Saginaw County teachers and staff encouraged to dream big

Individual project mini-grants for up to $2,500 are available

Saginaw, Mich. – Saginaw Community Foundation encourages Saginaw County teachers and instructional staff to dream big. Grants for Excellence, a competitive mini-grant program, will award individual projects up to $2,500 this school year. The program is designed to enhance student experiences and curriculum activities, develop projects to facilitate different learning styles, motivate student curiosity and learning, supplement additional funding sources, purchase educational materials and/or bring non-traditional resources to the classroom, develop and share innovative methods and tools for teaching and inspire professional growth.

“We recognize the tremendous effect teachers can have on the lives of young children. We also recognize that many demands and requirements are placed on teachers today,” said LeeAnn Martuch, program officer. “These mini-grants provide an opportunity to reward outstanding teachers in Saginaw County for taking the extra effort in the classroom.”

All Saginaw County Pre-K–12 teachers and instructional staff are eligible to apply. While more than one application may be submitted, only one grant will be awarded per individual, per year. The project must be implemented between January 1 and June 30, 2017.

Applications are reviewed anonymously on a competitive basis by an advisory committee consisting of civic and community volunteers and educators. Individual proposals are evaluated based on:

IMPACT: Potential to improve student achievement, potential for continuation and/or replication, potential to enhance instructional skills.

INNOVATION: Creativity of project, innovative approach, academic objective within curriculum context.

PLANNING: Clear plan for project implementation, teacher capability, cost effectiveness and realistic budget.

EXISTING RESOURCES: Grant funding will not supplant existing funding (in other words, project cannot be achieved with existing school budget).

Finalists will be expected to deliver a 5-minute presentation about your project followed by a brief question and answer session.

Funds cannot be used for the following:

• Facilities renovation

• Religious activities or teachings

• Equipment that is not an integral part of the project

• Non-academic projects

• Trips out of this region

• Tuition for special classes

• “Bag of Books” projects

• Accelerated reading and math programs

• Sound systems or interactive whiteboards

Although equipment such as digital cameras, iPads/iPods and calculators, or field trips can be part of the proposal, the focus should be on the project itself and the impact it will have on students.

The deadline to apply for Grants for Excellence Mini-Grants is November 1 and recipients will be notified by mid-December. For more information regarding the Grants for Excellence teacher mini-grant program, contact LeeAnn Martuch at (989) 755-0545 or leeann@saginawfoundation.org. Additional information is available at saginawfoundation.org/site/grants/grant-programs/grants-for-excellence/.

Created in 1991, Saginaw Community Foundation’s Grants for Excellence mini-grant program was established by and initially funded by the King Family Fund and the Wickson-Link Foundation. This mini-grant program provides a source of funding for unique, creative educational initiatives and projects not currently supported by schools’ budgets for schools located in Saginaw County. Over the past 25 years, a variety of funding sources, including the initial funders, have provided support for this initiative. A total of $230,115.84 has been granted.