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GRANT PROGRAM
APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCECPTED QUARTERLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED OR SUBMITTED
ELECTRONICALLY NO LATER THAN
11:59 pm OF THE QUARTERLY DUE DATE
PURPOSE OF THE GRANT PROGRAM
The purpose of the Science, Technology, Arts and Reading for Students grant program is to
encourage the development of educational activities in these four areas that improve and
enhance student achievement.
DUE DATES
March 31st
June 30th
Sept. 30th
Dec. 29th
NOTIFICATION
May 1st
Aug. 1st
Nov. 1st
Feb. 1st
AWARD DATES
mid-May
mid-Aug.
mid-Nov.
mid-Feb.
Please carefully read all sections of this request to ensure you meet all of the requirements of the
grant program including: proposal guidelines, formatting requirements, submission deadlines,
and submission instructions.
TYPES OF GRANTS & ELIGIBILITY
I.
Innovative Learning Grants
a. Individual Teacher Grants
Grants will be awarded to teachers in amounts ranging from $250 to $1000. All certificated personnel
in the SJUSD are eligible to apply for the Teacher Grants. Proposals may be submitted by individual
teachers, teams of teachers, or certificated district personnel.
b. Field Experience Grants
Grants are available to facilitate education field trips, ranging from $250 - $1,000. Field trips must
relate to specific grade-level curricula and support one of the grant program’s three areas of focus:
Science, Technology, and the Arts. Costs of videoconferencing equipment required for virtual field
trips are eligible under this category.
II.
Project Based Learning Grants
These grants focus upon collaborative efforts within a school site and include community and/or business
partnerships. These grants will be funded up to $5,000, and are the only grants funded at this level by the
foundation. Project based learning grants require that applicants submit a fully developed plan describing,
in the Project Description section of the application, how the project will engage students as active
participants in their own learning. Elements of a good project based learning experience include:
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A fertile question or issue that is rich, real and relevant to the students lives
Real world use of technology
Student directed learning and/or the deliberate engagement of student voice
Collaboration
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Multi-disciplinary components
Long term (more than 3 weeks) time frame
Outcomes-based, with an artifact, presentation, or action as a result of the inquiry
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As a requirement of the project based learning grant application process grantees must attend a grant
writing workshop prior to submission of their application. These workshops will be provided by the STARS.
Applicants may attend any one of the training dates. These dates can be found on the STARS website at
http://sanjuanfoundation.squarespace.com .To reserve a seat, please call Special Projects/Grants secretary, Billie
Griesert, at 971-7221, or email bgriesert@sanjuan.edu, with the date you would like to attend. All trainings are
scheduled at the district office, in the Ed Services Conference room, with one Webinar provided each
Quarter. Applicants who submit an application without attending one of these training dates will not have
their application read by the foundation. If you have previously attended a Foundation PBL training you do
not need to attend again.
PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
 Program should be student centered, focused primarily on science, technology or the arts (or combinations
thereof), and relate directly to the state’s academic content standards.
 Proposals may request seed money or support for expanding an existing program.
 San Juan Education Foundation (SJEF) “STARS” funds cannot be used to take the place of available
District funds.
 Proposals for equipment must clearly demonstrate the relationship of equipment to the proposed studentrelated program. Equipment purchased through STARS/SJEF grant becomes the property of the SJUSD
and not the individual teacher.
 The intellectual property rights, including materials and sample projects developed with grant funds, shall
be the property of the STARS/SJEF. The Foundation agrees to make such materials and sample projects
available for use and replication by all employees of the San Juan Unified School District.
 Grant recipients are required to submit an evaluation report upon completion of the activity or project.
Individuals or groups who do not fulfill this requirement are ineligible for future grants.
PROPOSAL FORMAT AND REQUIREMENTS
Please use the following guidelines and format requirements as you develop your application.
1. PROPOSAL COVER PAGE (One page maximum)
Please include:
 Name(s) of applicant(s)
 School and/or Department
 Title of Project/Program
 Primary Subject Area
 Grade Level (s) Served
 Number of Students Served
 Amount Requested
 Indicate if you are a novice (first time applying for a foundation grant) applicant
 One sentence that describes your project
 Please include the following statement in your cover page
I (We) agree to fulfill the requirement to submit paid receipts for expenditures and to file a project/program
evaluation report by the designated date. I (We) understand that all major equipment and/or instructional
materials purchased with this grant must remain in the San Juan Unified School District, and that the
intellectual property rights for materials and sample projects created remains with the San Juan
Educational Foundation to enable their subsequent use by all employees in the San Juan Unified School
District.
 SIGNATURES: Proposal cover page must be dated and signed by all applicants and their
supervisor/principal.
 All grants should be typed and formatted as follows: 8 ½ x 11 paper, 1” margins, single-spaced.
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2. PROPOSAL NARRATIVE (Five page maximum)
a)
PURPOSE: Describe the purpose of your project, listing anticipated goals and outcomes. Outcomes
should be Specific, Measurable, Action oriented, Realistic and Timed.
b) PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Describe the project, including the primary subject(s) and academic
content standards addressed, activities and/or instructional materials you will develop. Show how the
project meets the guidelines where appropriate.
c)
EVALUATION: Explain your goals and objectives and how you will measure the success of the
proposed activities.
3. BUDGET NARRATIVE (One page maximum)
Include an itemized listing with prices of instructional materials and/or equipment and a brief description of
how these expenses support your program.
SELECTION PROCESS
(Note: Projects that do not primarily address Science, Technology, Arts or Reading will not be scored)
The following scoring rubric will be used by reviewers to assess your application and should serve as a
guide in developing your narrative.
I. The program enhances and improves student achievement (80 points)
 Engages students as active participants in the learning process.
 Nurtures the students’ desire to learn and create.
 Stimulates and motivates students to achieve academic excellence.
 Encourages specific improvement in student’s skills and attitudes.
 Includes specific learning objectives and ways of measuring the effectiveness of project activities.
 Addresses the state’s academic content standards.
II. The program can be replicated (10 points)
 Adapts easily for use by other teachers and/or schools.
III. The budget supports the program and expenses are cost effective (10 points)
 Includes a complete itemization of expenses.
 Reflects expenditures which directly support the proposed activities.
 Establishes a base for future education activities that will not require ongoing financial support.
Grants must receive a minimum score of 70 points in order to be considered for funding. Funding priority will be
given to novice applicants. This should not discourage previous recipients from applying for funding as the funding
pool may allow us to fund all qualified applications.
All grant proposals are screened for basic requirements, including adhering to the focus on Science, Technology,
Arts or reading, and reviewed by the STARS/SJEF Grants Committee. Additionally, Project Based Learning grants
will also be screened for evidence of attendance at one of the grant workshops.
Proposals recommended for funding are presented to the Board of Directors at the October Board meeting.
Proposals which are not funded may be resubmitted for consideration at a later date.
SUBMISSION PROCESS
Each applicant must submit a proposal following the guidelines and formatting requirements outlined above, and
complete an itemized budget. Selection is based on the criteria described above.
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Please email an electronic copy of your application to nmancina@sanjuan.edu and send a
signed original hard copy of your application, by 11:59 PM of the Quarterly Due Date,
through district mail, to Nina Mancina, Special Projects and Grants Office.