Volvo Adventure

WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?
The Volvo Adventure - in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme - is an educational programme that rewards environmental activities and the decision-makers of the future.

To enter, you form a team of 2 to 5 members aged 13 to 16 years and perform an environmental project in your local community. You submit the project via our online submission tool before January 31st 12pm, 2009 deadline (CET).

Projects are judged during February / March and the best projects are selected for an all expenses paid trip to Goteborg, Sweden where they can win: 1st place = 10,000 USD, 2nd = 6,000 USD and 3rd = 4,000 USD. See the registration details and guidelines for more information at http://www.volvoadventure.org/home.aspx

Teaching Tolerance Grants

Teaching Tolerance offers grants of $500 to $2,500 to preK-12 classroom teachers for projects designed to reduce prejudice among youth, improve intergroup relations in schools and/or support educator professional development in these areas. Proposals from other community organizations and houses of worship will be considered on the basis of direct student impact. Open Deadline. For more information please visit http://www.tolerance.org/teach/grants/guide.jsp

Reading First Funding

The funding cycle for Reading First, including Early Reading First, is expected to begin with release of the RFP in mid-December. The pre-application should be in mid-February, with full applications due in mid-April. Nearly $400 million will be available this year, with grants averaging $3 million. Up to 77 grants will be awarded.

The program focuses on putting proven methods of early reading instruction in classrooms. Through Reading First, states and districts receive support to apply scientifically based reading research-and the proven instructional and assessment tools consistent with this research-to ensure that all children learn to read well by the end of third grade. The program provides formula grants to states that submit an approved application.

Info: For more on the program, please visit http://www.ed.gov/programs/earlyreading/index.html

Smaller Learning Communities Funding

The application notice is expected at the end of November, with letters of intent due in early January and applications due in mid-February. Some $88 million will be offered this year. Average award size is expected to be $2.2 million, with 40 grants to be offered.

Local educational agencies (LEAs) apply for SLC funding. SLC activities seek to improve student academic achievement in large public high schools with enrollments of 1,000 or more students. SLCs include structures such as freshman academies, multi-grade academies organized around career interests or other themes, "houses" in which small groups of students remain together throughout high school, and autonomous schools-within-a-school, as well as personalization strategies, such as student advisories, family advocate systems, and mentoring programs.

Info: For a copy of last year's application package, which should help in preparing for the FY 2009 cycle, please visit http://www.ed.gov/programs/slcp/index.html

Announcing the MacJannet Prize

The first-ever MacJannet Prize will recognize exceptional student civic engagement initiatives based in universities around the world and contribute financially to their ongoing public service efforts.

Visit our website to learn more and to apply:

http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TheTalloiresNetwork/
ffe63aad36/1a34d64de0/07a152b383

Prizes

One first-place prize: $5,000

Two second-place prizes: $2, 500 each

Five third-place prizes: $1,000 each

The first-place winner will be featured in a video documentary.

All winning programs will be recognized through web-based profiles of their accomplishments.

Timeline

December 15, 2008: Nominations due

January 19, 2009: Finalists notified

March 2, 2009: Final materials due

April 2009: Winners notified

June 2009: Awards announced at MacJannet Foundation meeting in Talloires, France

Tutor.com Teach Something Grants

Deadline: December 15th. Winners will be announced February 1st.

Do you want to improve education in your community? We want to help! Do Something and Tutor.com are offering $500 grants for your ideas or projects that make a difference around education issues. We're giving out ten $500 grants for education projects

Teach Something Grants are grants that Tutor.com and DoSomething.org are giving to YOU for a project that helps change education in your community. This can be a program that you've already started or an idea that you've been cooking up. All projects should be around the theme of improving education in your community in a measurable way.

For more information, see http://www.dosomething.org/programs/page/
how-apply-teach-something-grant

Youth Leaders for Literacy Grants 2009

Grant applications should propose youth leadership in developing and implementing a literacy project that begins on NEA's Read Across America Day, March 2, 2009, and culminates on YSA's Global Youth Service Day, April 24-26, 2009. The deadline to apply has been extended to November 20, 2008.

What is Youth Leaders for Literacy?

Youth Leaders for Literacy is an initiative of the National Education Association (NEA) and Youth Service America (YSA) to help youth direct their enthusiasm and creativity into reading-related service projects. During the six-week program period and beyond, we hope to create a groundswell of literacy service in communities across the country.

The NEA and Youth Service America developed the Youth Leaders for Literacy program in 2001 to encourage and celebrate literacy service of our nation's young people, and to provide them with resources to conduct reading-related activities that benefit others. Making a difference in the lives of America's children is what the relationship between the NEA and YSA is all about.

Allstate Foundation Funding

The Allstate Foundation supports national and local programs that fit within three focus areas. Proposals for program support must address needs within one of the three focus areas to be considered for funding:

1. Tolerance, inclusion and diversity
2. Safe and vital communities
3. Economic empowerment
   

Deadlines and Other Procedures
The Foundation has no deadlines for submission. Proposals may be submitted throughout the calendar year. For more information, visit the Allstate Foundation website at: http://www.allstate.com/foundation/
national-programs.aspx.

Reader's Digest Foundation "Make It Matter"

Reader's Digest Foundation
Deadline: December 31, 2008
Period: Over 10 months 4/08-1/09

"Make it Matter" is a new initiative of the Reader's Digest Foundation. The Foundation will give away $1 million to nonprofit organizations based on inspiring stories submitted by the public.

Every month for ten months, Reader's Digest will choose one individual whose story of giving back serves as an inspiration to others. For each story, the Reader's Digest Foundation will donate $100,000 to a nonprofit organization that is associated either with the story or the cause. These individuals and their stories of giving back will appear every month in the new "Make it Matter" column in Reader's Digest and on rd.com, beginning with the April 2008 issue.

For more information, visit the Make It Matter Home Page at: http://www.rd.com/makeitmatter.do

Nestle Very Best in Youth Program

Deadline: November 20, 2008
Maximum Award: $1000+

The Nestle Very Best in Youth Program, sponsored by Nestle USA, honors young people (ages 13 to 18) who have excelled in school and who are making their community and the world a better place. The young people, selected from nominations from volunteers, parents, and teachers, will be featured in a special publication and honored at a black-tie ceremony in Los Angeles in July 2009.

For more information, visit: http://www.nestle-verybestinyouth.com/.

Toolbox for Education Grant Program

Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation

Deadline: October 17, 2008

Maximum Award: up to $5000

Grant opportunity for individual non-profit public K-12 school or parent group associated with a non-profit public K-12 school. There is a preference for funding requests that have a permanent impact such as facility enhancement (both indoor and outdoor) as well as landscaping/clean up type projects. Projects that encourage parent involvement and build stronger community spirit will be favored.

For more information, visit: http://www.toolboxforeducation.com/.

2009 National Schools of Character Program

Deadline: December 8, 2008

Maximum Award: Up to $10,000

The Center for Social and Character Development at Rutgers University coordinates the New Jersey State Schools of Character (SSOC) award program as a preliminary step for NJ schools to advance to the National Schools of Character awards. This tiered approach allows more schools and districts to be recognized and provides exemplary sites to serve as models and coaches for other educators.

To participate, download the New Jersey Schools of Character application and addendum from the CSCD website at: http://www.rucharacter.org/.

For more information about the national program and grant, visit CEP's website at: http://www.character.org/nsocapplicationprocess . Contact the Center for Social and Character Development at Rutgers University - 732.445.7504.

Knight Foundation - $5m for journalism that benefits the public

Knight Foundation News Challenge

www.newschallenge.org

Deadline: Nov 1, 2008

US $5 million available to develop local, community, and neighborhood information/news distribution projects, services, and programs anywhere. Only three basic rules:

1. Use or create digital, open-source technology as the code base (can include telecommunications, wifi, mobile, etc).
2. Serve the public interest through media (however you define it)
3. Benefit one or more specific geographic communities.
   

Check out the site for full details. There's a useful "clinic" for interested applicants.

Funding for Job Skills and Education Programs

Deadline: October 24 by 11:59 pm ET

The mission of Staples Foundation for Learning is to provide funding to programs that support or provide job skills and/or education for all people, with a special emphasis on disadvantaged youth.

The criteria listed below will be used to evaluate potential funding.
The organization must:

• Have a nonprofit tax-exempt classification under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.


• Align with Staples Foundation for Learning's mission and give focus on job skills and education.

For more information: www.staplesfoundation.org/foundapplication.html

Questions regarding the foundation or the application process can be emailed to: foundationinfo@staples.com