GRANT FOR GOOD TEACHERS

Have you ever said to yourself, "If I win the lottery, I'm going to ....." and then you list all the places  and people with whom you want to share your windfall or good fortune.  Some people actually reach that great place in life where they have large amounts of money to donate and they are not sure how to implement their plan. One good way is to bequeath it  to an agency which has expertise in administering funds. One excellent way is educational grants to teachers and other professional educators. Locally, the Foundation offers grants once a year to teachers in the amount of $500.  

Every year for the past ten, I have had the privilege of being a volunteer grant reader for the EDUCATION FOUNDATION of Sarasota County , Inc. (Florida)  Here's why it is so much fun.  First of all, it is held in a lovely bank room (Northern Trust), and it is provided with a very quiet atmosphere and a banquet of food which is beautiful!  I am greeted by the gracious people who work for the Foundation and given a packet of grants to read. Using a very clear format for grading them, I read the grant and evaluate them on a point system.  I turn them in and get five more. I usually volunteer for two hours and can read 15 to 20 of them in that time. (Retired teachers have the edge  at reading grants, because we have more experience with writing them!)

Each grant proposal is read by multiple readers, so that they get an even-handed review of their merits.  Once the decision is made, the grant recipients are presented with  a check at a program  which is open to members of the Foundation, contributors, volunteer readers and other community  members.

 As a former teacher, I know all too well how much  a little extra cash can be useful in introducing a new kit, new books, new equipment, new supplies to the individual classroom.

It is a real pleasure to read individual plans for making teaching effective and enjoyable.

My favorite one this year was a proposal  to get all high school students in an English class to start a blog of his/her memoirs. Students would read published Memoirs, ( hence the need for money to buy them), then read and comment on their fellow student's memoirs.  Now, you KNOW that excited me!  

       My ineptness with blogging procedures prevents me from placing the photos in a more  meaningful location. At the top left is Mary Kay, who served the beautiful food throughout the reading period. In the other picture I am shown  with Education Foundation members Susan Morris and Helen Martin. Photos are courtesy of  Laura Breeze, Advancement Director.

For further information: www.EdFoundation.net

When I was teaching (Broward County:23 years) I worked on many grant proposals.

I helped the overall school receive money and I personally won  a number of grants for my classroom. I worked for a year with the Sarasota County Literacy Council, writing grant proposals and teaching literacy to speakers of other languages. I wrote a small pamphlet for 

The Accelerated Reader program magazine on how to write a successful grant proposal.

Please don't write me and ask me to write a grant for anyone. It is  really tough work and I'm too lazy in my current retirement state. 

Just another day in my wonderful life!