Any teacher, counselor or administrator working in Lafayette School Corporation, Tippecanoe School Corporation or West Lafayette Community School Corporation in Tippecanoe County is eligible to apply for a grant.
Applicants are limited to being author of no more than one application per cycle.
Projects should creatively enhance the learning process. We are looking for innovative ideas and creative learning methods. Collaboration among teachers, schools and corporations is strongly encouraged.
Eligible Projects
- Instructional activities should complement the regular academic program in grades K-12 and must be relevant and appropriate to curricular goals.
- Grant funds should supplement, not supplant, state and local funds.
- Grant funds may be used to pay substitutes at the current rate if it is a vital component of the project and approved by an administrator.
- The maximum amount allowed for a grant request is $2,000.
Timeline
- Applicants will be notified within six weeks of the application deadline. A public award ceremony will be held after each cycle recognizing the grant winners and highlighting the individual projects.
- The grant recipient must sign a Grant Agreement and submit a Project Activity Calendar. A check is issued directly to the school or recipient once these documents are received.
- The Executive Director will schedule a time to visit each project to observe and take photographs.
- A project must be completed at the conclusion of the school year in which it is awarded unless the Board of Directors approves an extension request.
- Grant recipients must submit a Final Report (format provided) including accomplishment, evaluation and financial accounting with receipts for all expended funds one month after completion of the project or by June 30th. Any unused funds over $1.00 must be returned to the Foundation with the Final Report. Failure to submit a Final Report on time may result in exclusion from future grant opportunities.
Important Information About Our Online Application
Blind Review: All applications are reviewed blindly, and Page 1 of the application will not be made available to members of the review committee. Be sure that you do not mention your name, school or school corporation anywhere other than Page 1. Applications that do not follow this guideline will be disqualified.
Grant Target Area: The applicant must choose one grant target area when completing the application. The goal is to award at least one grant in each target area, provided that a qualified application is submitted. Target areas are:1) Literacy (Reading & Language Arts), 2) Science, Technology & Math, 3) Art & Music, 4) Health & Physical Education, 5) Social Sciences, and 6) Family and Consumer Science, 7) Conservation, Outdoors, Nature.
State Standards: We trust your project aligns with relevant state standards. It is not necessary to list any standards in your application.
Allowable Dollar Amount: Applicants may request up to $2,000.
Text Fields:
Most of the input fields on the application have character count limits in place. The specific limits are indicated on the application. In general, the Abstract must be 1000 characters or less (approximately 150 words) and other narrative sections must be 4000 characters or less (approximately 600 words). The Budget section provides space for ten line items (so like items may need to be grouped together).
Principal’s Approval: As part of the online application you will be required to provide your principal’s email address. When you submit your application, it will be emailed to that person, and he or she will be required to contact the Foundation via email to indicate approval (or disapproval).
Save and Finish Later: A feature to save your work and finish your application at a later date has been incorporated into the application. You will be given a URL and have 30 days to log back in to finish your application. Be sure to write down the URL or have the system email it to you. Note - each time you return to your application, and then save and exit -a new URL will be assigned. It is a good idea to develop your proposal in Word and copy and paste into the application so that you have a back up document in case you loose the URL. It is a very good idea to have someone proofread your application before you submit it! We have several past grant recipients that would be happy to assist. Please reach out if you'd like contact information.
Proposal Evaluation Rubric
Section A: (50%) The Project Plan is well organized and structured to address a documented need (20 points maximum).
- The stated expectations are clearly identified.
- There is a clearly stated and sound conceptual base along with supporting evidence documenting the need (including technology purchases).
- The budget amount requested is appropriate for the project and clearly itemized.
Section B: (25%) The Project includes an assessment plan of the project activities in order to measure student learning (10 points maximum).
- The evaluation has the potential to produce a useful assessment of project activity.
- The assessment plan relates to the goals and objectives of the project.
- The focus of the assessment is assessing student learning.
Section C: (25%) The Project idea/concept is creative and innovative (10 points maximum).
- The idea is original and/or adequately conveys a strong creative component.
- The project relates to the target area.
Section A (1-3) 50% of the total points (20points)
Section B (4-6) 25% of the total points (10 points)
Section C (7-8) 25% of the total points (10 points)
TOTAL 40 points possible
A = Should Fund – 36 pts minimum (90%)
B = Could Be Funded – 32 pts minimum (80%)
C = Below 30 points = Not Funded
