Hope that you are enjoying the last days of summer. John Muir won a $1,000 certificate by meeting its goals to enroll four teachers and four proposals. To get more info on donorschoose, go to their website at www.donorschoose.org.

1. Jack Kent Cooke Foundation - Young Artist Awards for Pre-College Classical Musicians (national), Attn: Lisa Utzinger, Scholarship Program Manager, 295 Huntington Ave., Suite 201, Boston, MA 02115 , (617) 437-0707 Ext 121, lutzinger@fromthetop.org

Application Dates: September 1, 2007, November 1, 2007, January 31, 2008

Award Amount: $10,000 (25 awards)

Eligible Applicants: Pre-college classical musicians (ages 8-18) of exceptional musical talent with demonstrated financial need who are interested in appearing on Public Radio International’s From the Top radio show. Applicants must also have a record of academic achievement.

Focus of Interest: The award identifies and nurtures talented young musicians whose lack of financial resources might otherwise impede their progress. Twenty-five student musicians are selected annually to receive Cooke Young Artist Awards.

More info: http://www.fromthetop.org/Education/Cooke.cfm

2. Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy - National Grant Program (national), 1201 15th St., NW, Suite 420, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 955-6183

Application Date: September 7, 2007

Award Amount: $650,000 (awards up to $65,000)

Eligible Applicants: Community-based organizations; religious organizations; correctional institutions; state agencies; public/state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; local education agencies (LEAs); libraries; and volunteer literacy programs.

Focus of Interest: The foundation’s grantmaking program seeks to develop or expand projects that are designed to support the development of literacy skills for adult primary care givers and their children.

More info: http://www.barbarabushfoundation.com/nga.html

3. Kids in Need Foundation - Teacher Grants (national), 3131 Elbee Rd.
Dayton, OH 45439, (937) 297-2250, info@kidsinneed.net

Applicant Date: September 30, 2007

Award Amount: $100 to $500 each (200 to 300 awards)

Eligible Applicants: U.S. K-12 certified teachers working at public, private, or parochial schools.

Focus of Interest: Funds support classroom teachers who have and intend to implement innovative, meritorious ideas in the classroom. Proposals will be considered that best demonstrate the creative use of common teaching aids; approach the curriculum from an imaginative angle; or tie nontraditional concepts together for the purpose of illustrating commonalities.

More info: http://www.kidsinneed.net/grants/guidelines.php

4. National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), Attn: Vernier Technology Awards, 1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201-3000, awards@nsta.org

Application Date: October 15, 2007

Award Amount: $3000 each (seven awards)

Eligible Applicants: Current teachers of science in grades K-12; public/state-controlled institutions of higher education faculty members; and private institutions of higher education faculty members.

Focus of Interest: The awards program aims to recognize and reward educator’s innovative use of data-collection technology through the use of technological resources such as: a computer, graphing calculator, or other handheld devices.

More info: http://www.vernier.com/grants/nsta.html

1. Ezra Jack Keats Minigrant Program For Public Schools and Public Libraries, 450 14th Street, Brooklyn, New York 11215, http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/programs/minigrant.html

Award Amount: $500

Eligible Applicants: Public schools and libraries anywhere in the United States and its protectorates.

Focus of Interest: Creative programs funded in the past have included:
- Ongoing pen-pal projects bringing disparate communities together,
- Multi-cultural portrait projects,
- Art projects culminating in art shows, murals, or quilts,
- Bookmaking,
- Creation and performance of puppet shows,
- Inter-generational journals