The grants can be submitted until February 1. This is the second year for these grants to be submitted entirely online. This year there is more money: $2,000 for individual grants and $6,000 for team grants--and money matching options have been eliminated. These grants are only for classroom projects that occur in Oregon or Clark County Washington, which makes the odds very favorable. The new application is easy to complete, but if you would like assistance in planning or completing an application there is still room in the Meyer Workshop on Thursday, January 8, at 4:00 p.m. in the Tower Room at the Education Center. Please RSVP to Mazzarella@4j.lane.edu or call 687-6948 so that we can accommodate everyone. Remember that a proposal that was not funded by EEF can often easily be converted to a Meyer application (although Meyer will not fund salaries). See http://www.mmt.org/stiguide.html for guidelines.

This program offers grants of up to $2,000 to K-12 classroom teachers for implementing tolerance and youth activism projects. Preferred projects are student-focused, promote acceptance of diversity, or involve peacemaking or community service and are sustainable rather than one-time-only events or activities. Neither salaries or computers are funded. There is no deadline. All proposals must be submitted on the Teaching Tolerance Grant Application Form. For more information, see http://www.tolerance.org/teach/expand/gra/guide.jsp

Awards grants of $25,000 to $45,000 for development of curricula, teacher training, or educational programs on the causes of war, peacemaking and the conditions of peace. Deadline is March 1. For more information see http://www.usip.org/grants

Provides $10,000 grants for improving the nutritional and physical activity patterns of young people. Proposed projects should reflect the Dietary guidelines for Americans 2000 and address factors that influence health choices. A list describing previous grants at http://www.generalmills.com/corporate/commitment/community/2003GrantWinners.asp shows that successful projects have both an activity and a nutrition component. Deadline is Feb. 2. For more information see http://www.generalmills.com/corporate/commitment/community

Funds recipients to participate in a high-quality professional development experience or organize a collegial study group that leads to improvements in practice, curriculum, and student achievement in the school. They award $2,000 for an individual and $5,000 for a group and give 75 grants per year. NFIE Innovation Grants provide $5,000 to support collaborative efforts to develop and implement creative ideas that improve student achievement. Break-the-mold ideas that focus on closing the achievement gap for underserved students are encouraged. The majority of grant funds must be spent on materials or educational experiences for students. No deadline, but grants are reviewed February 15, June 15, and November 15. See http://www.nfie.org/programs/grantguides.htm

Provides musical instruments and instrument repair to existing K-12 school music programs that have no other source of financing to purchase additional musical instruments and materials. The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation accepts grant applications throughout the year. They do not make cash awards, but grants of repairs and new instruments typically range between $500 and $5,000 in retail value. Applicants whose music programs lack institutional financial support and whose students qualify for financial assistance will receive greater consideration. For more information, access http://www.mhopus.org/melody.htm or Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, 15125 Ventura Blvd. Suite 204, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403; phone: 818.784.6787; fax: 818.784.6788; e-mail: info@mhopus.org

Awards one-year grants of up to $25,000 in the broad areas of Education, Community, and Medicine/Health. Primary interests include programs that focus on formal K-12 education (particularly mathematics, science and reading/literacy), after-school tutoring and enrichment, integrating technology into curriculum, and teacher development. The Foundation is particularly interested in programs that attract female and minority students into the fields of mathematics, science, and technology. The first step is an online Letter of Inquiry. There is no deadline. For more information, see
http://www.rgkfoundation.org/guidelines.php Barnes and Noble will give contributions to support K-12 education programs who work with them on in-store programming. Proposals should be submitted to the community-relations manager or store manager at your local/regional store. More information is at http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/company/codonation/co_donation.html

Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program provides $5,000 per month for a 10 month period to outstanding K-12 math and science teachers who have at least five years full-time classroom teaching experience, to work on assignment in a federal office in Washington, D.C. Previous assignments have included the DOE, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NSF, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Deadline for applications is Feb. 1. See http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/Einstein/about.htm

The River of Words poetry and art contest focuses on the theme of watersheds. The contest is designed to help youth, ages 5-19 explore the natural and cultural history of the place they live, and to express, through poetry and art, what they discover. 100 finalists receive prizes. Eight Grand Prize winners win an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2004. More information is at
http://www.riverofwords.org/contest/index.html

Christopher Columbus Awards Program is an opportunity for middle school students to work in teams with a teacher "coach" to solve a problem in their community while meeting National Science Education Standards. Finalist teams will receive $200 and a three-week trip to Disney World. Two gold medal teams will receive $2,000 for each finalist and $25,000 to implement their project. Deadline is February 17. See
http://www.christophercolumbusawards.com