Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

National Math and Science Initiative Receives $100,000 Grant from TC Energy to Train Virginia Teachers

DALLAS AND NORFOLK, VA. — The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) is pleased to announce the generous support of  TC Energy through a $100,000 grant to bolster the training of Virginia teachers. This funding will be dedicated to implementing the renowned  Laying the Foundation training program for 6th- to 12th-grade teachers in the Newport News and Hampton Roads areas while playing a crucial role in STEM teacher recruitment efforts. The initiative aligns with NMSI’s ongoing work with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and districts statewide, amplifying the collective impact in advancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

NMSI’s Laying the Foundation program is widely recognized for its comprehensive and effective approach to equipping teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge to foster student success in math and science. By expanding the program’s reach, the TC Energy grant will directly benefit approximately 250 teachers across Virginia. Newport News and Hampton Roads areas were specifically identified due to their strategic importance in cultivating a new generation of STEM educators as part of TC Energy Foundation’s Build Strong program. Build Strong creates long-lasting relationships in TC Energy’s communities to help us all build a stronger future. The three-day event takes place at Norfolk State University (NSU).

“We are incredibly grateful to TC Energy for their generous grant, which will significantly enhance the quality of STEM education in Virginia,” said Michelle Stie, Vice President of Teaching and Learning at NMSI. “This partnership will allow us to extend our proven Laying the Foundation training program across the Commonwealth, thereby increasing our capacity to prepare Virginia’s educators for the critical task of equipping students with the skills necessary for success in STEM fields.”…Read More

How to prioritize the future of historically underserved learners

This week the collaborative funding initiative Catalyze opened grant applications for round three of the Catalyze Challenge. This new round of grants aims to reimagine the connections between K-12 education, higher education, and careers for learners aged 11-22 — helping them to build their identities, self-efficacy, and career readiness. eSchool had the chance to dig into details with Michelle Cheang, Ed.D., Director at Catalyze. Scroll down for details on who should apply and how education institutions at all levels can ultimately benefit.

Building on key learnings from two prior challenges, this round of grants will surface and fund innovations in two primary themes — career exploration for young adolescents and activating employer partnerships.

The grant application period opened July 31, 2023, and closes September 22, 2023, with grant awards announced in December 2023. This round of funding will award up to 25 pilot grants between $100,000 and $250,000 to power 6-12 months of exploratory work and early implementation.…Read More

Connecticut State Department of Education Selects FEV Tutor for State’s New High-Dosage Tutoring Program

WOBURN, Mass. – The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) has selected FEV Tutor as an approved tutoring service in the state’s new Connecticut High-Dosage Tutoring (HDT) Program. The HDT program is a new state initiative that aims to accelerate mathematics recovery for priority students in grades six through nine during the 2023-24 academic year. School districts that successfully apply to the program will receive a brief list of vetted and approved tutor providers, including FEV Tutor, as well as grant funds for implementing tutoring services.

The HDT program’s classification of “priority students” includes:

– Students with disabilities…Read More

3 new school grant opportunities

Key points:

Each day, teachers are tasked with doing more and more with increasingly fewer resources. And despite federal emergency funding to help schools provide staff and resources as the pandemic abates, school leaders still grapple with funding challenges.

School grants are often one-time funding opportunities, and while they are not permanent policy changes, grants often help students earn much-needed scholarship money, gain valuable experiences, and they also connect teachers with classroom resources or professional development.…Read More

Intervene K-12 Receives $150,000 Grant From National Nonprofit Accelerate To Make High-Impact Tutoring Sustainable And Cost-Effective

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Intervene K-12, a Houston-based online tutoring platform, announced today it will receive a $150,000 Innovation grant from Accelerate, a national nonprofit working to make high-impact tutoring a standard feature of the American school day. The grant will advance research on the impact of Intervene K-12’s signature tutoring method that pairs high-impact tutoring with mentorship to encourage academic success and career exploration. The grant will also support Intervene K-12’s unique curriculum integration and staffing model to hire tutors from various business sectors to expose scholars to diverse professionals. 

“Our unique combination of tutoring and career exploration has been implemented in dynamic, urban districts with measurable and replicable results,” said Aaron McCloud, founder and CEO of Intervene K-12. “With this grant we will be able to hire even more tutors from diverse personal and professional backgrounds to allow scholars to connect with tutors who look like them and work in highly desirable fields.” 

Intervene K-12 uses evidence-based lessons that are designed especially for Intervene K-12 scholars to meet them where they are. These lessons are leveraged using high-impact, online tutoring within the school day, during which small groups of three to five students facing similar challenges are paired with a tutor. …Read More

3M and Discovery Education Name 10 Grant Recipients Supporting Nation’s Young Scientists 

St. Paul, Minn. and Charlotte, NC. – 3M (@3M) and Discovery Education (@DiscoveryEd) today announced the 10 recipients of the inaugural 3M Young Scientist Challenge Alumni Network Alumni Grants Program. Launched in 2023, the program supports past participants and future scientists as part of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge ( #YoungScientist).  

As the nation’s premier middle school science competition, the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge invites students in grades 5-8 to compete for a mentorship with a 3M scientist, a $25,000 grand prize, and the chance to earn the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist.” The new Alumni Network and Alumni Grants Program offers previous participants networking opportunities, resources, events, and funding for existing science projects. Former finalists must be registered members of the 3M Young Scientist Alumni Network to apply. 

The Alumni Grants Program awarded a total of $25,000 in funding to ten 3M Young Scientist Challenge alumni. The 2023 3M Young Scientist Challenge Alumni Grants Program recipients across three funding areas are as follows:  …Read More

KidWind and Toyota Join Forces to Bring Renewable Energy Education to West Virginia

Saint Paul, Minn. — The KidWind Project, an international leader in clean energy education, has joined forces with Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (Toyota) to increase renewable energy education in West Virginia. Toyota has committed $50,000 for 2023 to expand renewable energy curriculum, specifically in Grant and Mineral counties in West Virginia.

“We are thrilled to work with Toyota and Clearway Energy Group to help bring more awareness about renewable energy to students and future wind energy employees in West Virginia,” said Michael Arquin, founder of KidWind. “This effort will support educators as they learn to incorporate renewable energy activities in their classrooms.”

Educators in West Virginia will have opportunities to participate in local professional development workshops. The workshops will include background on renewable energy and experience with curriculum and activities educators can use in the classroom to engage students in dynamic, hands-on learning. Educators will also have access to free materials through the program.…Read More

NWEA to Explore New Science Experiences for Students on Roblox

PORTLAND, Ore.–  NWEA – a not-for-profit, research and educational services organization serving K-12 students – announced today its new initiative focused on collaborative and immersive education opportunities on  Roblox – a global platform bringing millions of people together through shared experiences. Utilizing a  Roblox Community Fund  grant, the organization will explore innovative ways to use 3D immersive experiences to engage students in the study of science and assess their achievements in the subject.

While assessments are vital in traditional coursework, the results only demonstrate one small piece of a larger puzzle of what students know and are capable of achieving. Current assessments often leave out non-academic skills like student-decision making or progress toward reaching a goal. This is especially true when exploring  Next Generation Science Standards.

“This collaboration allows us to explore science as a verb by looking at how students engage in solving science instead of science as a noun,” said Dr. Abby Andres, Vice President of the Future Impact and Growth team at NWEA. “We’re excited to create high quality science experiences that can lead to new (and richer) data, new measurement opportunities that are both academic and non-academic, and ultimately better insights for teachers.”…Read More

TutorMe Partners With Snowline Joint Unified School District to Provide One-on-One Tutoring Support

LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) — TutorMe, an online tutoring solution creating access and opportunity for all students, announces a partnership with  Snowline Joint Unified School District (JUSD). This partnership provides high school students in the rural community with accessible tutoring support to meet graduation requirements.

The state of California provided the district with an  A-G Completion Improvement Grant, which allows districts to purchase resources students need to improve their knowledge. The district used the funding to acquire TutorMe for students to increase their subject knowledge for the A-G requirements, which they must pass to apply to a four-year university.

Through the partnership with TutorMe, students can work one-on-one with high-quality tutors 24/7 when it works best for them, whether before school, after school, or even on weekends. TutorMe enables meaningful connections that students need to learn and thrive, creating better learning outcomes for the entire school community.…Read More