Service-Learning Funding Opportunities…and Award Nomination Opportunities

The school year is well underway. KIDS Consortium will be announcing our Green mini-grant award winners very soon. However, there are still many other ways to consider funding your service-learning projects. Here are a few funding opportunities for youth-led projects, some with fast-approaching deadlines:

• State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grants: Grants of up to $1,000 are available for youth-led service-learning initiatives. State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grants encourage semester-long projects (following YSA’s Semester of Service framework) that launch on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January 17, 2011) and culminate on Global Youth Service Day (April 15-17, 2011). Application deadline has been extended to November 9. http://www.ysa.org/goodneighbor
• UnitedHealth HEROES Program: This service-learning, health literacy initiative developed by UnitedHealth Group and Youth Service America awards grants of up to $1,000 to help young people create and implement local, hands-on programs to fight childhood obesity. Applications due October 22. http://www.YSA.org/heroes
• Youth Garden Grants: If your project is a school garden, check out the Home Depot/National Gardening Association program that supports youth-led gardening. Applications due November 1. http://www.kidsgardening.org/ygg.asp
• Donorschoose.org: Consider posting your classroom need online at donorschoose.org.

We want to mention two awards in the service-learning field, through NYLC and State Farm. Nominations for both are due October 29, just 2 weeks away.

• Youth involved in service-learning programs/long-term projects can apply for the State Farm Youth Leadership for Service-Learning Excellence Award. The award focuses on K-12 projects showing a high level of youth initiative in all areas including identifying the authentic need, planning the service, and putting that plan into action. http://nslc.nylc.org/downloads/NSLC11_SFYouthLeadershipAward.pdf
• Anyone can nominate an excellent service-learning practitioner for the State Farm Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award. Download the nomination form at http://nslc.nylc.org/downloads/NSLC11_SFPractitionerAward.pdf