Scholastic's "Be Big in Your Community" Contest

Deadline: June 30, 2010

If you or someone you know has a Big Idea that will create positive change in your community, we invite you to submit your idea for consideration in the Clifford The Big Red Dog® "Be Big In Your Community" Contest.

One grand prize honoree, ten first place honorees and nineteen second place honorees will be selected. The grand prize entry will be honored with a $25,000 community grant, the first place honorees will each be honored with a $2,500 community grant and the second place honorees will each be honored with a $1,315.79 community grant (via HandsOn Network affiliate organizations or designees) from the BE BIG Fund to be used towards implementing the winning proposals.

For more information:
http://www.scholastic.com/cliffordbebig/contest/

Do Something Seed Grants

Deadline: Ongoing

Are you working to start a community action project or program? Do you need money to put your ideas into action? If you answered, "YES!", you are eligible to apply for a Do Something Seed Grant. DoSomething.org gives out a $500 Do Something Seed Grant every week to help young people. Do Something Seed Grants are targeted towards project ideas and programs that are just getting started. These grants can be used to jump-start your program or to realize your ideas for the first time. These are grants for all types of community action projects around causes that you care about and are important in your community! You will be notified whether or not you have won within 2-3 months after submission.

For more information:
http://www.dosomething.org/grants/seedgrants

Notice of Federal Funds Availability: Social Innovation Fund

Deadlines: The Letter of Intent to Apply deadline is March 1, 2010, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Applications are due by April 8, 2010, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

The Social Innovation Fund (SIF), administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (the Corporation), is a vehicle designed to:

1) Promote public and private investment in effective and potentially transformative portfolios of nonprofit community organizations to help them strengthen their evidence base, and replicate and expand to serve more low-income communities;

2) Identify more effective approaches to addressing critical social challenges and broadly share this knowledge; and

3) Develop the grantmaking infrastructure necessary to support the work of social innovation in communities across the country.

Federal Funds Available: Up to $50 million
Private Match Funding: $150 million or greaterApplication Deadline: April 8, 2010
Awards to Grantees: By July 2010
Awards to Subgrantees: Within six months of SIF awards (February 2011)

For more information:
http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/serveamerica/innovation.asp

Bright Ideas Grants: PG&E Solar Schools Program

Bright Ideas Grants: PG&E Solar Schools Program

Deadline: March 20, 2010

Spring 2010 grant applications are now being accepted that promote environmental stewardship in the following categories: Educational Solar Projects; Youth Energy and Environmental Programs; Renewable energy or Science Related Field Trips; Green Your School Projects; and Professional Development/Service Learning Projects/Workforce Development Programs.

For more information:
http://www.need.org/pgesolarschools/

California Health Science Capacity Building Project

California Health Science Capacity Building Project

Deadline: March 15, 2010

The Health Science Pathway Programs is intended to build the capacity of quality Health Science Pathway Programs statewide. This project is an effort to prepare an adequate number of qualified workers to meet the critical worker shortages in the health-care industry.
Funds may be used to establish new Health Science Pathway Programs or to enhance existing Health Science Pathway Programs. Grant funds may be used to either establish a new Health Science Pathway Program or to enhance an existing Health Science Pathway Program. Successful grantees will be expected to develop a standards-based curriculum, to develop a coherent sequence of courses, and to provide health science content and context inclusive of grades seven through twelve. Grant funds must not be used for maintaining existing programs.
Eligible Applicants: local educational agencies
Grant Amounts: $50,000 - $75,000
Grade levels: 9, 10, 11, 12,

For more information:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/profile.asp?id=1778

Federal Preserve America Grants

Federal Preserve America Grants

Deadline: February 12, 2010

The Preserve America matching-grant program provides planning funding to designated Preserve America Communities to support preservation efforts through heritage tourism, education, and historic preservation planning. Grants will be awarded through a competitive process and each grant will require a dollar-for-dollar, non-Federal match, which can be in the form of cash or in-kind donated services for grant-assisted work. The grant and the non-Federal match must be expended during the grant period (1 to 2 years). The minimum grant request is $15,000 Federal share (resulting in a total project cost of $30,000). The maximum grant request is $250,000 (resulting in a total project cost of $500,000). State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO) and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPO) may apply on behalf of a group of community projects, each seeking less than the $15,000 minimum grant. Preserve America funding would then be awarded to the SHPO or THPO and subgranted by them to these smaller projects in individual Preserve America Communities.

For more information:
http://www.nps.gov/hps/hpg/PreserveAmerica/application.htm

Sprint Character Education Grants

Sprint Character Education Grants

Deadline: February 5, 2010

Through the Sprint Character Education Grant Program, the Sprint Foundation will award grants to school districts and individual schools to fund the purchase of resource materials, supplies, equipment and software that facilitates and encourages character education among K-12 students. With a national reach, the program is open to all US public schools (K-12) and US public school districts. The Sprint Character Education Grant program will accept applications for Character Education programs that promote youth leadership, youth volunteerism, school pride and a positive school culture.

For more information:
http://www.sprint.com/responsibility/education/character/

Department of Agriculture Higher Education Challenge Grants

Department of Agriculture Higher Education Challenge Grants

Deadline: February 5, 2010

Projects supported by the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program will: (1) address a State, regional, national, or international educational need; (2) involve a creative or non-traditional approach toward addressing that need that can serve as a model to others; (3) encourage and facilitate better working relationships in the university science and education community, as well as between universities and the private sector, to enhance program quality and supplement available resources; and (4) result in benefits that will likely transcend the project duration and USDA support.

For more information:
http://www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/educationchallengehigheredhep.cfm

Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence

Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence (AASTE)

Deadline: February 5, 2010

The Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence is an annual awards program that recognizes extraordinary contributions by K-12 educators across the U.S. and Canada who are elevating the level of science literacy through creativity in the classroom and motivation of students. An independent panel of judges selects the winners based on the following criteria: creativity and effectiveness of teaching methods; plans for the use of grant money to improve science education resources in their schools; and submission of a science lesson plan showcasing innovative methods in the classroom. Thirty-four science teachers will be awarded an unrestricted cash grant of $5,000, and their schools will receive a restricted grant of $5,000 to be used to expand or enhance the school’s science program, purchase new science resources, or further the professional development of their science teachers.

For more information:

http://www.amgen.com/citizenship/aaste.html.