Grants
Grants Introduction
Read About Approved Grants
General Grant Program
Guidelines & Notes
Application Instructions
Helpful Hints
Is it a good fit? Quiz
Grant Scoring Rubric
General Grant Application
Download Cover Page
Final Report & On-Line Form
Apple Grant for Professional
Development
Guidelines & Notes
Application Instructions
Apple Grant for Professional
Development Application
Download Cover Page
Final Report & On-Line Form

2008-2009 Academic Year Grants

The Guilford Fund for Education approved the following grant applications in 2008-2009.

Math Club: Calvin Leete School

Math is fun, as students in a 4th grade Calvin Leete School classroom will attest. They have been participating in a pilot program using the 24 Game, a unique no-tech mathematics teaching tool that has proven to successfully engage students in grades 1 through 9 from diverse economic and social backgrounds throughout the country. This grant supports the creation of a math club that will incorporate the use of 24 in every classroom in the building, thus creating a communal bond across grades and classrooms. Once 24 is established as a daily intervention/enrichment activity, Leete teachers will take the game to the next level, initiating "24 tournaments" for 3rd and 4th grade students. It is hoped that other schools will adopt this program with the knowledge of it's successful incorporation at Leete. As 24 inventor Robert Sun has said, "Knowing the answer is always 24 alleviates a classic brand of math anxiety-getting the right answer-and instead puts the emphasis on the process and patterns, what" he calls "'the method behind the math.' "

Using Nintendo: Guilford Public Schools K-6

This grant funds a pilot study to explore the use of Nintendo's virtual reality system Wii, (a video- type program which integrates physical movement) with children on the autism spectrum. The goal of this project is to explore the impact of the Wii on the foundational skills of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. It is expected that exposure to Wii programs would enhance sensory integration and ultimately help with learning academic skills.

Guilford High School Model United Nations Team: Guilford High School

This grant project will help establish a Model United Nations Team Club at the high school. The goals of the Guilford Model United Nations Team Club will be to achieve an advanced understanding of global issues through independent research and active participation in Model United Nations conferences involving simulation activities with peers from local, national, and international schools. Participating students will research assigned issues from the perspective of officials from subject countries, compose position papers, and formulate resolutions on real world issues. The Model UN program allows students to participate in simulations run by college Model UN clubs on college campuses and at the UN in New York.

Writer's' Wall Publication: Melissa Jones

Melissa Jones School will celebrate the developing writing of students at all grade levels by setting up a Writers' Wall on which the writing accomplishments of students will be shared with the school community. A Literary Board comprised of a group of fourth graders will choose the pieces displayed each week, looking for representative samples of the best writing at the various grade levels and in a variety of genres. The Writers' Wall requires collaboration of students, parent volunteers, and teachers to post weekly quality writings and compile a book at year's end to send home with every child. This grant will fund the publication for the initial year.

One School, One Book, One Adventure

In October 2009, the A.W. Cox School community will experience a month-long, school-wide celebration and reading of a universally-loved book, to be revealed at a kickoff event. This program will open up a dialogue with all members of the school community in ways that promote literacy, instruction and learning for all. Activities will focus on a community-wide discussion, differentiated for each grade level, and will be designed to foster deeper thinking, and enhance reading, listening, and comprehension skills. The goal is to have a school unified by a shared experience that brings readers of all ages together sharing their insights.

Mix it Up: Teen Peer Mentoring Program for Girls

Helping our community develop girls who have strong self-esteem and positive self images and who will make positive choices is the focus of this Women and Family Life Center project. A group of eleventh grade girls from Guilford High School, trained as mentors, will work together with eighth grade girls from Adams Middle School on two long-term activities, a cooking class & a photography class, in this kick-off year of the program. The long-term goal of this project is to create a peer-mentoring program that includes girls from grades eight through twelve.

Smart Music at Adams

Practice makes perfect. This project intends to make practicing musical instruments more meaningful and more enjoyable for members of the Adams Middle School Band by incorporating Smart Music, an interactive web-based computer program that allows students to play along with accompaniment for scales, exercises in method books, full-length concert pieces, as well as solo repertoire for individual instruments. The goal of Smart Music, both in school and at home, is to increase individual student practicing, more efficiently prepare students for large rehearsals, reinforce fundamental technical concepts, and allow students to bring the full ensemble experience home. Accommodations will be made for students not having home computer internet access. Grant funds will support a one year (Sept. 09-Aug.10) subscription to Smart Music for each band member.

Treasures at Melissa Jones School

Letterboxing, usually an outdoor puzzle-solving and orienteering activity, goes indoors with this project. Students will work as a classroom teams using skills taught at their grade level to solve puzzles that lead to hidden letterboxes. A representative class from each grade level will design developmentally appropriate clues, using curriculum guidelines for the grade level below their own (example 4th for third grade, using the times table taught in 3rd grade). All areas of the curriculum--math, reading, social studies and science-will be incorporated into this project, along with the introduction of new skills, such as map and compass reading.

Up Close and Personal with the Newbery Award

The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. This project provides an enrichment opportunity for all fourth graders at Melissa Jones, who will read and respond to one of the Newbery books, providing learning experiences to help students analyze, elaborate and respond critically to text and film both orally and in writing in a group setting. All students will be involved in a literature group regardless of learning strengths and weaknesses. Part of the project will include a creative response to the book, such as, writing and acting out a skit or researching a place from the book. Each student will receive a personal copy of the book they are reading. Grant monies will be used to purchase multiple copies of the selected Newbery Award books.

Teacher Institute in Early American History

Research shows that an increased depth and wealth of knowledge enables a teacher to be a far more effective instructor and guide, igniting student interest and engaging children in active, authentic learning. The focus of this grant is to provide one of Guilford's teachers the experience of a week-long institute in Early American History designed by Colonial Williamsburg. Colonial America, a fourth grade curriculum unit in Guilford, can be enriched through hands-on interactive activities, use of primary sources, and multimedia tools gained through the teacher's participation in the Institute. Knowledge and materials developed will be shared with other Guilford teachers.

The grant money will partially fund the teacher's attendance at the week-long institute and is contingent on the applicant obtaining the rest of the funds from other sources.

Elementary Photo Journalism Writing Project

The best authors write about what they know, and the intent of this project is to make that happen for a second grade class of students at Melissa Jones School. Using digital photography as a means of collecting images from their everyday life, students will create their own photojournalistic pieces. As part of this approach, the teacher will model photo journalistic writing and explore with the class examples of photo journalism.

The project focuses on two important components of the writing process. First, it will help students get ideas for their writing through the photos they take. Second, the photos will help them organize their piece and spur them to provide elaborative detail. Students will publish and present (using Power Point) a final product that showcases use of technology, artistic creativity, and their use of proper mechanics and spelling. After working with photojournalism, students should be more well-rounded writers who enjoy their work. The grant will fund the purchase of three digital cameras and accompanying supplies as well as books to serve as examples of photo journalism.

Special Education Parent Training

This project, organized by the Guilford PTA Special Education Committee, provides educational workshops to parents of children with special needs in the Guilford school district. The goals are to empower parents to become appropriate advocates for their children as as well as promote positive relationships between parents and schools. With this valuable ongoing training, parents will learn to actively participate in their child's individualized education plan.

A Sound Idea

This request supported the fundraising program of the students involved with Guilford High School Theater Arts (GHSTA), who charged themselves with the awesome task of raising $28,000 for a new sound system for the auditorium. Through an ambitious series of fundraising events, the students' goal was to raise all of the money necessary to purchase a portable wireless sound system to enhance the very popular theater arts program and benefit not just the GHS students but the Guilford community as a whole. Their innovative approach exposed this dynamic group of students to some important life skills, including organizing, grant writing, event planning, group decision-making, delegating, and working with adults who serve as advisors.