MESA PUBLIC SCHOOLS SERVICE LEARNING
Mini-Grant Application
Funded by MPS Employee Donations to
United Way and ECA Donations.
Mesa Service Learning administers a mini-grant program for service learning
activities involving Mesa Public Schools students of all ages. Mini-grants are
available for $50 to $500 to Mesa school groups for service learning activities
that are either curriculum-based or extracurricular.
A service learning project is defined as one or more community service
activities that benefit the students’ school, neighborhood, or greater community
and include articulated learning goals for the youth participants. Applicants are
encouraged to plan the project with input from the clients or organization that will
benefit in order to ensure the project is timely and needed.
Funds may be used for supplies, materials, equipment, and transportation.
 The total request for each application may not exceed $500.
 Up to $300 may be allocated for supplies, materials, and equipment.
 Up to $300 may be allocated for transportation.
 But the total can only be $500!
 And you are welcome to ask for less!
Mini-grant funds will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis and
will be distributed monthly. The grant deadline is the 15th of each month.
Applicants will be notified about the status of their mini-grants the first of the
following month. A school group may not receive more than two grants during the
school year. Preference will be given to school groups who have not received a
grant in the past.
It is important that teachers facilitating service learning projects and these
mini-grants understand the difference between volunteering and service learning.
Educators who have not been trained in the basic components of service learning
(through Mesa Service Learning or another institution) will be required to attend a
“Service Learning Basics” workshop offered through Mesa Service Learning.
Please read the following application guidelines and process instructions
carefully. Feel free to call us with questions as you develop your application. Our
goal is to give every child in Mesa the opportunity to learn through service.
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CHECKLIST FOR ALL APPLICANTS
INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED.
Cover Sheet
Summary (on the Cover Sheet)
Response to the Six Questions
Itemized Budget for Question Six
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
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The project must involve Mesa Public Schools students (PreK – 12) in service
to their school, neighborhood, or the greater community.
The project must include preparation activities that teach students the
needed skills or knowledge to implement the project.
The project must also include reflection activities that solicit and
demonstrate the participants’ analysis and evaluation of the project.
The funds may not be used to pay personnel or to replace state or local
school funds. Funds may not be used for food or drinks.
Transportation funds must be used to transport students to a location
where they will perform service activities (including dropping off created or
collected items).
A final report will be expected within a month of completion of the project.
It will include quantitative and qualitative data on the project, reflections
from students and adults, and a final budget with receipts attached. If the
grant was paid by a check to the teacher, any unused funds must be
returned to Mesa Service Learning.
APPLICATION PROCESS
In order to apply, please complete the four-page application that follows and
submit it to the Service Learning Department by the 15th of the month. Another
option is to download this application from www.mesaservicelearning.org and
complete it online. Then it may be printed and mailed to Service Learning, or it may
be sent to lthompson@mpsaz.org as an attachment.
Lengthy responses are not expected or desired; however, enough
information must be provided to enable the Mesa Service Learning Advisory Board
to have a clear understanding of the service learning activities being funded.
When applications are written by youth, the age of the authors will be taken into
consideration. The requested content is needed, but an adult writing style is not a
criterion for receipt of funds.
A few pointers: (1) “Name of Youth Representative” is the name of one or
more young people who are class, club, or project leaders. (2) You must write the
Summary requested on the Cover Sheet. Do not write “See application” which
necessitates Service Learning having to write your summary for you. (3) In order
to prepare the itemized budget, you should “shop ahead” to see how much things
will probably cost and indicate the quantity and price for each item. Add tax and
then total your budget. Then round to the nearest dollar for your amount
requested. Here is a simplified example:
Quantity
Item
5
Shovels
3
Bags of dirt
2
Trees
5
Bushes
Subtotal
Tax
Total
Total Requested for Grant
Unit Cost
$ 3.50
5.00
35.00
10.00
ADDRESS QUESTIONS AND APPLICATIONS TO:
Mesa Service Learning
155 N. Center St. Mesa, AZ 85201
Phone 480-308-7351 Fax 480-308-7379
Email: lthompson@mpsaz.org
Total
$ 17.50
15.00
70.00
50.00
$152.50
12.35
$164.85
$165.00
DATE REC’D.
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Mesa Public Schools Service Learning
Mini-Grant Application
PROJECT
NAME
APPLICATION
DATE
APPROXIMATE DATES (TIME SPAN) OF THE SERVICE LEARNING ACTIVITIES BEING FUNDED
GROUP NAME
(School and class, club or group name)
NAME OF
TEACHER(S) INVOLVED
SCHOOL
NAME and
ADDRESS
WORK PHONE
CITY
EMAIL ADDRESS
ZIP
PLEASE CHECK ALL OF THE FOLLOWING THAT APPLY REGARDING THE SERVICE LEARNING
TRAINING OF THE TEACHER(S) NAMED ABOVE:
 COMPLETED MPS SERVICE LEARNING COURSE OR WORKSHOP
 ATTENDED THE NATIONAL SERVICE LEARNING CONFERENCE
 ATTENDED A SERVICE LEARNING TRAINING BY ANOTHER ORGANIZATION. PLEASE
NAME THE ORGANIZATION: ___________________________
 WILL NEED TO ATTEND A SERVICE LEARNING BASICS WORKSHOP
NAME OF YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE(S)
NUMBER OF YOUTH INVOLVED IN PROJECT SERVING AND LEARNING
GRADE/AGE LEVEL OF YOUTH INVOLVED IN PROJECT
NAME OF ORGANIZATION RECEIVING SERVICE
NAME OF PERSON AT ABOVE ORGANIZATION
WHO VERIFIED THE NEED FOR THE SERVICE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE BEING SERVED (IF APPLICABLE)
COST OF SUPPLIES _______________ + COST OF TRANSPORTATION _______________
= TOTAL AMOUNT
REQUESTED
A 25-35 WORD SUMMARY OF THIS PROPOSAL WHICH DESCRIBES THE YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED, WHAT
SERVICE THEY ARE DOING, FOR WHOM THEY ARE DOING IT, AND WHAT THEY WILL LEARN.
SIGNATURES OF APPLICANTS: _______________________________________________________
APPLICATION QUESTIONS CONTINUE ON THE NEXT PAGE…
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
1. DESIGN OF THE SERVICE LEARNING ACTIVITY/ACTIVITIES
Please include the type of service to be performed, when and how often the activity will take place,
where the activity will occur, and who will be served.
A. What will the service learning project be?
B. How will the community benefit from the service?
2. LEARNING OUTCOMES
What academic and life lessons will the students learn as they participate in this project? Include
the Arizona State Service Learning Standards that will be learned and taught. (Standards are on
www.mesaservicelearning.org.)
3. PREPARATION ACTIVITIES
What activities will be used to prepare the students for their service activity? (How will students
learn the skills and attitudes they need in order to successfully perform their service?)
4. REFLECTION AND DEMONSTRATION ACTIVITIES
How will students analyze and evaluate their service learning experience throughout and upon
completion of the activities? How will they demonstrate what they have learned? (Possibilities
include journals, informal and formal discussions, essays, posters, power point presentations,
speeches, etc.)
5. RESULTS AND EVALUATION
How will the results of the service activity and the learning of the students be measured?
(Possibilities include questionnaires, pre and post tests, evaluation of reflection products, data
collection of the number of hours of participation or number of tasks completed, community
feedback, or any combination of the above.)
6. BUDGET Please include the following information:
Supplies –
Vendor Name(s) (i.e. MDC, Target)
List of Items with their costs
Total at the bottom
Transportation –
The cost of an MPS bus between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. is $22.95 per hour + 2 hours +
$3/mile. There is a minimum of 3 hours per trip on weekends and 2 hours per trip on
weekdays. If you need a charter bus or more information, call 472-0164. Finally, if you
have other sources of funding for this project (such as ECA or other grants), please note
the source(s) and the estimated amount that will be contributed.