Be a Winner! Get a Grant and Your Students Win, Too! NSTA New Orleans, November 30, 2017

1. Dr. Patty McGinnis, NBCT Arcola Intermediate School, PA Editor, Science Scope pattymcginnis1@gmail.com Dr. Kitchka Petrova, NBCT Leon HIgh School, Tallahassee, FL Florida State University dr.k.petrova@gmail.com Be a Winner! Get a Grant and Your Students Win, Too! NSTA New Orleans, November 30, 2017

2. Available from the NSTA Science Store**In print and ebook

3. What Exactly IS a Grant? “...a monetary gift given to the recipient in exchange for completing a specific project or other work that closely aligns to the mission and goals of the funding agency.” P. 7 of Be a Winner! A Teacher’s Guide to Writing Successful Grant Proposals

4. Why Write? • To be able to make major equipment purchases • To start a new program or a project • To receive funds to support professional development (coursework and educational travel)

5. Who Gets Grants? Anyone can! Consider this… • Many grant programs do not have enough qualified proposals • If you don’t apply, you’ll never win! • A grant may be just the thing to re-energize your teaching! • The more you write the easier it gets

6. What’s Your Dream?

7. Top Reasons to Write a Grant

8. #1 To Nurture and Inspire Your Students’ Appreciation of Science

9. #2 To Engage Students in Science and Engineering Practices

10. #3 To Launch new STEM Programs

11. #4 To Collaborate With an Informal Science Education Organization

12. #5 To Fund Professional Development Opportunities

13. #6 To Grow as a Professional Educator

14. #7 To Participate in the Selection Process of Funding Organizations

15. #8 To Receive Professional Recognition

16. #9 To Earn Professional Endorsement

17. #10 To Attain Personal Satisfaction

18. Our Biggest Tip For You! Your grant proposal will have an increased chance of being funded if you can strongly tie the need for classroom materials to student learning.

19. Need Equipment? Tie it to a project!

20. Sources for Project Ideas • Your Students’ Questions • Standards • Previously Funded Grants

21. Community Resources • The School Community • Your Local Community • Local Colleges and Universities

22. Your Professional Community • Colleagues • Professional Organizations • Vendors

23. Your Personal Experiences

24. Grants Align Several Components

25. Beginning the Process Meet with your administrator

26. Connect to Standards State standards, NGSS, Common Core

27. Grants from Local Entities • Parent-Teacher Associations • Local Businesses • Walmart, Lowe’s Best Buy

28. Tips! • Colleges & hospitals upgrade equipment (think microscopes!) • Police have auctions (think balances!) • Always ask permission from your district before accepting equipment • Make sure the equipment is safe to use

29. Getting Started: May the FORCE Be With You!

30. Find a Funding Agency • NSTA Reports • State Department of Education • Websites of Professional Organizations • Professional Development Workshops • Talking with Colleagues

32. Review Grant Requirements Read carefully what type of projects the agency is willing to fund. Find a way to connect your idea to their requirements Evaluate their requirements about ideas, budget, and types of students they would like to see involved in the project Talk to the grant manager Check the grant website to see projects that were funded previous years. Make sure your idea is not a copy

33. Organize Your Thoughts

34. Clarify and Elaborate

35. Exude and Excite

37. You’re Already an Expert! • Grant writing is similar to writing a lesson plan • Don’t get overwhelmed by the process • Take it one step at a time • Have someone assist you with writing • Give yourself plenty of time

38. Describing the Need and Potential Impact

39. Define the problem • How will your proposal address this need? • What is your evidence of need? • How will students and community benefit? • Who will be affected by the project?

40. Describe the Target Population • Number of students • Student Age • Socio-economic background • Special needs (gifted, SPEC ED) • Other staff who will benefit • Demographic makeup of your school district and town (nces.ed.gov)

41. Developing Project Goals and Objectives • What are the goals or learning objectives of your grant proposal? • Limit your goals (less is more) • Keep goals attainable, measurable, and age appropriate • Show that you know what you are doing---be descriptive! • Mention any other professionals’ and organizations’ contributions to the success of your project

42. SUPER Goals

43. Project Description (Methods) Should... • Exhibit a strong connection to student learning • Incorporate science and engineering practices • Include partnerships if possible (ie. mentoring, state parks, etc). • Involve an authentic audience

44. Project Description Tips • Select age-appropriate activities • Limit the scope of your activities • Incorporate student driven inquiries

45. Timeline Show major events: • Trainings, • Purchases • Pre/post tests, etc. Relate each activity to an approximate date

46. Budget • Follow the directions and required format • Prepare a detailed budget for your project • Provide justification of the expenses • Mention any resources available in the school that can be used for the project • Include any in-kind contributions • Review the grant foundations restrictions on expenses to ensure that you are within their budget

47. In-Kind Services • Volunteer hours to write curriculum, order supplies, etc. • Use of school district space • Donations from parent-teacher association, principal’s fund, etc. • Use of facilities that waive the rental fee • Donated advertising

48. Evaluation: Insight Into Your Project’s Success • What qualitative and quantitative data will show objectives have been met? • How will you measure you success? • Consider • Pre/Post Tests • Journals • Interviews • Questionnaires • Community Involvement

49. Dissemination Plan: Sharing Your Work with Others What is your plan for disseminating to other teachers? Consider… Post to NSTA forums Write an article for a science teacher journal Press Release Presentation to School Board or Science Department

50. Engage Students in Disseminating Project Results