“FISH! reminded us of what we were trying to do for
our students, parents and community.”
-Dan Cronin, Principal
Creative Funding
We at ChartHouse Learning understand that educational budgets are suffering in many areas. While every situation is unique, we want to help you succeed in your efforts to make positive changes in your classroom/school/district culture using the FISH! For Schools program. This information has been developed to support you and your colleagues in your funding efforts. Start out by exploring the options available to you at your school and/or district level.
Rochester, Minnesota, Educators Working Creatively on Funding
After piloting some of the FISH! For Schools activities, teachers and administrators at Bamber Valley Elementary School, in Rochester, Minnesota, were hungry for the FISH! For Schools program. In an effort to bring this program to their building, 2nd grade teachers, Piper Nichols and Kathy Knott worked together to write a grant requesting funds from the district’s Exemplary Staff Development funds. Their grant included funding for 8 educators to attend the April 2004 FISH! For Schools LIVE Workshop. One teacher from each grade level, a special education teacher, and an administrator are among those that will be attending the workshop.
Another Rochester School developed Mini-Grants as part of their overall Site Staff Development Plan. Twenty-four teachers received mini-grants for stipends to fund days for them to participate in Book Study Groups using the FISH! For Schools Guided Journey.
One school found that FISH! For Schools fit well under the following Minnesota Compensatory Funding guidelines:
Minnesota Statutes 2003, Section 126C.10, subdivision 4, (7): includes programs…to enhance self-concept,…provide a safe and secure learning environment,…
Using these funds, this school was able to purchase 14 FISH! For Schools Expedition Packs for staff members in classrooms.
Walser Chrysler/Jeep Grants Three Hopkins Educators FISH! For Schools Tuition
Walser Chrysler/Jeep, after learning of the FISH! For Schools program chose to invest in their local community by offering FISH! For Schools LIVE! to three Hopkins, Minnesota educators! In an effort to support their community, Walser Chrysler/Jeep donated tuition (which includes a FISH! For Schools Expedition pack) to one educator at each of the three school levels: elementary, middle, high school. Educators from Hopkins will join the FISH! For Schools team at the LIVE! event in April 2004.
Gage Elementary School and Rochester Ford/Toyota—A Unique Partnership!
When Ann Clark, principal at Gage Elementary School, approached the dealership to discuss a corporate partnership there was great interest in the possibilities! The dealership is committed to working together by having its staff come to Gage and talk about FISH!, volunteer in classrooms by reading with students, and support Gage’s FISH! For Schools efforts financially. Two teachers and students will share at a dealership Manager’s Meeting about the impact of FISH! on their school. The dealership is excited about contributing to the community and interested in having staff members spend time at the school to connect with local children!
Grant Writing Assistance
If you want to write your own grant proposal, here is a helpful tool:
Use this document (MS Word Doc) as a starting point to cut and paste to create your grant proposal.