1. The instructional project budget should NOT EXCEED $2,500. Be sure and detail how you will use the funding in the appropriate space below. All applicants will apply for the signature award ($2,500) & two runner-up educators will be contacted with a provisional award.
2. Preference will be given to projects that begin during the fall semester of 2024. In addition, any level of matching fund support is viewed favorably by the selection committee.
3. Proposed projects should address one or more of the basic tenets of place-based education. These include:
1. Local to Global Context
2. Learner-Centered
3. Inquiry-Based
4. Design Thinking
5. Community as Classroom
6. Interdisciplinary Approach
You can learn more about place-based learning here: https://www.tetonscience.org/about/place-based-education/
4. Teachers currently working in a rural school district will be considered for this grant opportunity. You can confirm that your school is eligible by checking your Local Number to match 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43 in the National Center for Educational Statistics classification. If you have a question about your district’s eligibility you may email savannah@ruralschoolscollaborative.org. Rural Schools Collaborative & the National Rural Education Association value the benefits of a diverse teaching force and we strongly encourage teachers who come from historically under-represented backgrounds to apply
5. The National Signature Project Award recipient(s) will be contacted with a provisional award by May 20th, pending written confirmation from a building/district administrator that the school and school district supports the project AND a signed grant agreement letter. Once we have written confirmation from the administrator and the grant agreement letter, we will make a public announcement on the award.
6. Previous National Signature Project Award winners and current Grants in Place Fellows are not eligible to apply for the 2024 Seventh Annual National Signature Project Award.
7. Due to the vast amount of incredible place-based education project proposals received in years past, Rural Schools Collaborative and the National Rural Education Association have chosen to award two additional rural teachers with $1,500 toward their individual place-based education projects as National Signature Project Award runner-ups. NREA and RSC may also award two runner-up awards, depending on the quality of applications.
We look forward to reviewing your application. Thank you for your commitment to place-based learning in rural communities.
Once you have read the above in its entirety, please advance to the next page(s) to complete your grant application. Thank you for your interest in the National Signature Project Program!