I wrote two grant proposals this year and did NOT get either of them. With that came an end to an incredible 13 year streak of getting at least one grant per year. I have been very fortunate. But with failing and broken equipment and the threat of losing the 1:1 environment that I have crafted the loss of one of those two grants in particular is hitting me very hard because it was a tech grant. I know, I’m being self indulgent. Sometimes that’s okay.
I have five netbooks that have provided my students enough equipment to have a 1:1 and it has been very useful for my students to learn Science and blog about the learning. Those five netbooks were given to my 6th grade project because I teach all the 6th graders and I was tasked with exposing them to the Solo software suite. I was given those for three years and next year is my last year. Knowing that I applied for a $10,000 grant that would have added five devices to my program to replace the five netbooks plus replacing all the probes and sensor interfaces that have been damage and no longer work made not getting it all that much harder. To my dismay we will be short a sensor interface and several probes. And I don’t even want to think how we’ll manage if I don’t get a another grant to replace those five netbooks in two years.
I have plenty to be thankful for and I have to keep reminding myself of that. In my 21 years of teaching I have received 31 grants for a total of $315, 109 ($179,109 of that to be used either by me or directly for my classes). I got my first grant my second year teaching and my second grant my fourth year teaching. I got my third grant my ninth year teaching and that began the 13 year streak. Only six years of my 21 with no grants. It’s been a great run. Am I quitting? No. But I know it’s too late to get a grant for next year and next year the pressure will be on and with my bad luck streak lately I’m beginning to doubt whether I’ll get another grant in time. The grant project that I’ve had the most success writing has lately not been bearing fruit. I either need to change it up a bit or maybe even think of something else that is grant worthy. It’s all about the project and what kids will be doing.
The tech grant that I didn’t get was a long shot. I knew I was in trouble when I came to the part of the application that asked me to list the technologies currently available to my students. What? Ouch! I can see how that looked to those reading the proposals. Who is this guy? He already has everything he needs! How can I convince them that in order for my project to continue at its current level I need to replace broken equipment? I couldn’t. Yeah, I know, boo-hoo for me. But come on, 13 years of straight grant getting and now it’s over. I am sad.
What’s the worst part? I poured my heart and soul into the proposal. I came so close to all the word limits and got my thoughts out within their guidelines! Ugh.
In case it can help anyone, here’s the proposal. I don’t know if it will help but the first time someone asked to read one of my grant proposals it really helped because the teacher was able to see that you don’t have to be a technical writer or a great writer to get your ideas across and get a cool project funded. But be prepared for failure. You will probably, like me, write many grant proposals (I mean you should) and get a few. But think of that. You may get one or a few. It’s worth it in my mind.
Here are some other posts I’ve written sharing grant proposals:
WA STEM Grant Proposal
Sample Grant Proposal
It’s very doable. You just need to take the time and write proposals.
[Note: This wasn’t the end of my grant streak! At the end of the 2011-12 school I actually applied for and got two grants, one from the Washington Foundation for the Environment for $1,000 and one from ING for $2,000! Then at the end of the 2012-13 school year when I thought for sure that was the end of my grant streak, I got awarded the grant I couldn’t get (mentioned above) from CenturyLink for $5,000 (instead of the original $10,000 which is still awesomely great)!! They surprised me! They said those with great applications were awarded a new round of grants. So I’m at 15 straight years of receiving at least one grant per year!!]
