Expanding Horizons Grant Criteria 2011-12

Assemblyman William Magnarelli and the Green Foundation have designated grant money to a 501-c 3 fund established through the Syracuse Teachers Association. Expanding Horizons Grants [EHG] from this fund are awarded to Syracuse City School District teachers to enrich the cultural experiences of their students. These funds are meant to supplement other funding sources, not be the sole source of support for the experiences. Your application should name your additional sources. You need to demonstrate the effort made to raise a substantial portion of the needed funds.

Preference will be given to applications for Central New York trips, which focus on (but are not limited to):

• Cultural Events - plays, concerts, lectures, author/artist visits, museum/MOST exhibits, and culinary experiences.
• Learning Activities – fossil hunting, hands on original documentation, crafts creation, and orienteering.
• In-School Enrichment – distance learning cart programs, “Zoo-to-You”, etc.
• Community Experiences – programs that will enable students to benefit from a broader community – farm visits, class
service projects, etc.
• Summer Enrichment – activities that lead to a better understanding of diverse educational and cultural perspectives.

To help you fill out your application, familiarize yourself with the following:

• Access – Cultural experiences introduce students and teachers to artistic
disciplines and cultural resources.
• Alignment – Lesson plans are designed to connect a cultural experience with existing curriculum.
• Integration – Teachers and teaching artists merge cultural experiences with curriculum for a unified unit of study.
• Professional Development – Teachers and teaching artists train and plan together to develop best practices for classrooms.
• Summative – A culminating activity demonstrating mastery.
• Formative – For the purpose of this application, consider formative as part of the learning process.

Applicants should carefully prepare the budget worksheet, which should show other sources of income, if applicable. The maximum award is 50% of overall cost. Funds from EHG will be generated in the form of a check in the name of the vendor. (Ex: First Student, Cultural Resources, Critz Farms, etc., NOT the ECA treasurer in your school.) If your field trip is to be held in your building, the Expanding Horizons Grant Committee will accept grant proposals where a $211 in-kind donation should be entered in your budget (line B#4). This is the cost of one bus dispatched to a city destination.

Make your application for this grant after you have completed the SCSD required field trip packet if necessary. If you are granted funds, the EHG email confirmation letter will include specific information regarding how to fill out the new transportation request form, if required.

Grant applications will be reviewed weekly. Allow a minimum of 35 WORKING DAYS for the entire day trip process (time needed for grant application and school district field trip packet approval).

Please follow the directions with the EHG application. Please be sure to include with your application an itemized budget (page 2 of the application) and a copy of the SCSD Field Trip packet.

Note: In the Field Trip Packet - Do not check “Grant Funds” in the packet. You should check “School Funds” and write STA EHG (Expanding Horizons Grants).

Expanding Horizons thanks its partners for their continuing support. Check out their sites for teacher resources.

7/8/10