The Lake Stevens Education Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to the support of the Lake Stevens School District. Approximately $10,000 from the Foundation will be available for education grants. Grants can support 2008-2009 projects, summer program projects, or be targeted for use in 2009-2010. Grant awards will be based on merit. Individual teachers, teams/departments, or schools may submit grants.

OBJECTIVES:

• Projects that are creative and innovative
• Projects that:

Focus on improving student achievement in the arts, science, reading, math or writing
Demonstrate integration of curriculum
Apply learning to the real world (relevancy)
Strengthen the relationship between school, home, and the community
Impact a significant number of students or more than one school

• Projects must be beyond the financial capabilities of the district and building budgets
• Resource materials must demonstrate strong ties to the project

HIGH PRIORITIES:

• Brings creativity and innovation to the classroom
• Resource materials are reusable
• High ratio of number of students per dollar invested
• Project would not happen without Foundation funding

LOWER PRIORITIES:

• Passive student involvement (student merely part of an audience)
• Instructional materials or technology (software) without strong ties to project

NOT ELIGIBLE:

• Capital improvement costs
• Transportation expenses

You are also required to include a supporting letter from your principal, which acknowledges the need for the grant.

All grant applications will be read by a team of Foundation members and district staff and will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Purpose & Need: Provide an explanation of the purpose of the grant request and what existing or anticipated needs the proposal would meet.

2. Program Design & Innovativeness: List the objectives of the grant and the activities to help meet those objectives. Describe how the project is creative or innovative, and how it can be duplicated to increase its benefits to more students.

3. Implementation & Evaluation: Describe what activities are to be completed and in what sequence. Describe how you will measure the impact of this project on students.

4. Budget Plan: Outline the expenses for the project in the following categories:

• Consultants
• Curriculum Instructional Materials
• Equipment/Other (if any)
• Supplies
• Other Projected Costs

List each anticipated expenditure, the amount, and the source of the funding. That is, identify whether funds will solely come from the Foundation, another funding source, or if items or services will be donated in-kind (matching fund arrangements are strongly encouraged).

Instructions:

1. Grants must be typewritten - maximum five (5) pages.

2. Title page should include:
a. Grant topic or title
b. Team members (identify grant manager/project lead)
c. School(s)

3. Attach supporting letter from principal(s).

4. Send an electronic version of the proposal (and the letter from the school principal) to the Chair of the LSEF Grant Committee at grants@lakestevenseducationfoundation.org

Timelines:

The Grant Committee will review requests 3 times a year. Deadlines for submission are:

• October 10, 2008
• December 1, 2008
• February 15, 2009

The Foundation's subcommittee for Classroom Grants and district staff will review the proposals and notify applicants of the decision within 30 days of the deadline. If you are awarded a grant, you will be asked to provide a brief oral or written summary to the Foundation upon completion of your project.

Please contact the Suzanne Quigley, Chair with any questions regarding your application at grants@lakestevenseducationfoundation.org or 425.334.6019.