Classroom Grants
EEF Classroom Grant Program for the 2012-13 School Year
Proposals are now being accepted for the 2012-2013 school year. Proposals must be typed and received through the US mail or hand delivered to EEF’s office by 4:30 PM, Monday, March 5, 2012.
SUBMIT signed original PLUS 10 COPIES to the EEF office. Incomplete proposals will not be considered.
ONLY TUSD staff working directly with students are eligible to apply. Staff may collaborate with students and parents to apply for grant funds but only TUSD staff working directly with students may be listed as lead educators and team members on the grant application.
EEF’s mailing address: 3809 E. 3rd Street, Tucson, AZ 85716
Hand deliveries: EEF’s physical office is located on the 2nd Street side of St. Mark’s Church, in the 3700 block of 2nd Street between Dodge and Alvernon, just south of Speedway. Faxes or e-mails are not accepted.
The purpose of EEF's Classroom Grant Program is to provide funding for classroom or library projects that expand curriculum beyond the standard educator delivery and student learning experience. ALL of EEF’s Classroom Grant projects substantively enrich classroom experiences, teach critical thinking skills, promote creative problem-solving, stimulate a lifelong interest in learning, model effective communication and collaboration, and explore concepts, ideas, and principles beyond the core curriculum.
EEF Classroom Grants do not cover the cost of basic needs such as clothing, shoes, eyeglasses, general school supplies, or food. If you are a TUSD educator seeking assistance in these areas, please contact EEF’s office directly for information about EEF’s programs that address these needs and how you can access them.
Classroom Grant Application Form Word | PDF
Proposal Categories
(select one category ONLY; EEF reserves the right to recategorize your proposal)
EEF General Fund Classroom Grant
Multiple grants up to $1,000 that do not fall within any of the following categories, but that enrich classroom experiences, teach critical thinking skills, promote creative problem-solving, stimulate a lifelong interest in learning, model effective communication and collaboration, and explore concepts, ideas, and principles beyond the core curriculum.
Central Arizona Project (CAP) Environmental/Water Use Grant
Multiple grants up to $1,000 for projects that focus on water issues, the effects of water on our environment, water conservation, and environmental issues.
Jacob Eisner Memorial K-6 Creativity Grant
One or two grants up to $500 for projects that develop elementary school children’s creativity.
The Stocker Foundation Classroom Grant
One or two grants up to $500 for projects focusing on literacy or fine arts.
Ray Davies Humanitarian Classroom Grant
One or two grants for up to $500 for projects with a primary focus on humanitarian or human rights issues.
Library Power Collaboration Grant
One or two grants up to $2,500 for projects that incorporate collaborative planning and teaching by librarians and teachers utilizing library resources. Projects should include resource-based learning in support of the Core Curriculum, meet the needs of students’ personal interests in research, and access information technology.
TFCU Diversity Classroom Grant
One grant for up to $200 for projects that explore the role of ethnic and cultural diversity in creating a healthy, vibrant community.
Judith Schwarz Library Empowerment Grant
One grant up to $2,500 to support a mentor and “mentee” (learning) relationship between two schools with full-time teacher-librarians. The goal within the learning school is to promote collaborative planning and integrate the library into the curriculum. Funds of up to $1,500 to the learning school to provide substitutes to facilitate exchanges of teaching personnel between the schools for modeling and mentoring and for other required expenses; and, $1,000 for the mentor school to improve student learning through the library. The schools will engage in quarterly written documentation of progress. Applicants for the grant should be the principal and teacher-librarian of both schools.
Ora S. & Jane Davies Kindergarten Classroom Grant
One grant up to $500 to support educational or cultural programs in a pre-kindergarten or kindergarten classroom.
Dorothy Finley K-5 Classroom Grant
One or two grants up to $500 to support enrichment projects for students in grades K-5.
Neff Foundation Field Trip Grant
Multiple grants up to $1,000 each for outstanding projects that prominently include field trips that significantly expand understanding of core curriculum.
Schaefer Poetry Grant
One grant of $200 to support a project utilizing the writing of poetry by students in grades preK-12.
Bank of America/Merrill Lynch Investing in Your Future Math Grants
Investing in Your Future Grants provide $500 in cash to the students of one 6th grade math teacher in each of TUSD’s 22 middle schools to invest over the course of the school year. The students are jointly responsible for "growing" this money by researching, analyzing, and collectively deciding the best places (in their minds) to invest this initial $500. Preference given to proposals that articulate the real world value of math, basic statistics, teamwork, research, and communication. Financial advisor mentors and fully developed curriculum are also available to support the recipients of Invest in Your Future Grants.
Friends of Kartchner Caverns Matching Grant
Multiple matching grants up to $500 each to fund field trips to Kartchner Caverns State Park for students in grades 1st – 12th. Fully developed study guide and curriculum package accompanies award. Recipients must provide written proof of matching funds by October 2012 to receive award from EEF.
Proposal Guidelines and Pointers
- Proposals must be for projects taking place during the 2012-13 school year lead by TUSD educators actively teaching in a classroom setting.
- EEF’s Allocations Committee reviews and evaluates all proposals on an annual basis and notifies recipients in late February. Grants are funded in early August.
- Proposals are awarded on a competitive basis according to the strength of their originality and thoughtfulness, available funding, and the clear articulation of their specific learning goals as they relate to curriculum enrichment.
- Not all members of the Allocations Committee are educators, so avoid educational (or any) jargon.
- Clearly state the proposed project’s learning objectives and discuss how you will achieve these objectives and how you plan to assess your effectiveness in achieving these objectives.
- Be sure your budget is clear and understandable. Funds must be spent as stipulated in the proposal budget. All expenditures must be supported with physical receipts. Any undocumented expenditures will be treated as compensation to the teacher/librarian and may be reported to the IRS by EEF per audit requirements.
- Funds must supplement, not replace, state or local funds; funds cannot be used to compensate teachers or other TUSD staff.
- New and continuing projects will be considered.
- Priority will be given to projects with potential impact beyond the initial grant period and with opportunities for inter-classroom sharing, cross-curricular collaboration, and community involvement.
- Parent and community linkages strengthen a proposal.
- Proposals must be signed by the educator and by the school principal. Teams of educators may apply but a lead educator must be identified in the proposal.
- If a teacher’s position or school site changes, the award may become invalid. The educator MUST contact EEF if there are any changes.
- Hard copies of the grant application will be distributed to all schools. Application forms are also available online at www.eeftucson.org.
- Proposals (signed original plus 10 COPIES) must be typed and received through the US mail or hand delivered, by 4:30 PM, Monday, March 5, 2012. Faxes or e-mails not accepted.
EEF’s Classroom Grant Program is sponsored by:
- Central Arizona Project
- Bank of America Charitable Foundation
- Donald Pitt Family Foundation
- EEF General Fund (with support from TUSD employee payroll deductions and other individual EEF donors)
- EEF Ray Davies Lifetime Humanitarian Achievement Award Luncheon
- Friends of Kartchner Caverns
- Jacob Eisner Memorial Endowment
- Kay and Lee Scott Memorial Endowment
- Las Donas de los Descendientes del Presidio de Tucson
- Library Power Endowment
- Marjorie I. Wandrey Memorial Endowment
- Neff Foundation
- Ora S. & Jane Davies Endowment
- John and Helen Schaefer
- Schwarz Library Fund
- The Stocker Foundation Endowment
- Tucson Federal Credit Union