Professional development opportunities
NEA webinars
The National Education Association is regularly hosting webinars to help educators navigate this new, stressful environment and connect with students. To see the full list of resources, go to www.nea.org/professional-excellence/professional-learning/resources. Included in the featured offerings are self-care, how ESPs can support students in times of crisis, trauma-informed remote learning and using Schoology and Seesaw more effectively.
AFT online resources
AFT’s Share My Lesson has dozens of new professional development webinars—available now, for free—to help educators navigate this new learning landscape. Topics include educator health and wellness, distance and hybrid learning models, social emotional learning and engagement strategies. Find links to these webinars and more at www.sharemylesson.com/webinars/distance.
Classroom resources
PhysicsQuest experiment kit
The aim of PhysicsQuest is to introduce students to the basic concepts of physics, through fun experiments that will sustain their interest in math and science. PhysicsQuest experiment kits demonstrate the fun and relevance of science to middle school students as they learn more about the physical world. In this year’s kit, students will learn the physics of falling, swinging, flinging and the basics of orbital motion that Katherine Johnson used to help put the first Americans in space. Sign up to request a kit or access other online experiment and lesson ideas at www.physicscentral.com/experiment/physicsquest.
Grants
Education Minnesota Foundation grant deadlines approaching
The Education Minnesota Foundation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning has multiple grants with a deadline approaching. For details about the grants and how to apply, go to www.edmnfoundation.org. There’s a grant waiting for you!
Classroom-Focused Grants
Applicants may request up to $3,000.
Deadline: Dec. 4
Bruce Vento Science Educator Grant
For educators who teach science as part of their day and want to acquire and share new skills and knowledge; this grant may also fund equipment or materials needed in science classrooms.
Deadline: Dec. 4
IMPACT Grant
IMPACT Grant projects must be coordinated by an active member of Education Minnesota who has teamed up with a nonprofit organization or their local union/school district. Approximately $15,000 is available for one year. The budget should reflect a one-year project.
Deadline: Jan. 8
Financial literacy grants available
United Educators Foundation will provide up to a $500 grant to teachers, departments or schools to support financial literacy efforts with their students. Submitted applications should support instruction of content related to budgeting; credit; money management; economics; saving and investing; or other personal finance topics. Applications for grants must be postmarked by Dec. 17. Go to www.uecu.coop/about/united-educators-foundation.html for more information on the grants and how to apply.
United Educators scholarships
United Educators Foundation will grant one $2,000 Educator Award for educators who wish to attend an accredited institution for professional development, one $1,500 Education Major Award for current college students studying education and three $1,000 Student Awards to high school students who are members or dependents of United Educators Credit Union members and plan on attending college in the fall of 2021. The deadline for these awards is Feb. 5. Application requirements and instructions on how to apply are available at www.uecu.coop/about/united-educators-foundation.html.
