NEA Foundation Programs Support Environmental Stewardship
High Tech High School biotechnology teacher Jay Vavra had a challenge: making an important series of environmental concepts resonate with a group of urban youth unfamiliar with them. His solution: have his class interview more than 30 scientists and environmental professionals on a topic near and dear to their hearts – the San Diego Bay.
In addition to the interviews, and with the help of a $5,000 Student Achievement Grant from the NEA Foundation, Mr. Vavra and his students conducted original biology research of the plankton, mussels and aquaculture in the Bay that resulted in increasingly impressive class projects, including: a published book; community meetings on their findings; a video documentary, and a presentation at the National Social Studies Conference.
Inspired by success stories like this, and together with our partners and grantees, the NEA Foundation is finding new ways to invigorate teaching and learning. Read on to learn more about the Foundation's contribution to a sustainable environment through our expanded grants program, our eco-friendly gala, and our transition to paperless application processes.
The NEA Foundation Partners with Nickelodeon and the Staples Foundation for Learning to Fund “Green” Grants for Educators
Made possible by unprecedented back-to-back financial commitments from Nickelodeon and the Staples Foundation for Learning to fund “green grants” for public school educators, the NEA Foundation will grow its grants program for individual and teams of educators. The new $150,000 in grant funding is designated for projects that integrate green-related topics and experiences to increase student engagement and to improve academic achievement.
The program builds on the success of the NEA Foundation’s Student Achievement and Learning & Leadership Grants that have provided more than $6 million in grants to public school educators over the past 10 years.
Public school educators are eligible to apply for individual grants worth up to $5,000 for the development and implementation of ideas, techniques, and approaches for teaching “green” concepts. The first grant application deadline is Oct. 15, and grants are slated to be awarded in January 2010. The Foundation will award two more rounds of the green grants in 2010, with deadlines for applications falling on Feb. 1 and June 1.
2010 Salute to Excellence in Education Gala to be Eco-Friendly
Known as the Academy Awards of Public Education, this year's Salute to Excellence in Education Gala has an eco-friendly theme and will feature celebrities from the environmental movement.
But the real stars are the 38 outstanding educators nominated by their NEA state and direct affiliates for the 2010 Awards for Teaching Excellence who will be honored for their accomplishments.
The event will be held on Feb. 12, 2010 at the magnificent National Building Museum in Washington, DC. Mark your calendars now and visit neafoundation.org for details.
Awards for Teaching Excellence Nominations Now Online
That’s right, no more paper ATE applications! With our brand new online nomination process, each eligible NEA affiliate has a unique logon identification, enabling them to electronically nominate a candidate for the 2011 awards. To read the 2011 guidelines and view the online application, click here. The deadline for the 2011 nominations is May 3, 2010.
If you have any questions or need help, please contact Susan Burk at sburk@nea.org.
NEA Foundation Promotes Grant Program; Presents Nobel Prize Nominee at 2009 NEA Expo
Thousands of educators visited the NEA Foundation’s booth at the NEA’s 2009 Expo in San Diego to learn more about the Foundation’s grants, for a chance to win an iPod Touch, and to pick up a coveted NEA Foundation “Need a Grant?” bag.
Foundation staff answered hundreds of questions about its Student Achievement and Learning & Leadership Grants throughout the two and a half days that the Expo was held.
On July 2, the NEA Foundation hosted a presentation and book signing for Nobel Peace Prize nominee and best-selling author of “Three Cups of Tea,” Greg Mortenson. The NEA Foundation has supported the work of Mortenson’s organization, Pennies for Peace, to develop an online service learning toolkit designed for K-12 educators to create effective penny-raising campaigns to build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan as part of their schools’ curriculum. To learn more and download the toolkit, please visit our Web site.
The NEA Foundation Awards $113,000 in Grants to Educators
The NEA Foundation has awarded 28 new grants totaling $113,000 to fund educators’ efforts to improve public education for students nationwide. The grants, which support educators’ ideas to improve teaching and learning or professional development efforts, will be administered over the next year.
Over the course of each year, the NEA Foundation funds about 150 Student Achievement Grants and Learning & Leadership Grants. Awardees are announced in three rounds. Visit our Web site to view a list of the latest awardees and to read a brief description of their proposed work.
Individual Donations Make NEA Foundation’s Grants to Public School Libraries Possible
Made possible by support from individuals, the NEA Foundation will make $1,000 awards to public schools serving economically disadvantaged students to purchase books for school libraries as part of the NEA's Books Across America Library Books Award program. In collaboration with the National Education Association, the NEA Foundation will make approximately 50 awards to public school libraries.
Interested educators can visit our Web site to view application guidelines and to download the application form. Applications must be submitted
by e-mail and the next deadline for applications is Friday, November 20, 2009.
If you would like make a donation to help bring the gift of reading to students, visit our Web site and make an online contribution. It’s a great way to promote the original free, reusable resource for learning by supporting public school libraries.
New neafoundation.org Goes Live in September
We are putting the finishing touches on our new Web site, and we can’t wait until our September launch! Our site will include new grantee stories, videos, resources, and opportunities to support our programs directly through our new online donation system.
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