Staff Celebrations
Nathan Hale High School teacher receives $2,000 NEA grant to study at Mexico's El Eden Biological Preserve
Mary Sue Walker, a science teacher at Nathan Hale High School, received a $2,000 Learning and Leadership Grant from the NEA Foundation to study at Mexico’s El Eden Biological Preserve.
She will gain field research skills and gather baseline data on the biodiversity of the area. Work will be conducted with a team of teacher researchers to learn field method protocols and tools and contribute to an analysis of conservation biology issues.
Throughout the learning, Walker will blog about her learning experiences and apply new field study skills in working with colleagues to design field research opportunities for her biology students.
“With these grants, we are supporting educator- driven solutions that contribute to improved student performance in public schools,” said Harriet Sanford, president and CEO of the NEA Foundation. “Our support enables educators to engage in a wide variety of innovative approaches to the benefit of students across the country.”
Nationwide, the NEA Foundation announced that it is awarding 60 grants totaling $216,000 to support educators’ efforts to improve teaching and learning.
The NEA Foundation awards two primary categories of grants to public education professionals: Student Achievement Grants for initiatives to improve academic achievement, and Learning & Leadership Grants for high-quality professional development activities. Of these, four are the NEA Foundation – EarthEcho Water Planet Challenge Grants, which support service-learning programs that improve the health of our water planet.
A team of 20 educators, many of whom are former grantees, carefully reviewed all applications and evaluated each one against a set of criteria.
Funded grants were selected for the quality of the proposed ideas and their potential for enhancing student achievement. The latest grants were awarded to educators in 28 different states. The NEA Foundation has invested more than $8.6 million in grants to support the work of almost 4,000 educators from every state in the country to help students succeed.
Each year, the Foundation awards approximately 150 Student Achievement and Learning & Leadership Grants.
The Foundation awards its grants to educators three times a year. The next grant deadline is October 1, 2012. Application forms and a video with step by step instructions on how to apply can be found at neafoundation.org.
About the NEA Foundation
The NEA Foundation is a public charity supported by contributions from educators' dues, corporate sponsors, and others who support public education initiatives. We partner with education unions, districts, and communities to create powerful, sustainable improvements in teaching and learning.