Offer your students a fun experience, a sense of achievement and a source of pride!
An EJK Mini-Grant program is a creative and innovative activity … that takes place in class or out in the community … provides an enriched experience … and is funded solely by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. It is an opportunity for a public school teacher or librarian to present a special project outside the standard curriculum or an engaging way to help students meet curricular goals. Applications will be available in the spring.
Instructions
Eligibility & Guidelines
Who can apply?
Who: Public schools, public libraries, preschools, Head Start programs
Where: The United States and U.S. commonwealths and territories, including Puerto Rico and Guam
Limit: Only one application per library or school
Not eligible: Private schools, parochial schools, charter schools, not-for-profit organizations
Criteria for school eligibility
Do's and Don'ts
Do’s:
Instructions: These will give you a great advantage.
Final Report: If you receive a grant, a Final Report is required. Read the Final Report Instructions (below) so you will be prepared to document your work.
Sample application form Use as a guide to plan your program and budget.
Program Elements:
Make sure your program:
• has these three clear steps; 1) preparation and introduction, 2) activity & engagement, 3) final culmination/outcome.
• provides an enriched learning experience.
• is supported solely by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation.
• costs $500 or less.
• is offered free of charge.
• is implemented during the summer or school year following receipt of the Mini-Grant.
Application Form: After you submit, you will receive an email confirmation with a link to your application. Print and save the application when you receive the confirmation link. If you receive a grant you will need a copy of your application to implement your program.
Materials: Include only items that will be used in your program. Read more Our Policy on Materials
Don’ts:
Program Elements:
Do not charge admission or make sales.
Materials: Do NOT include the following. Your application will be disqualified.
• books, materials and equipment unrelated or incidental to the program
• books, materials and equipment intended for reuse outside the program
• Read more Our Policy on Materials
• general operating and administrative costs
• production or purchase of merchandise intended for sale
• transportation
• salaries
Dates & Information
Deadline: Submit by September 30th, 11:59 p.m.
Email: Your application must include a functional email address to which you have free access. You can expect to receive emails from us.
Confirmation: After you submit, you will receive an email confirmation with a link to your application. If you don’t receive the confirmation, notify us by email.
Mailing list: Applicants are added to the email list for the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation’s quarterly newsletter.
Notification: You will be notified by email about the status of your application on or around October 15—whether or not your proposal has been accepted.
Checks: Mini-Grant checks will be mailed on or around October 25th. Contact us if you have not heard from us by November 15.
Lost checks: Replacements for lost or expired award checks will be issued with a $25 deduction.
Final Reports: Due by 30 days after the completion of your project
Final Report Instructions
A Final Report with all the five following elements is required as documentation of your program.
Elements:
Report/Letter:
Describe the activities and attendance?
Did you reach your program goal?
How did the actual program differ from your proposal?
What worked? What didn’t work? What would you do differently? What surprised you?
Educator Statement:
What was the most rewarding aspect of creating and implementing your mini-program?
What part of your mini-grant program was most valuable to your students/participants?
What was most gratifying to you about being awarded a mini-grant?
Student/Participant Statements:
What was something new you learned?
What surprised you?
What was your favorite part of the program?
Photographs of Program: (at least 5 photos of each stage) showing:
Preparation for Program
Student engagement in program activities
Final outcome, students with their finished work.
Please include any of these other formats that apply:
announcements, flyers and articles
audio, video or powerpoint presentations
web, facebook, or social media (posts or links)
*We accept (jpg, jpeg or png)—the photos must be sent separately even if they are also included with, or embedded in a presentation (powerpoint, pdf, or video).
Print the Final Report Requirements to keep on hand as you implement your program.