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CiviConnections
2006 CiviConnections Grant for Service Learning Projects
 CiviConnections is a three-year teacher grant program funded by the federal Corporation for National and Community Service and National Council for the Social Studies. From 2003-2006, CiviConnections will involve more than 297 teachers and 7,425 3rd-12th grade students nationwide in linking local history inquiry with community service-learning activities. A team of three teachers can apply for a $7,500 grant to cover their costs for attending a summer workshop, implementing the program during the fall of 2006, and attending the 2006 NCSS Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. Dr. Rahima Wade, Professor at The University of Iowa, is the project director. Dr. Wade and Dr. Linda Levstik, professor at The University of Kentucky, will co-facilitate the summer workshops. The application deadline is February 24, 2006.
CiviConnections will engage selected teachers and their students in the following sequence of activities: 1) Students and teachers choose a current issue of concern or need in the local community, 2) Students become inquiring historians as they investigate the issue through their community's history, 3) Students compare their local findings with learning about the selected issue in our nation's history, 4) Students look at how the issue is impacted by one or more government documents, such as the Bill of Rights, 5) Students design and conduct quality service-learning activities to work on the issue and strengthen their community, and 6) Students create a public display to educate the community and celebrate their collaborative service projects. Teachers will develop and adapt these activities based on their students' interests and abilities, the needs or problems in the local community, and their local social studies curriculum requirements.
Requirements for the application include the following: 1) apply in a team of three teachers from grades 3-12 in the same public school district, 2) be members of National Council for the Social Studies (or agree to join if your application is accepted), 3) partner with at least one local community agency, 4) involve at least 25 students per teacher in at least 20 hours of service each (this may include a variety of activities including community interviews, advocacy activities in the classroom, service with individuals in the community, creation of the public display, and attendance at the culminating community celebration), 5) attend one 3-day summer 2006 workshop and the 2006 NCSS Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. (all funding for the workshop and conference is to be paid from the $7,500 grant), 6) implement the program during the Fall of 2006, and April 2007) comply with grant evaluation and reporting procedures. The application deadline is February 24, 2006. For further information about CiviConnections or the application process, please print the CiviConnections Quick Reference, visit www.civiconnections.org or contact civiconnections@ncss.org.
Frequently Asked Questions about CiviConnections
1. I am not a social studies teacher. Can I apply for this grant?
A: Yes, teachers that teach other disciplines can apply, however priority will be given to those teachers who teach social studies or a social science course.
2. We currently receive service-learning funding. Does this mean we would not be considered for the grant?
A: Teachers who currently receive funding for service-learning can apply, however priority will be given to those teachers who do not currently receive funding.
3. Will the grant funds cover substitute pay while the teacher teams attend the NCSS conference?
A: Yes, funds can be used to pay substitutes while teachers attend the NCSS conference
4. I would like to be part of a teacher team, but I will not be able to go to the NCSS Annual conference in November. Can someone else go on my behalf?
A: All teachers in the team must attend both the same summer workshop (see dates and locations on the application form) and the NCSS Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., December 1, 2006. Substitutions should not be made for these events
5. Should I include additional information about my idea or plan for the CiviConnections program with my application?
A: Please do not include any additional information about plans or ideas for your program beyond those requested. This is not one of the requirements and we do not consider them when choosing recipients for the grant. Teachers will brainstorm and begin planning for their programs at the summer institute and will be asked to e-mail a draft of their CiviConnections project plan for approval by the Project Director by the end of September 2006. 6. What will the summer institutes cover?
A: The summer institutes will cover:
-the key principles of CiviConnections' two basic components: local historical inquiry and community service-learning
-activities on each of the 6 steps of the CiviConnection program
-time to begin brainstorming or planning your CiviConnections project
-exposure to a variety of curricular resources to assist teachers in project development
-review of the grant guidelines, evaluation procedures, and reporting requirements
7. Are part time teachers or teachers who are retired but work part time eligible for the grant?
A: Part time or retired teachers are not eligible to apply for this grant. More importantly, each teacher must involve at least 25 students per teacher in at least 20 hours of service plus related classroom activities. 8. Do all three teachers need to teach the same grade level?
A: No, the three teachers can teach various grade levels from grades 3-12.
9. Can the 25 students that each teacher involves in the program be some of the same students?
A: Each teacher must engage 25 different students in CiviConnections program activities. There must be a minimum of 75 students involved in the program.
10. I am concerned about not having enough money to cover the program costs, especially after paying for three teachers to travel and attend the summer institutes and the NCSS Annual Conference.
A: A significant part of this grant is meant to cover the 3 teachers' costs for attending the summer institute and the NCSS conference. Grant funds will cover costs for supplies, curriculum materials, and transportation costs for implementing the program. There are no specific costs for the teachers' projects so they can design their projects around their available funds -- the grant funds they have available after deducting expenses for the summer institute and NCSS conference (CiviConnections teachers need only attend Friday, December 1, of the 2006 NCSS conference in Washington, D.C.). Special Note: It may be necessary for you to incur some of your travel costs to the summer workshop and/or the NCSS Conference and then be reimbursed by your school district. Talk to your district accountant about your districts? guidelines for grant expenditures and reimbursements.
11. Do all three teachers applying need to be from the same school?
A: No, but the three teachers applying do need to be working in the same public school district (unless there is a teacher from a private school involved, see question 13.
12. Do all three teachers need to work together on one CiviConnections project or can we each do different projects?
A: The three teachers can decide whether they would like to work together on the same project or plan separate projects, we will discuss the pros and cons of these approaches at the summer institute.
13. I work for an independent school or private school. Can I apply for this grant?
A: Yes, you may apply but only in collaboration with at least one public school teacher. CiviConnections funds can only be given to public schools or public school districts.
14. What is the application deadline? The application deadline is February 24, 2006.
CiviConnections 2005 Grant Recipients
- Tahquamenon Area Schools, Newberry,MI
- Campus Community High School, Dover, DE
- Boles Independent School District, Quinlan, TX
- Independent School District, Rosemount, MN
- Little Rock School District, Little Rock, AR
- Perry Local Schools, Massillon, OH
- Loy Norrix High School, Kalamazoo, MI
- Palmdale School District, Palmdale, CA
- Cornerstone Academy, Houston, TX
- Wendell School District, Wendell, ID
- Thornton High School, Thornton, CO
- Saint Peter Public Schools ISD, St. Peter, MN
- Oshkosh Area School District, Oshkosh, WI
- Calhoun Unit #40, Hardin, IL
- Downtown Magnets High School, Los Angeles CA
- Jessamine County Schools, Nicholasville, KY
- Brevard County Schools, Viera, Fl
- Forest Lake Area Schools, Forest Lake, MN
- Middle School 821 - Sunset Park Prep, Brooklyn, NY
- School District U-46, Bartlett, IL
- El Paso Independent School District, El Paso, TX
- Cumberland School Department, Cumberland, RI
- Poudre School District, Fort Collins, CO
- Greendale School District, Greendale, WI
- Gila Educational Group, Safford, AZ
- Bassett Unified School District, La Puente, CA
- Amesbury Public Schools, Amesbury, MA
- Two River School District, Ola, AR
- Union City Area Schools, Union City, PA
- Gahanna Jefferson Public Schools, Gahanna, OH
- Liverpool Central School District, Liverpool, NY
- Lake County School District, Tavares, FL
- Orange County Public Schools, Orlando, FL
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National Council for the Social Studies
