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"We are excited by the idea of providing on-demand library services with Kindles and hope it will encourage more reading for pleasure."
Deeth Ellis, Head Librarian, WHS

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Grants: For Educators

Please note that these grants are for the Wellesley, Massachusetts Public School System only. Grant applications may be submitted at any time, but will be reviewed by the Grant Review Committee twice per year, in the fall and in the spring.

GRANT APPLICATION DEADLINES		AWARD NOTIFICATION TIMEFRAME
Fall	Deadline: October 15, 2012	By December 2012
Spring	Deadline: March 4, 2013 [Including requests for the Ruth S. Walter Environmental Education Fund]	By May 2013

WEF funds projects which result in richer and deeper learning experiences and have the potential to impact the maximum number of students. We differ from Parent Teacher Organizations in both scope and scale. Our support is strategic and typically system-wide.

Therefore, funding will be considered for:

• Major initiatives the school system cannot support.
• System-wide school grants by grade, department or curriculum.
• Individual elementary school grants provided they have potential for replication (up to 20% of grant budget.)

Grants must be well written, with a compelling explanation of the impact the grant will have on students in the Wellesley Public Schools.

WEF supports proposals that:

• Provide maximum benefit to as many students as possible;
• Enhance the core and supplemental parts of the curriculum, support new educational paradigms, and result in richer learning experiences;
• Call for collaborative efforts between educators.
• Promote innovative environmental education, programming, and/or teacher travel (under the auspices of the Ruth S. Walter Environmental Education Fund).

WEF considers proposals for:

• Capital equipments or materials that enhance the curriculum and refine pedagogy;
• System initiatives that would be supported by sending a group of teachers to a conference or professional development course;
• External conferences or workshops for educators that are consistent with the criteria outlined above.

WEF cannot support proposals for the following:

• Field trips of any nature
• Refreshments
• Transportation
• Decorations
• Projects more appropriately funded elsewhere (i.e., PTOs or Creative Arts)

Note: Some collaboration with other funding sources may be possible.

Authorized signatures are required for each grant application. The criteria for signatures are as follows:

• Grant programs offered at a single school require the authorizing signature of that school's principal.
• Grant programs available at more than one school should have the authorizing signature of each school’s principal.
• Grant programs that involve all schools require an authorizing signature from Central Administration personnel such as the Director of Curriculum in addition to individual principals’ signatures.
• All grant programs involving technology require the signature of Rob Ford, Director of Technology.
• Grant applications for WHS and WMS require signatures of respective Department Head (when applicable).

Coordinate with Rob Ford, Director of Technology, for best sources and prices of equipment. The fall grant application process will be as follows:

Step One:	CLICK the "Apply Now" button below to access a copy of the grant application (Microsoft Word).
Step Two:	COMPLETE the application and save it to your computer.
Step Three:	PRINT the completed application.
Step Four:	OBTAIN the required signatures as outlined on the first page of the application.
Step Five:	SEND the completed/signed application in an envelope clearly labeled “WEF Grant Application” to: Janice Gross Assistant to the Director of WPS Curriculum Office of the Superintendent Wellesley Middle School (781-446-6210, ext. 4502)
Click the apply now button to obtain a copy of the WEF grant application form.

WEF has supported projects that range from one hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. While there is no set limit to the amount of funding you may request, there is an expectation that the greater the amount requested, the more details the project description and budget must contain. Funding is subject to availability and comparison with other grants. It is permissible to resubmit grants to WEF that have received only partial WEF funding in the past.

If there are any questions regarding WEF Grants, applicants are encouraged to contact: Grant Committee Chair: Shannah Frambes at shannahframbes@me.com

Based on the funding criteria set forth by the Board of WEF, the grant applications are reviewed initially by a committee of board members who then submit their recommendations to the Grant Review Committee which consists of five members from the WEF Board, and five educators, including the Director of Curriculum and the Director of Technology. This group of ten, the Grant Committee, thoroughly reviews and discusses the merits of each grant application especially as to how they align with the goals of the Wellesley Public Schools. The Grant Committee then assesses the pool of grant requests based on the impact relative to all the funding opportunities received in the given cycle. At this time, the Grant Committee may consider partial funding for some grants in order to approve a greater number of applications.

Click here for a list of Frequently Asked Questions

Please refer to examples of well-written grants prior to writing your grant.

Example 1    Example 2    Example 3

At the conclusion of the project, the grant recipient is required to complete a brief evaluation of the project. The purpose of this evaluation is to assist WEF in better understanding the impact of its funding and in evaluating future requests. An online evaluation form will be available following the Fall award notifications.