Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation: Promote Physical Activity in Schools

Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation Announcement

EXCERPTS:
The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation is excited to announce the launch of "60 Ways to Play 60," a global campaign to identify, harvest and promote innovative ways schools can get more students engaged in daily physical activity.

Please register on the site so you can submit entries or nominate organizations you want to enter - and be sure to browse the entries yourself and vote for the ones you like best.

Just as important, we hope you will distribute this information to everyone in your network. Good ideas can come from anyone and any place, so it's critical that as many individuals as possible get an opportunity to participate. We want as many ideas and as many voters as possible.

AN AFFILIATED FUND OF THE ARTHUR M. BLANK FAMILY FOUNDATION
4400 FALCON PARKWAY
FLOWERY BRANCH, GA 30542
TELEPHONE: 770.965.3115
FACSIMILE: 770.965.3185
WWW.AFYF.ORG
Contact: John Bare
Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation
404.367.2062
JBare@Falcons.NFL.com

PRESS RELEASE

EXCERPTS:

"Giving Georgia's kids access to physical fitness activities is critical to reducing childhood obesity in our state," Falcons Owner Arthur M. Blank said. "The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation is keenly focused on this issue, and we think this new campaign will further our efforts in a meaningful way."

The "60 Ways to Play 60" campaign on Changemakers.com seeks new or early-stage
innovative ideas for schools to adopt. The campaign especially encourages entries from kids, but also from parents, teachers, school administrators, coaches, community program administrators and others.

The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation has pledged $1,000 to the innovation drawing the most votes of support from the online Changemakers community, and the Foundation expects to consider grants to help Georgia schools adopt the strongest ideas. Representatives from the first 20 Georgia schools submitting ideas will be invited to a Falcons game during the 2009 season, courtesy of NetMOVE, the official mover of the Atlanta Falcons.

Registration Opens for GPEE Bus Trip #17

Applications Currently Being Accepted

Visiting a classroom in a Georgia school keeps you informed of some of the best practices that are happening in our state to effect student success. The 17th Bus Trip Across Georgia, sponsored by the Georgia Parntership for Excellence in Education, provides the opportunity for those kind of thoughtful school visits.

On-line registration is now open for indivduals interested in applying for the trip scheduled for Oct. 27-29, 2009. School visits include:

*Amana Academy, Alpharetta, Fulton Co. Schools

*Centennial Arts Academy, Gainesville, Gainesville City Schools

*Georgia College Early College, Middedgeville, Georgia College and State University, and the Oconee Regional Educational Service Agency

*Morgan County High School, Madison, Morgan County

*Unity Elemenatry School, LaGrange, Troup County

*Parks Middle School, Atlanta, Atlanta Public Schools

Application deadline: Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Day of Discovery for GA Education Leaders

GA Graduation and Collaboration Coaches Highlighted

SOLUTIONS TO THE DROPOUT CRISIS

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

3:30-4:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Graduation & Collaboration Coaches: Working Effectively Together

presented by
Dr. Laura Brown and Ms. Fran Bay

*Learn how Graduation & Collaboration Coaches have contributed to an increase in Georgia's Graduation rate

*Learn about the roles of these Graduation & Collaboration Coaches

This webcast will address a framework for dropout prevention that has been effective in Georgia. The state's Graduation Coach program provides early intervention services to students at risk for dropping out of school. The state's graduation rate has increased from 72.3% in 2007 to 75.4% in 2008 - a record high. This 3.1% rate increase represents 8,277 additional graduates for the 2007-2008 school year. The State's dropout rate decreased from 4.1% to 3.7%. Georgia also funds Collaboration Coaches to assist middle and high schools in developing support for students with disabilities. Schools implement strategies for engaging students academically and behaviorally as well as focusing on affective needs.

On the day of the webcast, log on 10-30 minutes early to ensure you are connected to the broadcast @ www.dropoutprevention.org/webcast. You should just hear music until the program begins @ 3:30. If you have problems connecting, call Eric Rodgers @ 864.656.4550.

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
Supplementary materials are now available online. All necessary information about participating fully in this professional development opportunity is found on the website. For further questions, contact the National Dropout Prevention Center or call 864.656.2580.

PARTICIPATION IN THE WEBCAST
Participation in this webcast is free and no registration is required. The program will be archived in its entirety on the website. On the day of the webcast, link to the broadcast. This webcast is produced with support from Penn Foster. If you have trouble with the link, copy and paste the entire address listed below into your web browser:

http://www.dropoutprevention.org/webcast

Multi-Media Campaign Dedicated to Childhood Obesity in Georgia

Stopping Childhood Obesity in Georgia

Student health and well being are factors that contribute to school success and ultimately high school graduation. Aetna and Georgia Public Broadcasting invite you to the launch of a multi-media campaign dedicated to Childhood Obesity Prevention.

Follow Georgia Graduation Stories on Facebook.

See What's New

NEW FEATURES FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR!

GPB’s Georgia Graduation Stories blog is now on Facebook! Be one of the first to become a member of the group and share your support for all Georgia students making the incredible journey towards the goal of High School graduation.

Facebook is just one of the new features we are adding for the new school year. Stay in touch so you don’t miss out on any of the stories, pictures and resources.

Parent Involvement for Student Success

It Takes A Parent

The school year is over and the local news is filled with stories about the results of standardized tests results. Parents are eager to know how their children did and where their school ranks in terms of creating success for students.

Parents can take a pro-active approach to those questions even before the new school year begins. Georgia Appleseed has created a training video and workshop for parents to enable them to act as full, participating partners in their child's school. It Takes a Parent: Strengthening Effective Parent Involvement is available as a 5-minute promotional video and as an online video workshop. The most effective use of the video is to use it as part of a facilitated workshop.

The information for parents in this video is based upon the parent involvement requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind law, the Georgia A+ Reform Act and the SE Association for Colleges and Schools (SACS). The more effective the Parent-School relationship the more productive the schools become.

View the Promotional Video.

The Parent Training Video and Workshop promote parent involvement by providing more information, access to data and training on how to use it. For more information, contact:
Georgia Appleseed
404.685.6750
www.gaappleseed.org

View It Takes a Parent: Strengthening Effective Parent Involvement.

Investing in Education in Georgia

ARCHE Report Quantifies the Benefits of Investing in Education

The number of years a student remains in school has a direct correlation to a wide range of factors that influence that student's quality of life. The same correlation also affects job success and other measures of prosperity for Georgia citizens (higher salaries, home ownership, children who tend to do better in school, etc.) and for society as a whole (more talented workforce, higher tax revenues, lower spending for prisons & public assistance and healthier citizens). These are the issues examined in a newly published report by the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education (ARCHE).

Higher Return: How Investing in Education Pays Off For Georgia was sponsored in part by the Georgia Power Foundation and the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation. The report analyzes data from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey and other federal and state government data sources. Human Capitol Research Corporation compiles and analyzed the data for ARCHE.

The report contains 20 charts that provide a graphic understanding of the benefits of staying in school and completing an education that matches a student's personal and career goals.

One of those charts compares the salary for a high school graduate with the salary of a college graduate in 26 job categories. Example: full time Food Service Manager with HS diploma ($32,120) vs. Food Service Manager with college degree ($55,445)

Again from the study: People with college degrees average higher personal incomes and are less likely to be unemployed.

View the full report online on the ARCHE website.

Thank you to Beth Day for sharing the press release that provided the background and web link on the study.

A Guide to Engineering for Girls

Engineer Your Life

Engineer Your Life (ELY) is a message, a campaign and a web site designed to encourage high schools girls, along with their families, teachers and advisors, to learn more about what life and work are like for engineers. The ELY website features reasons to become an engineer, video of inspiring women engineers, descriptions of dream jobs and resources for further decision making.

Engineer Girl! is a website for girls in middle school who are exploring career options in engineering. This website also includes suggested high school classes to take to plan for an engineering career.

Picturing America to Picture Success in Muscogee Co. School District

Muscogee County School District & the Picturing America Best Practices Institute

When students leave school for the summer vacation, teachers and administrators can be found still hard at work, refreshing their skills and learning new approaches to support student success. On June 3 and 4, 2009, teachers from Muscogee County School District gathered for a two day workshop inspired by Picturing America, a program of the National Endowment of the Humanities. The group included K-12 teachers in music, visual arts, Spanish, social studies, language arts and media specialists and was organized by Robbie Holt (Director of Arts & Humanities) and her team.

Muscogee County School District, an award recipient from the Picturing America Program, had portfolios of posters on great American art. Many teachers have been using these poster sets as tools to introduce students to the best of American arts and humanities. An example is pictured here: Thomas Hart Benton's The Sources of Country Music. The art work was a catalyst for a robust discussion among the teachers that led in directions as diverse as American History, history of American song, origin of musical instruments, transportation, social & economic influences, etc.

The skills teacher's used for this type of responsive and creative analysis were honed by the presentations, demonstrations and activities offered to the group by the three guest instructors. Object-based learning, literature and music as a focus for a sense of place, art and artifacts for increasing observational skills are some examples of the work the group undertook over the two day period.

The major assignment for all the educators attending the Best Practices Institute was to assemble a piece of art or personal artifact that told a family story. The collection of objects created an instant cultural museum and allowed the whole group to become deeply engaged in the applied lessons from two days of intensive work.

The W.C. Bradley Co. in Columbus, Georgia served as the host and location for the Institute. The building that began as a cotton warehouse in 1885 is now a whole block on the National Historic Register and in the second century of adaptive re-use. Susan Wiggins, Vice President for Stakeholder Relations, gave the group of teachers an overview of the history of the company and the buildings. She pointed out the historic photographs on the walls and artifacts (including Mr. Bradley's desk) throughout the building. The highlight of her presentation was the background and guided tour of the W.C. Bradley Co. Centennial Art Collection. After an extensive national search, 21 artists were commissioned to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the company by using their art to "document a company, a place, a people, and a place in time." With the historic structures, artifacts and art collection, the W.C. Bradley Co. was the living symbol of the work teachers were undertaking in the Picturing America Best Practices Institute.

About the Instructors

David Johnson is Professor Emeritus from Columbus State University in creative writing and American literature. He is know as a poet and storyteller . His work has been published nationally in juried periodicals and journals.


Kristen S. Hansen is Associate Professor of Music in the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University. Dr. Hansen holds the DMA and the MM in Horn Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. She previously received the degree of Bachelor of Music summa cum lunde from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. She plays second horn in the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. At Columbus State, Dr. Hansen is an active teacher and site director with study abroad programs in Paris and Oxford. She is currently engaged in writing a music theory text for undergrduate music majors.

Anne R. King is a veteran museum educator, who most recently has focused on developing interpretive guides and web-based interactive learning sites for museum collections and exhibitions. Her interest in American art and culture and in interdisciplinary learning grew through years of programming and interpretive work at the Columbus Museum.


View Slide Show

Resources for Science Education

ADDRESSING GEORGIA'S NEEDS IN THE STEM FIELDS

Ask a Georgia school administrator where they would like support in resources or staffing and the most likely reply will be Science or Math. It has been reported that Georgia will need to produce more than 2,000 middle and high school teachers of life sciences, chemistry, earth science and physics by 2010 to meet the demand in those fields. These subjects reflect the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields.According to the Board of Regents statistics for the 2008 academic year, only 90 teachers were prepared as Georgia teachers in these areas.

Here is information on programs and resources that address that need.

TRAINING FOR FUTURE SCIENCE TEACHERS
The National Sciences Foundation recently awarded a grant to Georgia State University to increase the number of science teachers in metro Atlanta schools. The almost $900,000 grant will be used to recruit, prepare and support 36 high quality science educators over the next five years under a program called Impacting Metro-Atlanta Science Teaching (I-MAST). Scholarships will be offered both to undergraduate majors studying in the STEM fields and to graduates who hold degrees in the STEM fields and want to go into teaching the sciences on the secondary level.
The I-MAST program is a collaboration between Georgia State's College of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, Georgia Tech and four Metro-Atlanta public school districts.

GRANT TARGETS STEM TEACHERS
NASA awarded a $3 million grant to Georgia Tech to support a program that will allow Georgia teachers to strengthen their teachings skills in the STEM fields. Georgia Tech's Distance Learning and Professional Education (DLPE) Center for Education Integrating Science, Math and Computing (CEISMC) will take the lead on The Electronic Professional Development Network Grant. The purpose of the program will be to prepare, produce, deliver and evaluate NASA-related online courses, workshops and experiences for the benefit of STEM educators in Georgia and across the nation.

GPB CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS COURSES FOR THE CLASSROOM

Chemistry & Physics consists of two series teaching high school college preparatory chemistry and physics. Chemistry: A Study of Matter and Physics Fundamentals provide instructional content delivered through thirty-minute episodes and integrated classroom materials. Episodes provide content while giving cues for the classroom teacher to pause the program and interact with students, engaging them in discussions, problem-solving, and laboratory activities. Chemistry: A Study of Matter and Physics Fundamentals can be streamed from this site or GPB Education Streaming.

For each unit, daily lesson plans will be provided to help teachers prepare for and pace the lessons. Classroom materials, including note-taking guides to accompany the episodes, worksheets, classroom activities, quizzes, and tests, are available in electronic format. Teachers should call GPB Education at 1.888.501.8960 or email education@gpb.org to request teacher materials.

Jump Start on College Credit for Georgia High School Students

DeVry University Offers Passport2College Program This Summer

Georgia High School students who will be entering their junior or senior year in the fall of 2009 need to check out DeVry University's Passport2College Program being offered this summer. Qualified students who enroll in the program will earn college credit, getting a jump-start on their college education. There is no tuition cost for the Passport2College Program, but qualified students are responsible for the cost of the textbooks.

Application Deadline: June 8, 2009

Students with an interest in the areas of business and/or technology and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher should see if this opportunity fits their needs.

For more information:
Visit the DeVry website
Email bwright@DeVry.edu
Call 404.270.2800 or 800.221.4771, ext. 2742800

Georgia's Early College Initiative

Early College Awareness Week

The first week in May was designated nationwide as Early College Awareness Week. The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia announced activities for Georgia students in a recent press release.

Year round, the Early College Program in Georgia provides students with an opportunity to earn a high school diploma along with one to two years of transferable credit towards a bachelor's degree. Begun in 2005, Georgia's Early College Program targets the student populations that are underrepresented in higher education in our state.

Georgia's Early College Program is a partnership between the Georgia Department of Education and the University System of Georgia. Visit the website for more information on this initiative.

NASA Offers Education Programs for Students

NASA Online Learning Community and Summer Studies Available to High School Students


High School students interested in careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) are encouraged to visit the NASA Education website. NASA is accepting applications for the Interdisciplinary National Science Program Incorporating Research Experience (INSPIRE) program. Eligible students will have the opportunity to participate in an online learning community that allows them to interact with their peers and with NASA scientists and engineers.

Students selected for the online learning community will then have the option to compete for placement in programs for the summer of 2010 held at NASA facilities and participating universities throughout the country.

Schedule for Application Process

Activity	Deadline
Applications for the INSPIRE Online Learning Community accepted:	May 1 to June 30, 2009
Students selected for the Online Learning Community will be notified:	Sept., 2009
Eligible Online Learning Community members provide additional documents to compete for optional 2010 summer experiences.	Fall, 2009
Online Learning Community members selected for summer experiences notified.	Spring, 2010

Digital Schoolhouse Conference for 21st Century Learning

Forsyth County Schools: Digital Schoolhouse Conferen

Technology Training for 21st Century Learners

On Saturday, March 28, educators from Forsyth County Schools gathered to hone their skills in creating a 21st Century learning environment for their students. The workshops and demonstrations for educators were organized under the heading of The Digital Schoolhouse.

Following the theme of Engage Me...With Technology, educators participated in a wide selection of workshop offerings geared to assisting them to provide new ways for using technology to engage their K-12 students. The generous schedule uncovered technology instruction through subjects such as Art, Poetry, Science, Virtual Communication and Language Arts. Georgia Public Broadcasting presented 2 sessions on the educational resources it offers to all educators in the state.

The Digital Schoolhouse Conference booklet states Forsyth County's vision for Digital Learning as using classroom technology to engage students in asking questions and choosing tools to facilitate real world problem solving. Chief Technology & Information Officer, Baily Mitchell, states that there should be no divide between instruction and technology instruction. There is only one thing - good instruction.

According to Director of Instructional Technology, Jill Hobson, the first Digital School House Conference was inspired by the experience of hosting a National School Board Association Technology Site Visit in 2005. The first Digital Schoolhouse took place in 2006 with the 2009 conference being the third of a growing tradition.

GPEE Bus Trip Across Georiga: Snapshot of the Riders

Strengthening the Pipeline to Graduation

For 16 years, the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education has established a "bus route" into communities and classrooms all over Georgia, lifting up and celebrating success in education. GPEE reports in their "rider's guide" that in 15 years, more than 1,750 riders have participated in these Bus Trips, making almost 260 stops in more than 120 school systems and communities, covering a total distance of more than 24,000 miles.

Fall, 2008, two buses, with riders from classroom teachers, administrators, pre-service students along with business and community leaders set out to discover what Georgia schools need to do provide "top-notch educational opportunities for all students". Under the banner of Strengthening the Pipeline to Graduation, the 16th Annual Bus Trip Across Georgia took off again.

Snapshot of the Riders

North Route Chair, Jackie Parker. Jackie is Vice-President, Glrobal Inclusion & Diversity and Head of Corporate Philanthropy for Newell Rubbermaid.






Students majoring in education and college administrators were among the Bus Riders. Colleges and universities represented on the North Route included: Kennesaw State University, Macon State College, Fort Valley State, Clayton State University and Dalton State College.

Andrew Cameron, Senior Program Director with Amazing Young Minds and Atheletes Corp. represented the High School for Recording Arts/Studio 4.







Leanne Maule, 2009 Georgia Teacher of the Year
Leanne was chosen from a pool of 141 applicants that were selected as Teacher of the Year by their individual school districts.
Ten finalists were chosen based upon the scores of the essays on their applications, and interview process and observations in their school.


Andrea King and Susan Grigg are the Georgia recipients of the 2008 Milken Awards.

From the website:

The Milken Family Foundation National Educator Awards program provides public recognition and financial rewards to elementary and secondary schoolteachers, principals and other education professionals who are furthering excellence in education. By honoring outstanding educators, the program strives to attract, develop, motivate and retain talented people to the challenge and adventure of teaching.

GA Education Issues Reported on GPB's Lawmakers

Follow the Georgia General Assembly on Education Issues

Check in with Georgia Public Broadcasting's Lawmakers program for nightly coverage of the Georgia General Assembly. The program is in its 39th year and airs every night the Assembly convenes for the duration of the legislative session. Lawmakers is another resource for citizens to use to keep up with the issues that affect Georgia schools.

Follow this link to view recent education coverage on the Lawmakers program.

Best Practices on View in Georgia Schools: GPEE Bus Trip Across Georgia

Strengthening the Pipeline to Graduation

What is a more universal symbol for education than the big yellow school bus? For 16 years, the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education has taken that symbol and established a "bus route" into communities and classrooms all over Georgia, lifting up and celebrating success in education. GPEE reports in their "rider's guide" that in 15 years, more than 1,750 riders have participated in these Bus Trips, making almost 260 stops in more than 120 school systems and communities, covering a total distance of more than 24,000 miles.

Fall, 2008, two buses, with riders from classroom teachers, administrators, pre-service students along with business and community leaders set out to discover what Georgia schools need to do provide "top-notch educational opportunities for all students". Under the banner of Strengthening the Pipeline to Graduation, the 16th Annual Bus Trip Across Georgia took off again. The North Route included stops at Central Education Center (Newnan), 12 for Life/Southwire/Carroll County Schools (Carrollton), Advanced Academy of Georgia (Carrollton), Marietta High School (Marietta), Pickens County Middle School (Jasper), D. Scott Hudgens, Jr. Early Learning Center (Lawrenceville) and East Jackson Elementary School (Commerce). The South Route included stops at Huntington Middle School (Warner Robins), Schley Middle/High School (Ellaville), International Studies Elementary Charter School (Albany), Funston Elementary School (Funston), Hand-In-Hand Primary School (Thomasville) and Lowndes High School (Valdosta).

Jackie Parker, Vice President, Global Inclusion and Diversity, Corporate Philanthropy at Newell Rubbermaid served as Chair for the North trip.
Julie C. Smith, Director, External Affairs for Verizon was the Chair for the South Trip.











Now is the time to think about Georgia schools and programs that are working hard and being successful at meeting the education needs of all the students. Is there a best practice in your school or a story of outstanding community support that would be helpful to share with others? Nominate your school for the 17th Annual Bus Trip Across Georgia. Wednesday, March 25, 2009 is the deadline for returning nomination forms to GPEE.

GA Grad Coaches Share Best Practice

Graduation Coaches Share Best Practices at The National Dropout Prevention Conference

When the National Dropout Prevention Conference came to Atlanta in late 2008, sessions presented by Georgia Graduation Coaches were some of the most worthwhile throughout the 4-day event. Here are two examples:

Georgia's Fulton County Schools were represented by a team of Middle School Graduation Coaches. This enthusiastic and dedicated group of educators shared examples of what they do in their schools to meet the needs of students. In a presentation entitled Lighting the Torch in Middle School, we got a glimpse of how these Coaches create individual and group sessions, credit recovery programs, creating plans for success for students, offering parent workshops, encouraging community partners, mentoring programs and offering parent workshops. Machelle Allen, Andrea Cheetham, Mimi Gamel, Robyn Magnussen, Andrea Walker, Jennifer Wilson and F.J. "Harvey" Oaxaca all work to create a culture for their schools that is highly motivated and enthusiastic with a "no excuses" mindset. Fulton County Schools offers a website that you can visit for more details on these programs and to contact the Coaches by email.

Gloria Santana-Gelin, Graduation Coach at Dobbins Middle School, led a round table discussion on her school's Pen Pal Program. The program currently includes 5th grade students from feeder elementary schools paired with 6th grade students in the current middle school. It also includes 8th grade students from the current middle school and the 9th grade students in high school. Four letters are written in the Language Arts classes with participation being voluntary for teachers and students. Ms. Santana-Gelin plays a central role in matching the pen pals and working with the classroom teachers on appropriate content for the letters.

Feedback to date from teachers is that this is both a good way to prepare the students for the next grade level and to get the older students involved in school as a role model for others. Students want to hear from their peers about decisons and choices that they will have to make as they make the transition to the next grade level.



Visit the designated websites for more information on the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network and for the Georgia Graduation Coach program.

Spring '09 Deadlines for Education Grants

FUNDamentals!

Grants Currently Available for Educators

There is no single place that lists all available grants for education. That’s why it is important to identify and get on the mailing lists of those online sites that are most helpful and complete. This blog has mentioned this – and named names – on several occasions. One of those helpful lists is Education Funding Watch, the Foundation Center's newsletter devoted to education. You will also find links to other education-related news, resources, funding opportunities for individuals and organizations, and job listings. Education Funding Watch is available by registering at the Foundation Center's Web site.

Listed below are just a few of the currently available grants listed in the most recent issue of Education Funding Watch:

BP Invites Teachers to Apply for Energy Education Grants
Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to pre-K and K-12 teachers in the United States and Alberta, Canada, working to incorporate energy and/or energy conservation education in the classroom....
Deadline: 3/09/09

Educators Invited to Apply for ING Unsung Heroes Program
One hundred K-12 educators across the country will receive grants of up to $27,000 to help fund innovative classroom projects...
Deadline: 4/30/09

Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program Offers Support for Public School Teachers
Grants to be used for project-related expenses will be awarded to K-12 teachers or paraprofessionals in the U.S. working to improve academic achievement through student engagement, student-teacher relationships, and/or building the capacity of teachers...
Deadline: 4/15/09

While you are at the Foundation Center website, be sure to look at the free Basic Classroom Training Courses, as well as free online guides, tutorials and webinars.

Grants are out there and available. Unfortunately, most schools do not have the services of a professional grant writer. So, it is up to you to take advantage of the training available to find and capture the grants that will enrich your classroom, your students and your school. To quote from Ralph Stayer, CEO of Johnsonville Foods and co-author of Flight of the Buffalo, “If it is to be, it is up to me. If it is up to me, it shall be.”

If you find a really great list of available grants, please be sure to share it with us. Send it as a comment to this blog.

Sandy Spruill is the Grants Administrator at Georgia Public Broadcasting and a Member of the American Association of Grants Professionals.