REQUIREMENTS STATED IN RFP

Awards

Up to $4 million is available through grants for this round of funding:

§ Projects will be funded at various levels to reflect program scope and complexity but will normally not exceed levels of $500,000 for the life of the project.

§ Grants may be for a period of up to three years, as determined by the Board of Higher Education and the Robert H. Goddard Council. This period can, with proper justification, be extended for up to five years.

§ Funding will be set aside for the life of the project, but annual project reviews will occur based on:

o Yearly progress towards meeting stated goals and objectives;

o Consistently meeting enrollment projections;

o Adherence to STEM Pipeline Fund goals and linkage to Regional Networks;

o Strong leadership and project management, including fiscal management; and

o Quality and timeliness of reporting requirements on a schedule determined by the Board of Higher Education.

§ Funded projects will be reviewed between reporting requirements on an as-needed basis.

§ Successful grants will demonstrate a strong commitment to evaluating the effectiveness of the programs identified in the proposal.

§ Existing Regional STEM Networks may apply for these funds.

Audience

A. Elementary and middle school students (and high school students with sufficient justification);

B. Teachers, guidance counselors, curriculum coordinators, administrators, and other appropriate stakeholders in K-12 systems;

C. Attention to recruitment of female and minority students; and students from families with middle to lower socio-economic status regardless of school district categorization; and

D. Active employer participation in project activities.

Proposal Categories

1. STEM Awareness: Programs that seek to increase student interest in STEM through improved awareness of STEM subjects and STEM careers among parents and students as well as members of the education and general communities. Programs might include, but are not limited to, any combination of the following:

A. Familiarizing stakeholders (students, parents, teachers, school administrators, guidance counselors) with the importance of STEM fields to the economy through regional newspaper editorials, promotional materials, STEM industry mentors, STEM nights, etc.

B. Promoting the career opportunities afforded to STEM graduates through teacher externships and student internships, job vacancy data, salary information, job fairs, etc.

C. Conveying the role STEM fields serve in society and everyday life through informal learning experiences at museums, STEM nights, industry mentors, science fairs etc.

D. Emphasizing the need for strong preparation in STEM subjects to prepare for STEM careers through meetings of parents’ associations, guidance counselors, student marketing, etc.

E. Addressing misconceptions and dispelling gender stereotypes about STEM careers through guest speakers, field trips to STEM businesses, internships, etc.

F. Developing robust programs in parent engagement, especially for under-represented students.

G. Defining messages and programs to encourage STEM interest through student-led projects with adequate faculty/administration oversight.

2. STEM Learning: In-school or out-of-school opportunities that seek to increase student interest in STEM through improved student and teacher content knowledge and teacher pedagogical skill. Approaches may include, but are not limited to, any combination of the following elements:

A. Learning in small group settings comprised of students of mixed abilities and focused on cooperative goals.

B. Addressing prevalent curriculum and/or societal misconceptions related to STEM subjects and/or STEM careers.

C. Encouraging inquiry and curiosity through the use of hands-on activities, materials, and experiments.

D. Connecting learning to the “real world” through and emphasis on the application of STEM subjects to everyday life, employment, and the surrounding environment. Strategies might include visits to STEM employer sites, STEM industry mentors, curriculum modules on current events related to STEM, etc.

E. Integrating curriculum and approaches vertically among K-12 grade levels as well as with higher education majors and employer expectations.

F. Developing “train the trainers” approaches.

G. Creating an explicit model of a school/administrative culture to support cultivation and retention of student interest, including tracking student progress across grade levels.

SUGGESTED OUTLINE FOR PROPOSAL

ASSUMPTIONS

§ Focus of grant is coalition-wide rather than a subset.

§ Building infrastructure that includes both awareness plus learning experiences will generate more long-term change than after school or summer programs for students.

1. Building STEM Awareness among a wide range adult stakeholders (Audience A-D)

2. Creating an explicit model of a school/administrative culture to support cultivation and retention of student interest, including tracking student progress across grade levels (STEM Learning – G) (includes in-school, after school, summer programs)

YEAR I (Feb 2008 – Feb 2009)	BUDGET (close to $500,000)
1. Hire grant director	75,000 ($25,000/year for 3 years, part time)
2. Hire evaluator	50,000 (10% of grant over 3 years)
3. Hire in-district project coordinators	9,000 ($3,000/year for 3 years)
4. Develop print and web-based info about the importance of STEM (Awareness A) and possibilities (Awareness B, C, E, G)	1,500 (cost for printing, grant director does the work)
5. Identify specific STEM mentors, externship, internship sites for teachers and students from among PVSTEMNET business partners (Awareness B, E)	1,000 (grant director does the work, needs mileage)
6. Two day-long workshops for PK-12 teams (curriculum coordinator, guidance counselor, middle school principal, in-district project coordinator) from as many coalition districts as possible within budget for mini-grants - (Awareness A) to a) learn of importance and possibilities from #4, #5 above, b) create vision for school culture (Learning G), c) create two-year action plan for their district (as much of Awareness and Learning as desirable and doable), d) create evaluation plan, and e) submit mini-grant budget request for 9/08-8/31/09 based on action plan.	4,000 (At local college, presenters from colleges local business partners, director, evaluator)
7. Mini-grant activities for 9/08-8/31/09 (YR I & II)	$132,000 12 months x $11,000/momth (6 in YR I, 6 in YR II)

YEAR II (Feb 2009 – Feb 2010)	BUDGET
Feb 2009 - Day-long workshop for district teams, business partners, colleges to present on what’s been done, evaluate, identify what should continue and new possibilities	2,000 (At local college, director, evaluator)
March 2009- Day-long workshop for district teams, business partners, colleges to create action plan, budget, etc for 9/09-8/31/10	2,000 (At local college, director, evaluator)
Districts and partners implement action plans funded by mini-grants	$132,000 12 months x $11,000/momth (6 in YR II, 6 in YR III)

YEAR III (Feb 2010 – March 2011)	BUDGET
Feb 2010 - Day-long workshop for district teams, business partners, colleges to present on what’s been done, evaluate, identify what should continue and new possibilities	2,000 (At local college, director, evaluator)
March 2010- Day-long workshop for district teams, business partners, colleges to create action plan, budget, etc for 9/10-2/11	2,000 (At local college, director, evaluator)
Districts and partners implement action plans funded by mini-grants	$66,000 6 months x $11,000/momth in YR III