Grant Writing 101: Step Three

Steps one and two are to devise an idea that becomes a successful grant project.  Once you have an idea and a plan to implement it, the next step is to write the proposal.  The proposal is a one-page document.  Really.  Many funding agencies want to see a brief outline of your project distilled into one page.  Make the title catchy.  Apple-ka-dab-ara works because it captures the scope of the school's project, to create science magic by the Appleman.

The title should be catchy, Bruins Go Green, Hawk Science Soars, or Apples Get Wet.  Try to keep the title brief.  Use the School's mascot.  Now, put the idea into the first paragraph.    The second paragraph should include a description of your school or group.  The third paragraph includes a full description of the project.  A fourth paragraph might outline partners or past experience.  Lastly, thank the agency for its consideration.

Here is an example.

Criss cross, applesauce!  Musselman High is taking Apple-ka-dab-ara to kindergarten!  Musselman High is the proud home of  the Applemen; our students are doing a series of science programs with neighboring schools.  Apple-ka-dab-ara creates magic with science.

Musselman High School is located in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a school dedicated to its students.  “The mission for Musselman High School is to provide educational excellence for all students in an academically challenging, positive, and safe atmosphere.”  The WET club embodies excellence.

The WET club is comprised of students of all ability levels, including students with special needs; the only requirement to join is a willingness to work!  Our students are especially excited to go to the neighboring elementary school and share experiments with the kindergartners.  The experiments include the following: : tornadoes, volcanoes, color change, flubber, slime, 3-D chalk, Cartesian divers, UV bead bracelets, glow in the dark nail polish, Sumi Nagashi, and more.  Apple-ka-dab-ara is sponsored by the Watershed Environmental Team (WET), a service learning club.  The WET club consists of high school students, who set up rotating stations and performs the experiments with the kindergarteners as part of the club’s mission to service.

Last year, thiry Musselman High students brought these engaging experiments to two different schools; the kindergartners were thrilled.  Our School would like to go again this year.  Relatively modest funds go a long way at Musselman, which relies on the generosity of donors such as you.  Thank you for your consideration.

Grant Writing 101: Step Two

The first step is to harness an idea.  Now that you have an exciting idea, it is time to flesh out the project.  Apple-ka-dab-ara is a program in which high school chemistry students partner with kindergarten children to ignite a love your science.  Apple-ka-dab-ara is a play on Applemen, the high school's mascot and abra-ka-dab-ara, because the program creates science magic.  Recall the first step in grant writing is to have an exciting idea with a clear vision or objective.

Now, it is time to consider your idea more carefully.  Apple-ka-dab-ara involves both high school students and kindergarten children.  There are many considerations.  Which experiments will the children do?  Are they safe?  What equipment or materials are necessary? How much will they cost?  What is the role of the high school students?  Will they plan or simply implement the experiments?   Are there plans to field test the experiments, perhaps with one small class?  The more details you provide, the more likely the project will be funded.

Apple-ka-dab-ara was sponsored by a science club at the high school.  Club members signed up to participate.  They selected experiments, printed directions, tested them, and prepped and packed all of the materials.  The students delivered all of the supplies to the neighboring school in advance, to set up twelve, rotating stations in the multi-purpose room.  The high school students arrived the next day to man the stations.  Typically, twenty students helped.  Students greeted the kindergarten children, handed them a grocery bag and slipped t-shirts over their heads to protect their clothes.  Each group was sent to a different station with at least two high school students at each table.  Adults took photos to document the program.  Some of the high school students served as runners or as part of the clean-up crew.  Apple-ka-dab-ara was a hit!  The high school students loved to see the expressions on the kindergarten children as they performed the experiments.  The little ones learned science was fun.  Think through the details for your project.

Next topic: the proposal.

Grant Writing 101

What is the first step to writing a grant?  Do you have an idea to fund?  Is there equipment that would ramp up your classroom?  What is the purpose of the project?  How will the program engage students?    Step one is to clarify your vision. Let's look at a project with a clear vision. 

 Apple-ka-dab-ara pairs high school chemistry students with kindergarten children.  The high school students select, plan and prepare simple science experiments to share.  The students spend one morning performing over one dozen experiments with the kindergartens at a neighboring school.  The high school students take part in service learning; the little ones get acquainted with science through fun, hands-on experiments.  

Note this program is called, Apple-ka-dab-ara!  The title is a play on the school's mascot, the Applemen.  The program creates 'science magic'; a high school student came up with the title; its goal is get get kindergarten students excited about science. Simple, straightforward, easy to understand.

Grant writing is more about marketing than about programming.  Your job is to create and sell a project so exciting, original and innovative, the funding agency accepts your proposal.  Next, reflect on the project and write a brief description in the form of an abstract.  This abstract is critical; a program's title and first three sentences must hook the reader to consider your idea and fund your project.  

Next topic?  Flesh out your idea.

AGW Presentation

Here is an overview of the AGW program at Musselman High.

https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=df4rzwd9_583hpnm69fd

Grant Sites

www.toshiba.com/taf
American Honda Foundation Grant
www.captainplantfdn.org
www.toolboxforeducation.com (Lowes)
www.dosomething.org/grants
www.donorschoose.org
VEE
Melinda Ardia
Norcross Wildlife Foundation

Projects Available September 1 2010

Projects...
1. Native Plants (plant seeds)
2. GLOBE data collection or training modules
3. Collect and dry seeds.
4. Clean greenhouse
5. Order shirts.
6. Schedule training sessions.
7. Create and post Edline club page
8. BLOG
9. Picasa Photos
10. Campus cleanup
11. Cinderella Dress
12. Cell phone drive
13. Sept. 20th Club Drive
14. Backboard for Club Drive
15. PR rep
16. PR list of radio stations, newspaper, TV

Updates

Here are sites for the Summit and the Baltimore trip!

http://picasaweb.google.com/deborah.stevens.stevens/MakingMusselmanGreat#

http://picasaweb.google.com/deborah.stevens.stevens/BaltimoreAquariumFieldtrip#

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cacaponinstitute.org/projects%2520webpage/2b_South_during.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.cacaponinstitute.org/projects%2520webpage/PHWS_projects.htm&usg=__eER4821kNvwyqX-dPMy_dWsl6xg=&h=144&w=192&sz=46&hl=en&start=25&sig2=IzX_5zzFkWd3u9Mb2UDEig&itbs=1&tbnid=ENxsa7WLfna2SM:&tbnh=77&tbnw=103&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmusselman%2Bhigh%2Bschool%2Binwood%2Bwv%26start%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=LetRTKS9L8H98AbsqpCSAw

NCTC Seeds

DJ and Sam planted seeds. We put soil on the bottom of trays, placed seeds on top, and covered with the soil to see which seeds germinate. Once they germinate, they will be transferred to planters. http://picasaweb.google.com/deborah.stevens.stevens/NCTCSeeds#

http://picasaweb.google.com/deborah.stevens.stevens/BlackWillowsAndNCTCNuts#
(NCTC donated 50 bags of seeds collected from the NCTC property in Shepherdstown, WV. The students will take the seed that germinate and transfer the seedlings to planters. In effect, Musselman is starting a native plant nursery. Our goal is to use genetically local native plants for the bioremediation.)

Wet Team Meets

Our Wet Team had a meeting today 3/3/10 in 5th period . We trained on the internet on cacaponinstitute.org and globe.gov. The members that attented it were Sam, Dustin, Tara, Breanna, Tyler, Cody Lyza, Elizabeth, Jacqueline, DJ, Nicole, Vasyl, Ashley, Samantha, Robert, Brandon, Jessica, and Misti.

Stream cleaner

Rachel , Fourth period. Our Class went to Cacaponinstitute.org, and went to E-school, high school. We had to watch the slide show, then we did the stream cleaner activity.
Matt says 'it's like a sims game but not as fun." Steven played this game before and almost beat it. Missy says she likes the puzzles. Josh says "its complicated, he can't beat it." Brandon says "it's cool to see how we have messed the streams up and how we can save them." Robert says "its fun and educational, its Funducational." David Says "it's AMAZIN'."