Classroom Earth 2010 National High School Challenge--DEADLINE EXTENDED!

Submitted by fiona on Wed, 10/14/2009 - 12:21.

Welcome to the Classroom Earth 2010 National High School Challenge! We are pleased to offer you the opportunity to apply for funds to bring the environment into your classroom. This application deadline has been extended to March 1st, 2010. It is highly recommended that you complete this application in the provided word document and then cut and paste each answer when ready to submit the full application. Your work will not be saved if you leave the site! Upon submission you will recieve an email confirmation. Please note the specified word limits and required documents that must be uploaded for submission. If you have any questions, please feel free to email grantsadmin@neefusa.org. Thank you for applying!

Eligibility Requirements

Grant Eligibility Requirements: Applicants must

teach 9th-12th grades in a public or private school in the United States or eligible US jurisdiction.
have at least three years of teaching experience and demonstrate a knowledge of or experience in environmental education.
be a full-time employee of a school district.
anticipate a classroom teaching assignment for the 2010-2011 school year.
not be members of the Classroom Earth Teacher Advisory Committee or employees of their schools.
have not won a National High School Challenge grant in 2008 – 2009 and have not been a recipient of the Richard C. Bartlett Environmental Education Award in 2008 – 2009.

Teachers who have completed a Classroom Earth Professional Development grant are eligible to apply for Single Course grants.

Selection Criteria

Grant Selection Criteria: Applications will be reviewed and grantees chosen based on

the proposed course helping students master complex information about environmental issues;
the proposed course using innovative teaching techniques that foster outstanding high school appropriate learning and team teaching;
the proposed course improving student enthusiasm for learning, reducing absenteeism, and improving self-confidence and citizenship;
the proposed course including an outdoor/field trip experience as an integral part of the course;
why the course is needed in your school or community;
impact on the school community;
thoroughness of the course outline, plan and budget;
qualifications of the teachers to deliver the environmental content into the course; and
support of the School Administration to implement proposed course goals.

School and Applicant Information

Name of school: *

School district: *

Grant applicant name: *

Number of years teaching experience (minimum of 3 years): *

School street address: *

City: *

State (abbr.): *

Zip Code: *

Email: *

Fax:

Phone: *

Type of school (check all that apply): *

Public

Private

Charter

Other mailing address (if different than school):

Other city:

Other state:

Other zip:

Summer contact information (email or phone): *

Best way to contact you: *

Course/Program Abstract

Title of course: *

Amount requested (up to $4,000): * $

Summary: *

Provide a brief summary of the proposed integration of environmental education into your high school course. Include the goals of the course and how it will be improved through this grant. Limit 200 words.

School and Course Information

Number of students at school (for example, 250): *

Grade levels served by school: *

Ninth

Tenth

Eleventh

Twelfth

Check all that apply

Grade levels that will participate in this course: *

Ninth

Tenth

Eleventh

Twelfth

Check all that apply

Number of students impacted by the course (for example, 30): *

Free/Reduced lunch (please use a percentage, such as 45%): * %

Approximate free/reduced lunch percentage (or other socio-economic indicator) for anticipated students.

Cultural breakdown (for each cultural type please give a percentage): *

Approximate cultural/ethnic percentage breakdown of participating students.

Current activities:

	Current	Future
Outdoor data collection
Lab experiments, inquiry-based activities
Building/designing a greenhouse, garden, or compost station
Habitat restoration
Community education
Class presentations
Community action projects
Field trips to support environmental teaching
Other

Identify key activities of the course, and indicate whether or not they are currently happening or they are planned additions to the course. Check all that apply and describe any "Other" activities below.

Describe any "Other" activities from above:

Leave blank if "Other" was not selected under Current Activities. Limit 200 words.

Timing of course: *

Does this course take place over a year, semester or quarter? Is it taught during the regular school day? When do you anticipate it being taught in the 2010-2011 school year? Limit 200 words.

Environmental education topics: *

What is the current state of integration of environmental education topics in the curriculum of your school? Include courses, history, teacher/staff capacity or support. Limit 200 words.

Description of Need: *

Describe needs the course will address, both of students who will participate and of the school or community connected to the course. Provide supporting data as evidence. Samples include: increased student interest in environmental topics, decreased student attendance or engagement in coursework, increased teacher interest in collaboration, lack of school participation in community environmental solutions, etc. Limit 200 words.

Course Design and Implementation

Many teachers have found partnerships with community organizations helpful in integrating the environment into their courses. Examples include: the School District, nonprofits, corporations, parks, education institutions (zoos, universities and museums), etc.

Established partnerships: *

Have you established partnerships already that would support this course? If so, with whom? Limit 200 words.

New partnerships: *

What new partnerships will you consider developing to implement this grant? Limit 200 words.

Upload partnership letter:

Attach a letter from one key current or new partner that details partner roles and contributions to this plan. (file extensions allowed: txt, rtf, pdf, doc)

Activities: *

Describe proposed course activities, elements, and objectives. Describe the student experience you are trying to achieve. Limit 1,000 words.

Standards: *

List the primary State Standards the program/course(s) will address during the 2010-2011 school year.

Timeline: *

Provide a timeline that indicates milestones for your course including:

pre-course planning time,
major projects,
trips and
activities or assignments for the school year.

Assessment: *

Once grants are awarded, one of the first steps will be for grantees to submit a detailed assessment plan for the course. Currently for this application, what assessment tools and metrics do you foresee being utilized? Limit 200 words.

Qualifications to Implement Course

Please comment on your qualifications to implement the course that is proposed, and achieve the stated course outcomes. Also include your qualifications for teaching environmental topics (i.e., knowledge of or experience in environmental education). Optional: attach resumes and/or other documentation. Limit 300 words.

Teacher qualifications: *

Resume or other documentation:

Optional. (file extensions allowed: txt, rtf, pdf, doc)

Budget

Develop a budget that reflects objectives and proposed costs of the course implementation, explains/justifies major requests and is focused directly on addressing identified needs.

Expenses must be accurate, realistic, and clearly related to project needs, activities, and projected outcomes.
Please provide detailed justification under each category and not just calculations. Use specific equipment or software names.
Teacher stipends to cover planning time cannot exceed 10% of the grant.
Up to 3 days of substitute teacher coverage can be included in the budget.

Grant funding cannot be used for:

conducting lobbying, carrying on propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation;
influencing the outcome of any specific election through any means;
purposes other than charitable, scientific or educational;
purposes other than those stated in the proposal. In addition, grants are made exclusively to the Grantee and may not be transferred or assigned to another organization or purpose;
food (except for field experiences where food for students needs to be provided);
travel (except for student travel to field experiences);
computers;
budget shortfalls, general operating costs or endowment funds;
scholarships, fellowships or grants to individuals.

Items list: *

For each item, please include:

the item
the cost of the item
the course or program use and justification and
total budget amount

Raising extra funds:

If your budget is over $4,000, how will you raise the additional funds needed? Limit 200 words.

Sustainability plan: *

In the space above, indicate how this one-time grant will be leveraged into long-lasting change in your curricula or school community. Consider such things as partner support, grant impact, buy-in and financial support from your community, etc. Limit 200 words.

Administration Support

The school principal must submit a letter of support on school letterhead indicating familiarity with the applicant's proposal, and describing school support for the proposal.

Upload principal letter:

(file extensions allowed: txt, rtf, pdf, doc)

Checklist

Check off each required component of the grant application. Don't forget to upload any required documents.

Checklist of required items:

Complete application

Uploaded partnership letter

Optional uploaded resume or other documentation for qualifications

Complete Budget section

Uploaded principle letter

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