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.