, by Duke University student Patrick Oathout, of Uhuru, an online operating module that uses crowdsourcing technology to increase access to information among the international refugee community; the creation of Teach for Africa, a program byHarvard University student and Kenyan native Peggy Mativo that will provide trained teaching assistants to underserved schools in Nairobi, Kenya; and training workshops taught by Princeton University students Amanda Rees and Corinne Stephenson on how to build and operate solar drying units, enabling Kenyan farmers to dehydrate and preserve otherwise perishable produce.

Sponsored by the Victor Pinchuk and Peter G. Peterson foundations, as well as Microsoft, Laureate International Universities, Andy Nahas, Joan and Irwin Jacobs, Peter Kovler, the Prospect Fund, and Booz Allen Hamilton, CGI U 2012 convened more than one thousand students representing all fifty states, eighty-two countries, and over three hundred universities around a wide range of topics, from the global economic crisis and its impact on young people to the youth movement for global health. The second day of the event concluded with a day of service held in partnership with Rebuilding Together and the United Service Organizations.

To view a complete list of commitments made at this year's meeting, visit the Clinton Global Initiative University Web site. “President Clinton Hosted the Fifth Annual Clinton Global Initiative University Meeting at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.” Clinton Global Initiative University Press Release 3/31/12.

Emerging Latino Leaders Scholarship Program

The Best Buy Children’s Foundation and NCLR are proud to launch the sixth NCLR–Best Buy Emerging Latino Leaders Scholarship Program, which will award $25,000 in scholarships to graduating Hispanic high school seniors throughout the United States. 

Starting next week, online applications will be made available here.  The deadline for submission is Friday, April 27, 2012, and the winners will be announced in May 2012.  

Blended Learning Technology initiative

Education Elements in Palo Alto, California, has announced commitments totaling $6 million to expand its blended learning technology services to meet the growing demand for such services from schools nationwide.

The funding — which includes support from Harmony Partners, Rethink Education, and Eff Martin of Anthos Capital, as well as longtime Education Elements contributors Tugboat Ventures, NewSchools Venture Fund, and Wally Hawley, founder of the venture capital firm InterWest Partners — will enable the organization to expand its education consultant and support teams, strengthen its content and technology partnerships, enhance its technology platform, and open an office in Washington, D.C.

Since 2010, Education Elements has worked with schools, educational networks, and districts to adopt blended learning. To that end, it offers a comprehensive suite of design services and an SAAS-based Hybrid Learning Management System (HLMS) that allows institutions to personalize student learning and focus on small-group instruction. Over the next two years, the organization plans to grow its network of forty schools to more than two hundred. Among other things, it will use the new funding to develop additional HLMS features that support schools' blended learning approaches, as well as tools that enhance students' ownership of their own learning.

"We are gratified by the continued support from the investment community in helping Education Elements and its partner schools realize the potential of blended learning for teachers and students," said Education Elements CEO Anthony Kim. "Given the unprecedented student achievement and teacher satisfaction that our first schools have experienced, demand for our products and services has far exceeded our expectations this past year, and we look forward to continuing to ensure that schools and teachers have the support they need to accelerate student learning by integrating novel approaches to technology into their everyday instruction."

“Education Elements Raises $6 Million to Continue Helping Schools Transition to Blended Learning.” Education Elements Press Release 

AT&T to invest in programs focused on graduation rates

AT&T has announced a five-year, $250 million commitment to boost high school graduation rates nationwide.

Building on the success of AT&T Aspire, which has invested more than $100 million in educational initiatives since 2008, the commitment will focus on improving high school success and college and career readiness through an approach that uses technology to engage at-risk students. As part of the effort, AT&T Aspire will collaborate with innovators, educators, and other companies at AT&T Foundry innovation centers to develop cutting-edge solutions to educational obstacles; expand strategic alliances with organizations that specialize in developing and marketing new interactive learning tools; incorporate interactive "gamification" and social media tools into educational programs; and enable students in underserved communities to explore careers before graduation through internships in areas related to twenty-first century skills. AT&T also will collaborate on a nationwide initiative with GameDesk to transform traditional instruction and equalize education for all students.

Later this year, the telecommunications giant plans to launch the Aspire Mentoring Academy, which will enable AT&T employees to help students at risk of dropping out to succeed in school and life. Building on the success of its Job Shadow initiative with Junior Achievement, the company will create a program in which employee-student teams learn work/life skills, explore real business problems, and form lasting relationships. The company also will work to encourage more of its customers, partners, and other stakeholders to join the campaign; increase its financial commitment to local education-focused groups, especially those that embrace social innovation, focus on twenty-first century skills, or provide training in STEM fields for students in underserved communities; and support community organizations that specialize in helping students and improving the quality of education.

"It will take all of us w

Dropout recovery grant

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The Gateway to College National Network has funds available for partnerships between colleges and K-12 school districts to implement the Gateway to College dropout recovery program.

Gateway to College is a nationally recognized dual credit program that serves youth who have dropped out of school or are significantly behind in credits and unlikely to graduate. GtC classes are taught on the college campus. Students begin with the Foundation Experience, a learning community where students take developmental reading, writing, and math. After completing the Foundation Experience, students transition to regular college classes where they continue working toward their high school diploma and, simultaneously, an associate's degree.

In the fall of 2012, GtCNN will select up to ten college/K-12 partnerships for multi-year contracts worth between $325,000 and $440,000. In addition to start-up funds, successful applicants will receive training, technical assistance, professional development opportunities, and program evaluation-from the initial year of planning and training through program implementation, and for as long as the program remains a member of the network, which currently includes programs at thirty-five colleges in twenty states.

Successful applicants for start-up funds will be able to demonstrate flexible systems that allow students to earn a high school diploma (either through the college or in cooperation with a K-12 partner) and provide access to public K-12 education funds for high school completion; strong partnerships between the college and the local school district(s) involved in program implementation; the desire to embrace the Gateway to College academic approach and student support strategies at every level throughout the college; and compatibility of the Gateway to College model with the mission and vision of the college and school district, in order to support the required commitment to working with dropout youth.

Visit the Gateway to College Web site for complete program guidelines and application procedures.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

USA Funds announces grants for postsecondary education

[from Philanthropy News Digest] Indianapolis-based USA Funds has announced grants totaling $1.2 million to twenty-five organizations working to improve postsecondary education for students in thirteen states and the District of Columbia.

Ranging in amount from $20,000 to nearly $400,000, the fourth-quarter grants include $200,000 to the American Indian College Fund in Denver to provide needs-based scholarships to students attending tribal colleges and universities; $395,893 to the D.C.-based Links Foundationin support of a program that helps African-American students transfer from community colleges to four-year historically black colleges and universities; and $100,000 to the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education in Juneau for an early awareness initiative that promotes postsecondary education preparedness among elementary, middle, and high school students in the state.

"The quarter's grant awards support a new initiative to help African-American students at community colleges complete their studies and pursue four-year degrees," said Robert C. Ballard, USA Funds' senior vice president for access and outreach. "USA Funds also is supporting national scholarship programs that help minority students benefit from higher education, as well as events to help families complete the application to qualify for federal and other sources of financial aid for college."

“USA Funds Awards $1.2 Million in Higher Education Grants.” USA Funds Press Release 3/06/12.

Walton Family Foundation awards $159 for public education

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The Walton Family Foundation has announced grants totaling more than $159 million in support of efforts to reform the nation's public education system.

In 2011, the foundation awarded grants to more than two hundred organizations in sixteen communities with concentrations of low-income families and a shortage of high-performing schools. The largest grant, $22.9 million, was awarded to the Charter School Growth Fund in Broomfield, Colorado. Other grant recipients included Teach for America($12.5 million), the Local Initiatives Support Corporation ($6.78 million), the KIPP Foundation ($6.4 million), and GreatSchools, Inc.($4.77 million). Overall, the foundation awarded grants totaling $73.45 million in support of efforts to create quality schools; more than $58 million for initiatives to shape public policy; $26 million in support of programs that improve existing schools; and $1.4 million for research and evaluation.

For a complete list of the foundation's 2011 education reform grantees, visit the Walton Family Foundation Web site.“Walton Family Foundation Invests $159 Million in K-12 Education Reform in 2011.” Walton Family Foundation Press Release 3/07/12.

New Website Details Governor Corbett’s Proposed $338.1 Million Funding Increase for School Districts

February 28, 2012


Harrisburg – The Department of Education today launched a new website that clearly explains the increases in state taxpayer funding that school districts will receive under Governor Tom Corbett’s proposed 2012-13 state budget.

The website, which offers accurate funding information for the primary subsidies appropriated to school districts, is www.investinginpastudents.com.

Corbett’s proposed 2012-13 budget would provide more than $9.3 billion in state taxpayer funds in support of public schools. This is an increase of $338.1 million, or 3.7 percent, over the current budget and represents the largest amount of funding to public schools in state history.

Earlier this month, Governor Corbett proposed to consolidate four education line items – Basic Education Funding, Pupil Transportation, Nonpublic and Charter School Pupil Transportation, plus School Employees’ Social Security - into one funding source, known as the Student Achievement Education Block Grant.

Lumina announces $7.7M in grants

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation has announced grants totaling $7.7 million to twenty-nine organizations in sixteen states and the District of Columbia.

The grants will support organizations working to produce one of three outcomes the foundation believes will help boost the number of students who succeed in postsecondary education by 2025: preparation of students academically, financially, and socially for success beyond high school; an increase in college completion rates; and an increase in institutions' capacity to serve more students. 

Building Community and Capacity for Data-Intensive Research in the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences and in Education and Human Resources

As part of NSF's Cyberinfrastructure Framework for 21st Century Science and Engineering (CIF21) activity, the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE), the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), and the Office of Cyberinfrastructure seek to enable research communities to develop visions, teams, and capabilities dedicated to creating new, large-scale, next-generation data resources and relevant analytic techniques to advance fundamental research for the SBE and EHR sciences. Successful proposals will outline activities that will have significant impacts across multiple fields by enabling new types of data-intensive research. Investigators should think broadly and create a vision that extends intellectually across multiple disciplines and that includes--but is not limited to--the SBE or EHR sciences. 

Link to Full Announcement

NSF Publication 12-538

Investing in Innovation Fund

The Investing in Innovation Fund, established under section 14007 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), provides funding to support (1) local educational agencies (LEAs), and (2) nonprofit organizations in partnership with (a) one or more LEAs or (b) a consortium of schools. The purpose of this program is to provide competitive grants to applicants with a record of improving student achievement and attainment in order to expand the implementation of, and investment in, innovative practices that are demonstrated to have an impact on improving student achievement or student growth (as defined in this notice), closing achievement gaps, decreasing dropout rates, increasing high school graduation rates, or increasing college enrollment and completion rates. 

Link to Full Announcement

Investing in Innovation Fund, Development Grants CFDA 84.411P

Elmer's Teacher Toolkit Grants

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The Kids In Need Foundation, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free school supplies to economically disadvantaged school children and underfunded teachers, has announced the second year of a teacher grants program sponsored by Elmer's Products.

K-12 teachers across the United States are eligible to apply for one of approximately two hundred and fifty Elmer's Teacher Tool Kit grants. Grants will range from $100 to $500 for projects to be completed during the 2012-13 school year.

Grants will be awarded to teachers who wish to conduct classroom projects selected from a catalog of more than five hundred projects currently in theKids In Need Guide to Award Winning Projects. Grant awards will be based on financial need, description of how the particular project meets the educational needs of students and satisfies state standards or school curriculum requirements, and the number of students who will benefit from the project.

Please note: Although special consideration will be given to first-year teachers, all certified K-12 teachers are encouraged to apply.

As part of the Elmer's-Kids In Need partnership, Elmer's also will donate product to the foundation's Kids In Need National Network of Resource Centers, twenty-seven facilities across the United States where teachers from low-income schools can obtain free school supplies for their students and classrooms.

Applications will be accepted beginning February 14, 2012, at the Kids In Need Foundation Web site. Visit the Web site for program guidelines and access to the Kids In Need Guide to Award Winning Projects.

Link to Complete RFP

American Association of Community Colleges Announces New Initiative for Low-Income Students

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The American Association of Community Colleges has announced the launch of a three-year, $4.84 million initiative designed to help low-income students succeed by increasing access to public benefits and services at their colleges.

Led by the Center for Law and Social Policy and AACC, with funding from the Ford, Kresge, Lumina, Annie E. Casey, and Open Societyfoundations, the Benefits Access for College Completion initiative will be piloted at six community colleges. By integrating access to federal and state supports into college operations, working directly with local and state benefit administrators, and aligning services, the BAAC team hopes the participating schools will help students complete college faster and become economically self-sufficient.

The participating schools are Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Gateway Community and Technical College andOwensboro Community and Technical College in Kentucky,LaGuardia Community College in New York, Northampton Community College in Pennsylvania, and Skyline College in California. In addition, two schools in Michigan — Macomb Community College andLake Michigan College — will share perspectives from similar work.

"We are committed to student completion and appreciate the major investment these foundations are making," said AACC president Walter G. Bumphus. "Their collaborative vision will help community colleges identify the best ways for students to access the benefits and services they need to finish what they start."

“Community Colleges Address Financial Barriers to Success for Low-Income Students.” American Association of Community Colleges Press Release 2/08/12.

Youth Literacy Grants

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The Dollar General Literacy Foundation's Youth Literacy Grants program provides funding to schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations working to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. Applicants must provide literacy programs for new readers, below-grade-level readers, or readers with learning disabilities.

Grants will be provided for the following initiatives: implementing new or expanding existing literacy programs; purchasing new technology or equipment to support literacy initiatives; and purchasing books, materials, or software for literacy programs.

Applicants must be nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations and/or educational institutions (K-12 private and public schools, colleges and universities) and/or public libraries. All applicants must be located in and provide direct services in a state in which Dollar General operates and be located within twenty miles of a Dollar General store.

The maximum grant amount is $4,000.

For complete program guidelines, store locator page, eligibility quiz, and the application form, visit the Dollar General Literacy Foundation Web site. Link to Complete RFP

Millions committed for STEM education

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The White House has announced a plan to invest up to $100 million over ten years to improve math and science education in the United States, theAssociated Press reports.

As part of its plan, the administration announced a $22 million commitment from private companies, foundations, and institutions of higher education, including Google, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, theUniversity of Chicago, and Teach for America. The White House also will request $80 million from Congress for a new Department of Education competition that will award grants for innovative STEM teacher-training programs. Congress shot down a similar measure last year.

President Obama first challenged Congress and business leaders in 2010 to address the shortage of teachers with expertise in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and renewed that call during his State of the Union address in January.

To highlight the benefits of math and science education, the president hosted a White House science fair on Tuesday featuring projects designed by more than a hundred students from across the country. Projects included a robot that helps senior citizens connect with their families via Skype and a portable shelter that could be used to house people who have been displaced from their homes by a natural disaster.

During the event, the president made it clear that a renewed focus on math and science education should be an American imperative. "The belief that we belong on the cutting edge of innovation, that's an idea as old as America itself. We're a nation of thinkers, dreamers, believers in a better tomorrow."

“Obama at White House Science Fair Announces Plan to Promote Math, Science Teachers.” Associated Press 2/07/12.Nakamura, David. “Obama to Announce $100 Million Plan to Train New Educators.” Washington Post 2/06/12.

Primary Subject: Education 

STEM Scholarships announced

[from Philanthropy News Digest] SanDisk Corporation, the world's largest provider of flash memory storage solutions, has announced $1 million in needs-based scholarships for students underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Funded by the SanDisk Foundation, a corporate advised fund of theSilicon Valley Community Foundation, the SanDisk Scholars Fundwill award scholarships of up to $10,000 to women, Latino, and African-American students pursuing careers in STEM-related fields. A portion of the commitment will be set aside for students attending theMassachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, theUniversity of California, Berkeley, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Texas at Austin.

The SanDisk Foundation will partner with SVCF, International Scholarship and Tuition Services, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the United Negro College Fund to identify qualified students, process applications, award scholarships, and provide support services to recipients.

“SanDisk Encourages Students to Pursue Careers in Engineering and Technology With $1 Million Annual Scholarship Program.”SanDisk Corporation Press Release 2/01/12.

Summer Enrichment Program Grants Awarded

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation in Lansdowne, Virginia, has announced grants totaling $2.3 million to ten summer enrichment programs for talented, low-income middle and high school students in rural and urban communities across the United States.

Ranging from $100,000 to $250,000, the grants will be awarded to organizations working to provide rigorous learning experiences in the sciences, humanities, and math for more than seven hundred students across the country. Awards include $250,000 to the College of William and Mary's Center for Gifted Education for a three-week residential math program for promising New York City eighth graders; $250,000 to the University of California Berkeley to expand access to its six-week math, writing, and engineering Pre-College Academy program to a hundred more students from underserved urban high schools; and $189,902 to Northfield, Minnesota-based Carleton College to offer high school students intensive study in writing, science, and quantitative reasoning. In most cases, the foundation intends to renew the awards for two additional years.

"This initiative is part of our mission to find and assist high-potential youth in under-served communities," said JKCF executive director Lawrence Kutner. "What's particularly exciting is that these summer programs will involve talented students in fields such as robotics, environmental science, and philosophy — subjects that are unlikely to be part of their high school curricula."

For more information about the awardees, visit the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Web site.

“Foundation Awards $2.3 Million to Support Summer Programs for Talented Low-Income Youth.” Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Press Release 1/27/12.

Erie's Future Fund

Erie’s Future Fund was created in 2011, an outgrowth of Erie Community Foundation’s Early Childhood Advisory Panel in partnership with United Way of Erie County, Success By 6, members of the Early Learning Investment Commission (ELIC) and Erie Together. Leaders from corporate, nonprofit and civic sectors sought to address growing concerns about lack of school readiness among many children entering kindergarten, and the significant impact it was having now and would have in the future on Erie County’s economy and quality of life. Erie’s Future Fund goal is provide scholarships for approximately 285 low-income children in 2012-2013 school year.

*To learn more, join us on February 16th beginning at 4 p.m. at the Ambassador Hotel and Conference Center. Make your reservation by calling 814-454-0843 or via email by clicking here.

The scholarships allow children to attend a high-quality Early Childhood Education (ECE) program at ages 3 and 4.Early Childhood research shows that well-focused early childhood education investments can produce high public returns, particularly for children living in families with low income levels. Erie’s Future Fund will provide scholarships to low-income families in neighborhoods with the highest percentage of families with children under 5 living in poverty.

Erie’s Future Fund through Success BY 6 and its task forces that target areas of health, children’s mental health, education, special needs, and prevention of abuse and neglect, promotes parents involvement beginning prenatally. Families are provided guidance on selecting an ECE program, skills, and knowledge necessary to promote school readiness throughout their child’s early years, and information about health, child development, community resources to support their family’s needs.

NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Funding Opportunity Number:

12-529

Current Closing Date for Applications:

Aug 14, 2012

Expected Number of Awards:	100
Estimated Total Program Funding:	$70,000,000
Award Ceiling:	$600,000
Award Floor:	$100,000
CFDA Number(s):	47.076  --  Education and Human Resources

Description

This program makes grants to institutions of higher education to support scholarships for academically talented students demonstrating financial need, enabling them to enter the STEM workforce or STEM graduate school following completion of an associate, baccalaureate, or graduate-level degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics disciplines. Grantee institutions are responsible for selecting scholarship recipients, reporting demographic information about student scholars, and managing the S-STEM project at the institution.The program does not make scholarship awards directly to students; students should contact their institution's Office of Financial Aid for this and other scholarship opportunities. 

Link to Full Announcement

NSF Publication 12-529

Dept. of Education draft strategic plan

The Department of Education has posted its draft strategic plan for fiscal years 2011 through 2014 on its website for public comment.  The draft plan can be found here: www.ed.gov/about/reports/strat/index.html

National Financial Capability Challenge

From Penn State Erie's Center for Financial & Consumer Outreach

March 12 - April 13, 2012

The National Financial Capability Challenge is a FREE event for all educators working with high-school students ages 13-19.  The purpose of the challenge is to increase student knowledge and awareness of financial literacy topics so that they can take control of their own financial futures. Not only will the NFCC challenge all participants, but they will be rewarded for their participation and success.  Each student will receive a certificate, and those schools and states with the highest participation rates will receive special distinction.  If you are interested in learning more about the National Financial Capability Challenge, please visit the CFCO's website, or simply click here.

Farmers Grow Rural Education grants

[from Philanthropy News Digest] Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, has announced the launch of its America's Farmers Grow Rural Education program. The grant program will provide grants in over twelve hundred counties across thirty-nine states to help strengthen local communities and education systems, especially in the areas of science and/or math. Grants will be awarded based on merit, need, and community support.

The program invites farmers to nominate a public school district in their community to compete for a grant. Administrators from nominated school districts can then submit an application for either a $10,000 or $25,000 grant to support a science and/or math education program.

School districts that apply for a $10,000 grant will compete against other school districts located in a USDA-appointed Crop Reporting District; CRDs with fewer than five eligible school districts will compete against each other for a single grant. A school district that applies for a $25,000 grant will compete against schools located in its state or designated region. The Monsanto Fund will award a hundred and ninety-nine grants through the program in 2012: a hundred and seventy-seven $10,000 grants and twenty-two grants of $25,000. Overall, the fund will donate more than $2.3 million to school districts through the program.

To be eligible to submit a nomination, farmers must be at least 21 years old and actively engaged in farming a minimum of two hundred and fifty acres of corn, soybeans, and/or cotton, and/or forty acres of open field vegetables, or at least ten acres of vegetables grown in protected culture; and must reside in eligible counties where a minimum of thirty thousand acres of corn and/or soybeans and/or cotton and/or vegetables are planted each year.

Visit the America's Farmers Grow Rural Education Web site for the complete list of eligible states and regions, program guidelines, and nomination procedures.

Link to Complete RFP

Lumina Foundation announces grants

[from Philanthropy News Digest] The Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation has announced grants totaling $1.1 million working to develop the next generation of college-access supports and services and leverage the power of digital technology to support students on their path to college.

In a recent Gallup poll, 43 percent of respondents said it was somewhat or very difficult to locate information about college financial aid. To that end, planning grants were awarded through the foundation's Envisioning the Next Generation of Student Supports program to Texas-based College Forward ($200,000 ) for market research and design of a game prototype that engages students in financial aid and literacy topics; the Educational Policy Improvement Center in Oregon ($200,000) to build and test customizable transition management systems for open enrollment institutions; EduGuide in Michigan ($155,000) to pilot an enhanced information/mentoring platform with new partners; New York City-based iMentor ($200,000) for its efforts to develop a third generation student mentoring platform that incorporates new analytic tools and more data capacity; the San Francisco Education Fund ($150,900) to integrate public and private data into a new student tracking and guidance system; and Southern Region Education Board in Georgia ($200,000) to offer recommendations to states for quick-to-market mobile apps related to college access and success.

“Lumina Foundation Announces 'NextGen' Grantees Harnessing the Power of Digital Technology to Improve College Access.”Lumina Foundation Press Release 1/10/12.