GRANT GUIDELINES

WHO CAN APPLY

Students, school personnel and community members for initiatives that enrich the experience of all students in the Taconic Hills Central School District.

GRANT INFORMATION

The Taconic Hills Education Enrichment Fund and the Taconic Hills Arts & Humanities Fund will appraise applications jointly. Both these funds work to enhance and enrich the educational experience of students and teachers in the Taconic Hills Central School District (THCSD).

The Education Enrichment Fund has been making grants since 2001 and supports a wide variety of educational projects. The fund's goal is to have every student benefit from at least one of these opportunities during their time at Taconic Hills.

The Arts and Humanities Fund began to provide funding for arts and humanities programs through the generosity of an anonymous donor in 2008. The fund must concentrate on funding projects only in the arts and humanities. Preference will be given to projects that are interdisciplinary and have the prospect of being ongoing programs.

ELIGIBILITY

Applications will be accepted from students, teachers, administrators, parents and members of the community.

Grants from the Funds will not replace public dollars for the school district.

Possible projects include but are not limited to: independent study; new programs; extracurricular activities; individual creative projects, visiting speakers, artists in residence, professional development for teachers and program costs for field trips.

New projects are encouraged while enhanced or enriched repeat projects are also eligible for consideration.

Applicants are required to contact Sandra Gardner, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, prior to submitting a grant application to ensure coordination and suitability with other school programming and funding sources. Sandra can be reached at sgardner@taconichills.k12.ny.us or 518.325.2806.

Berkshire Taconic does not support organizations which in their constitution, by-laws, or practice, discriminate against a person or group on the basis of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious belief.

AWARDS

Grant awards may range up to $1,500.

REVIEW CRITERIA

Applications will be reviewed using the following criteria:

• Excellence: Is the project or service truly of a high quality? Is it the right time for the project? Does it involve qualified individuals/groups?
• Impact: What is the potential impact of the project or service on the school community? This does not mean the number of people involved, but rather the quality of the impact.
• Ability: Is the project well thought out and feasible?

Applications will be reviewed by the Funds’ Grant Committee, comprised of representatives of both funds including community members, parents, and teachers. The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Board of Directors will review committee recommendations.