Arkansas Community Foundation (ARCF) is partnering with DonorsChoose.org for a sixth year to implement the 2014 SIMS (Science Initiative for Middle Schools) program in Arkansas! Funding for this minigrant program is made possible by an endowed gift to ARCF from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.Each year, SIMS minigrants are available to Arkansas public school teachers in grades 5, 6, 7, and 8 who are teaching science in counties served by one of ARCF’s 27 local offices. ARCF and its local offices will consider projects that meet the criteria listed below and determine which projects receive funding. Visit www.arcf.org and click “local offices” to determine if your school is located in a county served by ARCF. Arkansas Counties Served:Ashley, Baxter, Calhoun, Carroll, Chicot, Clark, Cleburne, Columbia, Conway, Craighead, Cross, Desha, Faulkner, Fulton, Garland, Greene, Hempstead, Howard, Izard, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Lee, Lincoln, Little River, Marion, Miller, Mississippi, Monroe, Montgomery, Ouachita, Phillips, Pope, Pulaski, Sebastian, Sevier, Sharp, St. Francis, Washington, and White.Minigrants may be used to purchase consumable science materials; kits are permitted if they are grade standard based and meet the State Science Frameworks requirements. All projects should conform to the current science frameworks as published in February 2006, and the framework(s) applicable to the project should be cited within the project narrative. Please see this document for the Science Curriculum Framework.Use DonorsChoose.org to submit your project narrative and request for materials. Follow this link to create a teacher account and get started. To participate, you will be asked to write a short description of your project and, using an online shopping cart, select the supplies required to implement your project. Please note the following eligibility requirements:
- You must teach science in grade 5, 6, 7, or 8 in a public school in a county served by a local office affiliated with Arkansas Community Foundation. See above to determine geographic eligibility.
- Your project must meet the State Science Curriculum Framework.
- Your project's total cost must not exceed $600 (your materials should cost $450 or less). If your project costs more than $600, your project will not qualify for this grant from ARCF.
- You must submit your project between June 30 and September 15. Projects submitted after September 15 may not qualify for this grant.
- If you meet these qualifications, your request will be referred to the grantmaking committee of the ARCF local office in your area. Up to 300 projects from across the state will be selected for full funding. If your project is selected, you will be notified by DonorsChoose.org via e-mail by October 31st, and DonorsChoose.org will order your supplies to be shipped to you at your school address. If your project is not selected by ARCF, you will still have the opportunity to be funded by the thousands of generous individual donors visiting DonorsChoose.org every day.
For further information, please visit the DonorsChoose.org Help Center. Once you register for a teacher account, you will have access to an online tutorial to answer any other questions you may have.Arkansas Community Foundation, in partnership with DonorsChoose.org, looks forward to encouraging hands-on middle school science projects in schools throughout the state!Ready to get started? Click here to create your teacher account, or if you’ve already created a DonorsChoose teacher account in the past, click here to login.
