Grant: A Four-Letter Word?

Finding Funds for Your School

Photo courtesy of Government Grants for Everything

            Well, the So. IL gang just had a delicious lunch at El Maguey.  While the food and company was an end in itself, I realized that as new teachers we have tons of ideas and no funding to allow them to bear fruit.  I’ve heard plenty of my colleagues talk about ever-elusive grants that give them money when they write papers about teaching and what they need to be better at it.

            I decided to go hunting.  The first thing I found was another blog with a basic rundown of how to get grants for your school (what better way to nab that job security?).  Here, Don Peek gives a basic set of guidelines for the entire grant process, along with some helpful tips.  Next, I found a website that appears to be a database of all of the grants already out there.  It’s a little sloppy looking, but I imagine it’s simply overflowing with good, free moneys.  Finally, I found a no-nonsense page with directions on writing the grant proposal.  It has a list of the criteria as well as a list of common pitfalls in grant writing.

            Right about now, I should be saying how this information has me confident in my own grant writing skills, possibly even going so far as to announce my idea for a grant I will be writing.  Nevertheless, grant writing still sounds kind of scary.  When it comes time for me to put on my big boy pants and actually write one of these monstrosities, I will certainly take Peek’s advice and write it with a partner to shoulder the burden and share the success.