For more information go to: http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/03/08/i3-innovation-grant-program-opens.aspx
The St. Cloud Area School District is working with four other school district to write an i3 Grant for approximately $4.5 Million. The other districts include West St. Paul, Stillwater, Buffalo and Little Falls. Leaders from each of these districts have been collaborating/teaming to think of ways to integrate technology into the classroom with mobile devices that would enhance our science curriculum. This grant program was designed to fund the development of new ideas that would enhance learning.
The requirements for applying for i3 grants include supporting teachers that prepare students for success in college and careers. Therefore, we decided that we must gear this toward the way students engage in communicating now. They come to school connected, we often ask them to "power down" when we should be taking advantage of the mobile devices that "turn them on" to learning.
The grants that we hope will be awarded to us are called Development grants where we can apply for up to $5 million to support new concepts that are deemed worthy of further study. With our interest in technology, we have targeted the use of mobile devices that integrate into the 8th grade science standards. These five school districts are comprised of approximately 2,000 8th grade students.
We do have to secure 20 percent of the award from the private sector, and we are hoping that this will create a partnership that could help us well into the future. The "tricky" part of doing this is tied to the closing date for the application; this is due one week from tomorrow. Grants are expected to be awarded in September. Additional grants may be awarded later, as there's an additional $500 million proposed in President Obama's 2011 budget plan.
"This is the first national forum within which entrepreneurs, education stakeholders of all types, and foundations can partner to develop and fund innovative ideas in the education sector," -ED reported. "Through this portal, the Department will hope to facilitate partnerships by convening like-minded individuals to accelerate the development, identification, and broad use of innovative products, practices, and processes to improve education in schools."
