| Education Grants |
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The MAS has searched out several opportunities where teachers can apply for monetary grants that would allow them to pursue projects and program resources that would enhance the learning experience for everyone involved! Pay It Forward Mini-Grants are designed to fund one-time-only service-oriented projects identified by youth as activities they would like to perform to benefit their school, neighborhood, or greater community. Projects must contain a "pay it forward" focus - that is, they must be based on the concept of one person doing a favor for others, who in turn do favors for others, with the results growing exponentially - to be considered in the grant making process. The ING Foundation is the charitable giving arm of ING in the Americas. The Foundation awards grants to non-profit organizations addressing a variety of community needs and resources. Focus areas include:
U-ACT which stands for Unbridled Acts, or random acts of kindness, is a character-building initiative specifically for middle and junior high schools with grades 6-8, which aims to inspire and energize students about the value of being kind to others. Throughout the school year, participating schools are asked to share Red Robin's Unbridled culture with their students by participating in program that promote kindness. At the end of the year, schools are asked to submit a program binder outlining their efforts during the school year for a chance to earn a grant anywhere from $1,200-$15,000! Statistics show that in many U.S. classrooms children who are overweight sit next to others who wonder where their next meal will come from. Many children don't have balanced diets or get enough exercise. Research conducted at Texas A&M University supports the connection between kids' food gardens and improved nutrition. Forward-thinking educators and parents agree that school gardens should be part of the solution to the diet- and exercise-related challenges children face, and they've worked hard to create youth garden programs that focus on nutrition and hunger issues. Toshiba America Foundation encourages projects with potential for improving classroom teaching and learning in science and mathematics. The Foundation strongly encourages projects planned and led by individual teachers or teams of teachers for their own classrooms. In addition, projects funded by the Foundation enable forward thinking teachers to use science and mathematics to engage students in positive and challenging learning experiences. Many successful grantees have designed projects that have tapped into the natural curiosity of their students, have enabled students to frame their own scientific questions, and have incorporated the expertise of community partners. The GTECH After School Advantage Program is a national community investment program, which provides non-profit community agencies with state-of-the-art computer labs. These Computer Centers are designed to provide inner-city children aged five to 15 with a meaningful, yet fun, learning experience during the critical after-school hours, in a safe environment. This initiative is meant to provide an otherwise unavailable educational experience and bridge the digital divide among at-risk children. By applying our knowledge and expertise to this type of program GTECH hopes to increase children's interest in careers in computers and provide them with the necessary tools to help them become more competitive in school and in today's job market.
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