Last week, the New Jersey Department of Education hosted a webinar to announce a brand new competition known as the “CTE Makeover Challenge” which has just opened with a first-phase deadline of April 1.
This program supports the design of makerspaces – centers with tools such as 3D printers where students can gather to create and invent – to strengthen career and technical skills education (CTE). As such this will be an excellent opportunity for public high schools, charter schools serving grades 9-12, technical high schools, and/or regional technical centers serving grades 9-12. This program will concentrate funding on projects which are innovative, replicable, multi-functional, feasible, and sustainable.
The total prize pool equals about $200,000 in various cash and in-kind product donations. A maximum of 10 awards will be granted.
Summer Programs The second grant is known as the “Innovate NJ: Summer Blended and Personalized Learning” which has just opened with a deadline of April 7.
This program supports summer programs for students (grades 3-9) at Title I schools serving at-risk populations. This program is primarily concentrated on programs that incorporate technology to supplement and/or complement traditional school year instruction during the summer months.
Award amounts will range from $75,000 to $100,000, based on numbers of students served, with 10 to 15 awards anticipated.
Students of Military Parents The “Military-Connected Local Educational Agencies for Academic and Support Programs (MCASP)”grant has opened with a deadline of May 3.
This program aims to strengthen family-school-community relationships and enhance student achievement among military-dependent students. Any local educational agency may apply, provided they have 15 percent or greater military-dependent student enrollment.
Award amounts will range from $250,000 to $1,500,000, based on the number of military-dependent students served, with 35 awards anticipated.
For more information regarding grant requirements for eligibility, submission, and funding priorities, please refer to the full opportunity summary, available through the Members Only portal of the NJSBA Grant Support program website.
More information on the NJSBA Grants program is available on the program webpage.