September is fast approaching—which means it’s time for our third annual back-to-school microgrant cycle. Every year NCSE’s Science Booster Club program uses the funds we raise to buy durable equipment for science teachers. Common requests include balances, thermometers, microscopes, and shop tools.
Previously, these grants were only available to teachers in Iowa. But with the national expansion of our program, we are excited to announce that this year we are opening up awards to teachers in the SBC program’s most active states: not only Iowa but also Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, Oklahoma, and West Virginia.
Do you know a teacher who could use around $300 worth of durable equipment in any of those states? Let them know about this opportunity! Applications are due by September 15, 2017. The application process is simple. Ask me (schoerning@ncse.com) for an application. It’s a one-page document that takes less than twenty minutes to fill out. A total of three grants will be awarded. (There will be more grants awarded locally through our Iowa and District of Columbia groups.) Awards are distributed based on need and how many students will be aided by the grant. Bonus points if you can tie your request to the teaching of climate change or evolution!
We’ll deliver the materials to the winners. Teachers won’t have to do any purchasing or fill out any additional forms. We’ll ask winners to take one picture of themselves with their new equipment, and we might write about them a little on the blog here. That’s it—no other strings attached.
We look forward to hearing from you! If you have any questions, e-mail me at schoerning@ncse.com. (Are you sad that your state isn’t listed here? Get crackin’ on a booster club by sending me an e-mail.)
Photograph: Julia Dent Grant with two micro-Grants, viz. Frederick Dent Grant and Ulysses S. Grant Jr., 1854, via Wikimedia Commons.
