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Grants to North Carolina Public Schools in Eligible Counties for Experiential Education Projects

Learning Links Grant


Agency
Foundation

GrantWatch ID#
172605

Funding Source
Community Foundation of Western North Carolina
Array ( )

Geographic Focus
USA: North Carolina: Avery, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, and Swain Counties

Important Dates
Deadline: 09/29/23 5:00 PM Save

Grant Description
Grants of up to $1,000 to North Carolina public schools in eligible counties to provide students with creative, hands-on learning opportunities. Funding is intended to inspire students to be enthusiastic about learning and remaining in the school setting, ultimately through graduation. Projects should provide an experiential learning experience that will promote academic improvement and align with the classroom curriculum. Eligible public schools are located in the following Western North Carolina counties: Avery, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, and Swain.

Learning Links projects must:

  • Involve students in projects of a "hands-on" nature. It is desirable that these experiential learning activities take place in settings beyond the classroom or in a learning environment that is unlike their normal daily classroom instruction.
  • Implement innovative, imaginative, and creative approaches to teaching that enrich the educational experience.
  • Be aligned with the classroom's current curriculum.
  • Directly relate to the academic improvement of students.

Strong applications include:

  • Clearly defined and realistic project plans and activities. Do not use educational or technical jargon. Be as specific as possible about how the funds will be used.
  • Specifics regarding how the project will be implemented, necessary materials, time frame, people involved, and completion date.
  • A detailed budget that is reasonable and logically tied to the project description.

Successful projects in the past have:

  • Involved parents and/or community volunteers
  • Been led by a dedicated teacher or team of teachers
  • Integrated curricula or involved various age groups
  • Served a single classroom, grade level, or entire school. A group project is a team project that will serve the same group of students in a classroom, set of classrooms, or school-wide activity or club.

All field trips must include before-trip preparation and after-trip use of the information. They should also include all students the project is intended for (an individual classroom, a grade level, or school-wide activity or club).

Grants may be made to compensate experts who come to work with students but may not pay teachers or staff. These experts must submit resumes or credentials to justify the requested expense.



Recipient

Additional Eligibility Criteria
Learning Links grants are offered to public schools in the eligible Western North Carolina counties.

Ineligible
Learning Links grants do not support anything other than "hands-on" creative learning projects for public school classrooms in the counties specified above.

Funds may not purchase equipment, videos/dvds or furniture, unless these items are essential to the project and cannot be obtained otherwise. Additionally, grant funds cannot be used to cover the cost of items normally included in the school’s budget.

Items that are not typically funded include refreshments, rewards, or incentives.

Pre-Application Information
Deadlines and Dates:
The deadline to apply is the last Friday in September. The online application is available beginning in mid-August and must be completed by 5 p.m. on the date of the deadline. Funding decisions are announced in November.

If you would like to discuss your proposal or have questions regarding eligibility, you are welcome to contact Lezette Parks, Scholarship Officer.

There is no limit to the number of applications that may be submitted from each school. Each application form must be submitted by the lead teacher/project coordinator and approved by the school principal in order to be considered for funding.

There is no maximum restriction on requests to fund the same project. Projects that have been funded previously will be reconsidered on their own merits each year they are submitted.

Estimated Size of Grant
Individuals can apply for up to $1,000 only. Group projects are allowed and can apply for up to $1,000 per teacher/classroom.

Term of Contract
Funded projects must take place between January 1 and June 1.

Contact Information
Apply online, beginning in mid-August: https://cfwnc.org/grantseekers/about-grants/online-grant-application-process

Direct questions to:
Lezette Parks, Scholarship Officer
828-367-9909
parks@cfwnc.org

For technical assistance with the online grant system, contact:
Diane Crisp, Grants Manager
828-367-9904
crisp@cfwnc.org

The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina
4 Vanderbilt Park Drive, Suite 300
Asheville, NC 28803
828-254-4960
info@cfwnc.org

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