Grants from Youth Service America

 

UnitedHealth HEROES Grants Support Youth-Led Innovative Solutions to Leading Health Threat (Deadline: October 22) Educators, service-learning coordinators, students in the health professions, public health professionals, and community partners are eligible to apply for the UnitedHealth HEROES service-learning project grants. Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that combines meaningful service to the community with school-based curriculum or program-based learning. Grant recipients will receive up to $1,000 in support for service-learning projects that focus on childhood obesity, engage youth ages 5-25 in the planning and implementation process, and take place during Semester of Service 2010 (MLK Day, January 18, to Global Youth Service Day, April 23-25). The grant cycle opens August 1 and applications are due October 22, 2009. Eligible states include: AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, and WI. Learn more at www.ysa.org/awards To access the application, complete our Eligibility Quiz. If you are eligible, you will be given access the application materials. To create a service-learning project around childhood obesity, check out "First Responders: Youth Addressing Childhood Obesity Through Service-Learning." Youth Leaders for Literacy Grants Available to Young Volunteers Who Inspire and Encourage Reading (Deadline Extended: October 30) Youth Service America is partnering with the National Education Association to once again offer Youth Leaders for Literacy grants to children and youth, ages 5-25, who offer innovative ways to increase literacy skills and appreciation for reading among their peers. Youth Leaders for Literacy will award 30 young people from across the U.S. each with $500 grants and $500 in books from the Pearson Foundation. Youth can submit their applications through October 30, 2009. Successful projects will be youth-led and address an established literacy need in the applicant's school or community. The projects will follow the framework of YSA's Semester of Service initiative, launching on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service in January and culminating on Global Youth Service Day, April 23-25. An activity should also occur during the NEA's Read Across America Day on March 2. Begin the application by completing the eligibility quiz at: www.cybergrants.com/ysa/yll/quiz

NEA Foundation Big Green, Learning & Leadership, and Student Achievement Grants (Deadline: October 15) The NEA Foundation provides grants to improve the academic achievement of students in U.S. public schools and public higher education institutions in any subject area(s). Student Achievement grants provide $5,000 to improve the academic achievement of students by engaging in critical thinking and problem solving that deepen knowledge of standards-based subject matter. The work should also improve students' habits of inquiry, self-directed learning, and critical reflection. Proposals for work resulting in low-income and minority student success with honors, advanced placement, or other challenging curricula are particularly encouraged. http://www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/grant-programs/grant-application/student-achievement-grants Learning & Leadership grants provide opportunities for teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff to engage in high-quality professional development and lead their colleagues in professional growth. The grant amount is $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for groups engaged in collegial study. Our Learning & Leadership grants support public school teachers, public education support professionals, and/or faculty and staff in public institutions of higher education for one of the following two purposes: Grants to individuals fund participation in high-quality professional development experiences, such as summer institutes or action research; or Grants to groups fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment. All professional development must improve practice, curriculum, and student achievement http://www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/grant-programs/grant-application/learning-and-leadership With $150,000 in new grant funding designated for projects that integrate green-related topics and experiences into the classroom, the NEA Foundation is growing its Learning & Leadership and Student Achievement grants program for individuals and teams of educators with additional Big Green grants. Public school educators are eligible to apply for individual grants worth up to $5,000 for the development and implementation of ideas, techniques, and approaches for teaching "green" concepts. The online application process for the green grants is the same as all Learning & Leadership and Student Achievement grants. Interested applicants can designate their grant application for consideration for the green grants programs in our online application system. http://www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/grant-programs/nea-foundation-green-grants Do Something Save Our Music Contest (Deadline: October 23) Do Something and VH1 Save the Music are inviting young people to help advocate for music education in their schools. Student-led music education advocacy efforts could include the posting of promotional and educational materials around schools, starting petitions or running letter-writing campaigns to save music programs, running instrument drives, organizing concerts, or starting a Web site or blog. Do Something and a panel of expert judges will evaluate efforts and decide which students created the most effective efforts to advocate for music education. The top five music education advocates will each receive $1,000 for their school music program as well as Rock Band Video game packages. One grand-prize winner will receive $2,500 in school music funding and a Beatles Rock Band game system. The prize money must go to a school music program or a school music program in need. Visit the website for complete program information, including suggestions for music education advocacy projects. http://www.dosomething.org/saveourmusic KaBOOM! Play Day Grants for Playground Projects (Deadline: October 23) You could be eligible to receive a KaBOOM! grant for a playspace enhancement just by hosting a Play Day! Complete the step-by-step Play Day Planner and then celebrate your Play Day by posting your stories, photos and videos. Sign up to host a KaBOOM! Play Day in your community from September 19-27, and you'll receive a free Play Day kit full of games, activities, and improvement projects. To support the cause, NFL PLAY 60 is offering Play Day communities $25,000 in grants to come together to improve their local parks and playspaces with clean-ups and simple enhancement and construction projects. http://kaboom.org/build_playspace/find_funding/grants/play_day_grants Target Field Trip Grants (Deadline: November 3) The Target Field Trip Grants program provides funds for K-12 field trips in order to give students throughout the country the opportunity to explore more of the world outside the classroom. For the 2009-2010 school year, 5,000 grants of up to $800 each will be awarded to educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, and classified staff who are employed by accredited K-12 public, private, or charter schools. Types of eligible field trips include art, science, and cultural museum visits; community service and civic projects; and career enrichment opportunities. Funds may be used to cover trip-related costs such as transportation, ticket fees, resource materials, and supplies. Online applications will be available through November 3, 2009. To learn more and apply, visit: https://targetfieldtripgrants.target.com 2010 State Farm® Service-Learning Champion Award (Deadline: December 1) State Farm supports service-learning as a teaching method that enhances the academic achievement of students while engaging in service to the community. Teachers and parents are usually the primary individuals guiding a young person's education. Other adults often play a key role in broadening a youth's formal education through community service-learning activities. State Farm created the Service-Learning Champion Award to acknowledge this non-traditional advocate of service-learning. The State Farm Service-Learning Champion Award recognizes a business leader, community member or public official who has a passion for engaging youth in service-learning. Nominations for this annual award are due Dec.1, 2009. This annual award will be presented to the recipient at the 21st Annual National Service-Learning Conference in March 2010, in San Jose, Calif. Transportation, lodging, and conference registration costs for the award recipient will be provided by State Farm. http://www.statefarm.com/about/part_spos/topics/nom_slchamp.asp

United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Youth Solidarity Fund (Deadline: September 30) The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations is launching the second edition of its Youth Solidarity Fund. This programme provides seed funding to outstanding youth projects demonstrating innovative approaches to building cross-cultural understanding. The 2009 edition of the Youth Solidarity Fund offers a total envelope of up to US$300,000. There are two levels of funding available: small grants for community or local-level projects needing funding of up to US$20,000 each and large grants for national or regional-level projects needing funding of up to US$30,000 each. A Youth Selection Committee will identify the best projects under each level of funding. Youth organizations from all over the world are invited to submit project proposals by September 30, 2009, 1:00 PM, New York time. The application guidelines and form are available at www.unaoc.org Sabina Fund Grants (Deadline: October 31) The Sabina Fund makes grants to grassroots groups worldwide to promote a plant-based diet and respect for animals. Small grants of $500 to $1,000 are awarded for innovative projects designed to reduce consumption of animals. (Because of the large number of proposals from India, Kenya, and Uganda, applicants from those countries must be coalitions of five or more grassroots groups.) Applications must be submitted via email by October 31, 2009. Visit the Fund's website to see examples of funded projects and to access the complete application instructions. http://www.sabinafund.org/#Proposals Adobe Youth Voices International Photo Competition - Round 2 (Deadline: November 1) When written in Chinese or Japanese, the word "crisis" is composed of two characters--one represents crisis or danger, and the other represents hope or opportunity. We have taken this as inspiration for our first-ever international photo competition. "Crisis and Hope" offers an exciting opportunity for youth around the world to express themselves and make their voices heard - on both what is challenging and what gives hope in today's difficult world. Winning photographs will be showcased online, in a traveling exhibit, and in a book. The call for photos is part of Adobe Youth Voices, a global youth media initiative, in collaboration with WKCD (What Kids Can Do). This contest is open to all young people, anywhere in the world, between the ages of 12 and 19. Learn more at: http://www.whatkidscando.org/AYV_Photo_Competition/Guidelines_-__Round_Two.html