This grant application is for materials so that we can double the size of Lego Robotics. We have so many students apply every year (60+), and parents are always inquiring about us opening additional spots. We'd like to purchase more kits and also get some replacement supplies for a few pieces that are lost or cracked. From my experience in writing grants (I've written or helped to write more than ten, and won funds from four of them), it's much easier to get initial funding to start something new than it is to get continuing funding for a project that already exists. This is a giant challenge for teachers, since we often can't find the funds to keep programs going successfully.
My hope would be that because this is already a successful and popular program, funding is more likely to be approved. The school is willing to pay for the staffing and provide the classroom space and laptop use, but we have to find a way to fund the materials on our own.
2 comments:
Do these materials provide for any new learning about programming? There are so many programs out there now that are available to our young learners for programming. I was reading your grant and did not know that the Meemic Foundation would pay a teacher stipend. I thought that was done through our district stipend. I know that the IPEF grant does not allow for this provision. I found that interesting.
Good luck! It would be great to be able to open the program to many more students! Have you considered providing two sessions?
Hi Helene,
Great question about programming. To be honest, the programming with WeDo Lego Robotics is pretty simplistic, and the kids go through a few guided projects and then design and build on their own. For the students who have been doing Lego Robotics, after they've done the guided programming, they have time on their own to make the different pieces do what they want. Some move, some make different noises, some do a whole sequence of things. This is a very beginner system. For the kids, though, it gets their feet wet, and since every kid knows about Legos, it isn't intimidating.
As for the teacher stipend, no, that isn't paid by the grant foundation. I've done Meemic grants before, and I've also been advised to list the school district's commitment as a cost and then list it again under "existing funding sources." From what I've been told (and the grants I've been awarded before), that makes it more likely that it will be accepted, because they know the school is committed to paying for the teacher stipends.
Right now we just have one session, but yes, we would like to have two sessions, either on two different days or at the same time but in two different rooms. :)
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