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August 2022
Progress Newsletter
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PVF is excited to announce that our Teacher Resource Grant Programs are open for the 2022-2023 school year!
These small, but critically needed grants for teachers help to address inequalities in public education and build future generations of strong leaders. For over 20 years, PVF has supported public school teachers in the Bay Area with grants for the Arts, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, Life Sciences/Chemistry, Special Education, and STEAM curriculum.
Already this August we have made 88 grants to Bay Area teachers, including:
- Raised garden beds and materials to start hydroponic growing systems to teach high school biology students about water, nitrogen, and carbon cycles
- Math materials, manipulatives, games, and puzzles for 1st grade students to have access to hands-on activities that will help them build their math skills
- Percussion kits for middle school band students, so they can practice majority of their music lessons from home
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This year we are excited to announce a new offering in San Mateo County: The Technology, Engineering, and Design Thinking Resource Grant Program. This program provides grants of up to $500 to fund hands-on projects, classroom resources, curriculum supports, guest subject experts and professional development for any STEAM-related curriculum.
We have also brought back our Excursion Program, which enables teachers to take students on class field trips, subject to COVID safety restrictions.
Learn about each of our available teacher grants below! All programs are restricted to low-income public schools; Specific grade and school district eligibility varies from program to program. Click on each program link or view our website for more information.
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Technology, Engineering and Design Resource Grants of up to $500 are available to fund curriculum in the form of hands-on projects, classroom resources, curriculum supports, guest subject experts and professional development. Available in San Mateo County.
Examples: bringing in a subject expert to your classroom, supporting an afterschool or summer STEAM Club, and purchasing reusable design thinking resource kits like "Rigamajigs" for an entire class.
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Arts Resource Grants of up to $500 are available to enhance your virtual classroom and after-school arts programs. Available in specific peninsula school districts.
Examples: art supplies to send home, visiting artist in your classroom, costumes or props to send home, professional development.
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Environmental Science Resource Grants of up to $500 are available to enhance environmental science curriculum through projects, supplies, and professional development. Available in Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Santa Clara, San Francisco, and San Mateo County.
Examples: gardening supplies, water testing kits, materials for a compost and/or recycling unit.
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Excursion Grants of up to $1,000 are available to fund 1-day classroom excursions; funds can cover the cost of transportation, admission fees and food. Available in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and San Francisco County.
Examples: go to a museum, take a bay ferry, go hiking and take a picnic. The purpose of this program is to open new vistas to children.
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Mathematics Resource Grants of up to $500 are available to fund books, materials, software, manipulatives and professional development related to mathematics. We encourage requests which show curriculum resources are articulated between grade levels. (ex. Preschool with Kindergarten, 1st with 2nd grade, etc.) Available in San Mateo and Santa Clara County.
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Science Resource Grants of up to $500 will be awarded for hands-on materials to enhance their classroom science instruction, with a focus on life sciences and chemistry. Available in Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara County.
Examples: chemistry lab sets to send home, water testing materials to send home, classroom microscopes to use in zoom classes.
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Special Education Resource Grants of up to $500 are available to teachers and therapists to serve special education students. Requests can be for classroom supplies and resources to send home, educational virtual field trips, or professional development. Available in Alameda and Contra Costa County.
Examples: sensory integration resources, developmental toys, speech and language materials, oral motor kits, math manipulatives, resource books.
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Visiting Artist Resource Grants of up to $500 are available to bring an artist or art historian to their virtual classroom. These are visual and material artists who would complement the lesson plan. Available in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and San Francisco County.
Examples: painter, sculptor, wood carver, weaver.
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We thank our donors for making such a valuable contribution to enhance public education in our communities.
The need for funding in these classrooms is great, and we are constantly seeking out donors who can help us expand these teacher grant programs. If you are interested in contributing to an existing teacher grant program or creating a new program, please get in touch!
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An Opportunity to Learn and Blossom |
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The Excursion Grant Program, funded by The Geballe Family, is one of our most popular teacher grant programs that we offer. For many teachers, these grants allow them to teach beyond the restrictions of the classroom and incorporate important hands-on learning. For many students, these field trips mark the first time they are visiting a particular place, such as the beach, a museum, or San Francisco.
Tracy Dordell, a teacher at New Highland Academy in Oakland, recently utilized an excursion grant to take 30 4th grade students on a field trip to Muir Beach where they participated in the Kids for the Bay Program and learned about environmental stewardship.
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James Higa, Executive Director, brings 28 years of executive experience from Silicon Valley, working with Steve Jobs to change the face of technology. He was at the birth of the personal computer revolution as a member of the original Macintosh team and was deeply involved in the creation of many products and services at Apple over 3 decades. He has a long history of public service as a board member of Stanford's Haas Center and in grassroots relief efforts.
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Bill Somerville, Founder, has been in non-profit and philanthropic work for over 50 years. He was the director of a community foundation for 17 years, and in 1991, he founded Philanthropic Ventures Foundation. Bill has consulted at over 400 community foundations, on creative grantmaking and foundation operations. Bill is the author of Grassroots Philanthropy: Field Notes of a Maverick Grantmaker.
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PVF is a demonstration foundation practicing unique forms of grantmaking
and innovative philanthropy. Our primary interest is in the creative
and significant use of the philanthropic dollar.
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Philanthropic Ventures Foundation | 1222 Preservation Park Way, Oakland, CA 94612 info@venturesfoundation.org | (510) 645-1890 |
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