Grant Application
Deadline: January 31, 2019 at 5:00 PM CST

Consists of seven sections and should articulate creative, thoughtful activities or projects that demonstrate potential for learning.

• Create and save your proposal using a word processor, avoiding any formatting.
• 25,000 characters, including spaces, (approx. six and a half, single spaced, typed pages) cumulative for all seven sections.
• Avoid identifying references.
• Answer all of the questions under each section.
• Insert your answers for each section separately into corresponding text boxes.
• Avoid using hyperlinks and web addresses.
• Refer to the Scoring Rubric when addressing each of the seven proposal sections.

TEAMS:

• Proposals should reflect collaboration and demonstrate your ability to work successfully as a team. Team members should be active participants in the writing process. They should also understand that they are financially responsible for their portion of the grant if awarded.
• Only the team lead is responsible for entering the proposal online.

Sections:

A response to each application question is required. However, applicants should not feel limited by these questions and should provide selection committee readers with any information they feel is helpful in articulating their fellowship goals. Additionally, we strongly encourage you to review the Scoring Rubric (found under Quick Links on the right) to understand what details selection committee members are looking for in a highly scored proposal.

FELLOWSHIP RATIONALE AND PURPOSE: When thinking about your teaching practice, describe what you know about your students, their backgrounds and their learning challenges. What are the gaps in your own practice or the culture of your school that your fellowship will address? How do you intend to strengthen your teaching practice through this fellowship to meet your students’ needs? Reference specific demographic and achievement data of your students related to these needs/challenges. What are your learning goals? What are the key questions that will guide your professional learning? What grade(s) and subject area(s) do you teach?

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Describe the details of your proposed fellowship and the research behind it. What key activities will you pursue? How do they relate to the needs of your students and your learning goals? What is the time frame for achieving your fellowship goals?

TEACHER GROWTH AND LEARNING: How will your fellowship build your content knowledge and strengthen your instructional practice? How will your fellowship help you address your learning goals and professional development?

APPLICATION OF LEARNING TO INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE: Outline a plan, short and long range (unit), for achieving your learning goals and the intended outcomes for your students, school and community. What are the new learning experiences that will result from your fellowship? What are the specific processes and collaborations that will lead to new learning experiences for your students? What are the roles of colleagues, school leadership and external partners in helping you achieve the outcomes you seek? How will you assess your students’ learning?

STUDENT GROWTH AND LEARNING: How will students benefit from your proposed fellowship, both in the classroom and beyond? What new, authentic and engaging additions will this experience bring to your classroom? What are the learning outcomes for your students?

BENEFITS TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY: How will your fellowship experience contribute to your school community's efforts to engage students in authentic learning and problem-solving? How will new structures or processes take shape? How will you engage parents and the broader community as partners in supporting student success? How will you share your fellowship learning with colleagues?

BUDGET NARRATIVE: Provide a brief narrative showing evidence of thoughtful planning and research supporting your specific itinerary. The narrative should explain your rationale for the project's expenses; stipulate a time frame and approximate costs as closely as possible. Team budgets should include both costs broken down by individual and totals for the whole team. Please note: Fellowships take place in the summer months when pricing generally increases. Please plan your budget with this in mind. Grant awards cannot be increased following selection committee decisions.

If including a technology expense, specify: why the item is necessary for the fellowship's success, why you have chosen the specific brand/type, and whether you have prior experience using the technology. Technology expenses should not be the bulk of your proposed budget, but a necessary tool to successfully complete your fellowship.

Food costs should reflect actual destination rates and cannot exceed $50 per day/per person. This is not a per diem, receipts will be required.

Refer to Part Three: Itemized Budget Sheet for more detail regarding allowable expenses.