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Four Ravalli County schools benefit from "The Valentine Foundation". 2007 Grant Applications due March 16.

Because of the article I posted on Rob and Terry Ryan http://www.matr.net/article-22749.html , I’ve received another example of the support that individuals are providing for the future leaders of Montana.

Many thanks to
Cathy Cooney Program Director, Montana Community Foundation http://www.mtcf.org, 406-755-4525 for passing this along.

3/20/06

Four public schools in Ravalli County have received grants to upgrade their technology infrastructure and curriculum. The grants, totaling nearly $94,000, were announced by Linda Reed, executive director of the Montana Community Foundation, who worked with a private donor, Don Valentine, to determine how his generous gift could be put to its best use.

Reed and her staff reviewed grants from seven schools in the county. Based on their recommendations, part-time Ravalli County resident Don Valentine awarded four grants: Corvallis School District #1, $24,755; Darby Public Schools, $24,006; Lone Rock School in Stevensville, $22,086, and Victor School District #7, $22,927. Generally, the grants will be used to purchase equipment for computer labs and media production, textbooks and software for training and website design, and digital camera equipment.

Reed said these grants illustrate the power of philanthropy in small communities like Ravalli County and thanked Valentine for sharing his resources with his new Montana community. Considered by some to be the “grandfather of Silicon Valley venture capital,” Valentine founded Sequoia Capital http://www.sequoiacap.com/ in 1972. The venture capital firm has helped start and finance roughly 600 highly successful companies, including Apple Computer, Cisco Systems and Oracle.

His granting program complements the work of the Greater Ravalli Foundation http://www.tgrf.org/ to fund programs that support Ravalli County schools, according to Reed. The Greater Ravalli Foundation is a local affiliate of the Montana Community Foundation.

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Valentine Foundation School Technology Program
Application Guidelines

The Valentine School Technology Program seeks to enhance the educational experience of students in Ravalli County by improving and increasing access to technology as a teaching device and a work-place tool. Preference will be given to the following grant requests:

Equipment that serves as teaching tools in the classroom.
Projects/programs to increase teachers’ capacity to use technology as a teaching tool.

Projects/programs to help students develop greater skills with technology.

Equipment or programs that will provide students with skills to help them find employment in fields utilizing technology. Note: The skills acquired should support students pursuing post-secondary technical education, not exclusively the preparatory needs of the college-bound student.

Programs/projects that enhance technology skills as a tool to resolve problems.

Programs/projects to increase student competency in math and science.

Eligibility: Only K-12 public schools in Ravalli County are eligible to apply for grants.

Purpose of the Grants: Grants are for purchases of software, hardware or related equipment. Grants may also cover the installation and training costs associated with improved technology.

Grant Size: $7,500-$25,000

Proposal: Please submit the following:

Application Cover Sheet

Two-Five page narrative

Separate budget page

Copy of your district’s technology plan

The two-five page narrative should include the following information:

Narrative description of the project/program. This should include specific information about what equipment or software will be purchased. Include a discussion of the skills to be acquired by students, how those skills are necessary to support future success in the workplace and what benefits might accrue to teachers.

How the program/project will enhance the current curriculum.

How you will create interest/demand for the project/program.

How you will evaluate the success of the program. (Please only give us specific outcomes: for example, increase the number of students in a robotics class from 25 to 50 or reduce the unmet need for computer lab time by 50%.)

How many students and teachers will benefit during the 2007-08 academic year and beyond.

How the program will be perpetuated after the grant funds are expended.

Budget for the project, including specific cost information for equipment. (Please give us a separate budget page.)

The qualifications of the instructors responsible for the program and why they are interested in using technology for this program/project.

Application Deadline: Submit your Application Cover Sheet and narrative via e-mail to [email protected]. The deadline for submission is Friday, March 16, 2007.

Timeline for Grant Decisions: The proposals will be submitted to the Valentine Foundation for consideration by the end of March. The Valentine Foundation’s goal is to make the decisions by late May of 2007.

Contact for Questions: If you have any questions about the grant program or application process, please contact Cathy Cooney at 755-4525 or [email protected].

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