IPEI GRANT FOR TEACHERS – APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Grant for Teachers Application Form consists of four parts: Grant checklist, Cover Page, Project Narrative, and Budget. These forms can be accessed via the IPEI website at ipei.org, the IPEI manual available at each school, the ITA office, or at the ICSD administration building on Lake St.

  1. Grant Checklist: Each grant application must have an attached, completed grant checklist. The completeness of the grant application will be considered in the grant review process.
  2. Cover Page: The Cover Page requests basic information about your proposed project as well as necessary contact information which must be fully completed.

    • Try to think of a short and fun name for your project—one that both captures the essence of your idea and will be viewed as enticing to participants (and the Grant Review Committee!).
    • If your project involves more than one grade level or classroom, select an individual to serve as "teacher coordinator" and contact person for the Grant Review Committee. The coordinator is expected to act as project spokesperson, be responsible for the accounting of funds spent, and assure that a final report on the results of the project is submitted. Identify other participating teachers under "Collaborating Teachers and/or Other Community Partners."
    • Identifying a Community Partner. A primary element of the Grants for Teachers program is to promote collaboration between the Ithaca City School District and community businesses/organizations. Thus, as you develop your proposal, attention should be given to the identification of a “community partner’ with whom the project will be carried out. For example, a music and arts project might include representatives from several area performing arts organizations; similarly, a science project might involve a professor from Cornell and/or someone in local industry as a community partner. If you do not have a relationship with, or cannot find "the right" community partner for your project, identify the type of partner you would like to work with and members of IPEI will try to help link you with an appropriate community partner. The community partner(s) MUST be identified prior to the grant deadline and contact information included. If the community partner is an individual, please include a brief CV or explain why this person is uniquely qualified to be a community partner—for example, "he is a skilled weaver" or "she is a native language speaker with extensive travel background in the target country." If the community partner is an organization, please provide a brief description of its activities or scope.

      Be sure to ask your school principal to sign your application. This assures that appropriate administrative personnel are aware and supportive of your efforts.
  3. Project Narrative: Your Project Narrative is a description of your project and should be no more than three pages in length and preferably typewritten. Take time to plan and work out the details of your project before writing the narrative portion of your proposal, keeping in mind the criteria by which all proposals will be evaluated when reviewed by the Grant Review Committee.

    • Include in your narrative a description of: the goals of the project (i.e., what you hope to accomplish); the population to be served; numbers of children involved/impacted; specific activities that will be completed and the timetable that will be followed; the role and benefits to be derived by community partners; and plans for evaluating the results.
    • Begin your narrative with a brief description of your project and goals you hope to achieve, using words that the general public will understand.
    • When describing the population to be served, be sure to include not only a description of who will be served (e.g., grade level), but also the number of students expected to participate.
    • The Description of Activities and Timetable will undoubtedly be the longest and most detailed part of your proposal. Present your ideas using a student-centered approach. Specify clearly what students will be doing along the way and how they will benefit. Emphasize the innovative features of your project—i.e., unique ways to motivate students, ignite intellectual curiosity, or foster responsibility.
    • As you plan your timetable, keep in mind that, in general, it is expected that projects will be completed within the same school year as the award thereby providing continuity for students and avoiding potential disruptions due to changes in teacher assignments or workloads. Identify the proposed date(s) of the grant activities.
    • Think about ways to involve your community partner in a manner that makes your project a truly collaborative effort. Chances are that the stronger this relationship is, the more resources the community partner will bring to the project.
    • Use opportunities, which are readily available to you to communicate the results of your project to participants and school representatives. For example, post results on school bulletin boards, include a story in the school newspaper, etc. Note that IPEI will also promote the results of your project within the community and through public media outlets.
    • Before submitting your proposal, test the content against the Criteria for Evaluation of Proposals shown below.
  4. Budget: The budget is an itemized listing of all required expenses and anticipated revenues necessary to carry out your project.
      Your budget should accurately reflect the cost of materials (don’t forget to check if you will need to pay sales tax and shipping charges) and services you need to implement your project. Your efforts to identify appropriate suppliers and actual costs, rather than automatically requesting the maximum amount available, are viewed as important and appreciated by Review Committee members.

    • The budget should include all costs and resources needed to carry out your project, including in-kind contributions and funds obtained from sources other than the IPEI Teacher Grants program.
    • In general, grants in an amount Up To $ 1500.00 are awarded through the Teacher Grants program.
    • As you prepare your budget, keep in mind the following general guidelines regarding the kinds of items that the Teacher Grants program tends to support:

      OFTEN SUPPORTED GENERALLY NOT SUPPORTED
      - necessary supplies and materials - Items such as food, prizes, etc.
      - equipment, provided it is needed for the completion of a larger project and not the sole basis of your request - equipment such as VCRs, TVs, computers, etc., that are typically available through the school district
      - fees/honoraria for outside consultants providing technical assistance - payments to other ICSD teachers or individuals serving as guest speakers
      - transportation costs - funding for overnight field trips


      Review Committee members commonly ask whether the funds requested could or should come from existing avenues of support within your school or the school district. If you are requesting funds for items such as books, travel for field trips, software or lab supplies, it is important to distinguish how these items augment rather than replace support that may be provided through the school district.

      Efforts to obtain in-kind contributions or additional funds from other sources to enhance the success of your project are looked upon favorably by the Grants Review Committee. Please identify, by name and amount, the other sources of support you have secured for the project in the column provided. If your project is rated highly and you have tried, but have not been able to secure supplementary support for all items, Review Committee members will offer additional suggestions or assistance wherever possible.

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