The South Dakota Department of Education is now accepting applications for two grant programs, which were appropriated $500,000 by the legislature.

 

House Bill 1164 appropriated one-time funds for the Classroom Innovation grant program and House Bill 1185, which was the general funding bill, included one-time dollars for the Technology Infrastructure Upgrade grant program.

 

Here’s a rundown of the key points of each grant application:

 

Classroom Innovation (download application here and scoring matrix here.)

• Provides funding for classroom innovation projects that use technology in creative and innovative ways to enhance student achievement.
• K-12 school districts, teachers and Educational Service Agencies can submit applications.
• Scoring matrix is on a 60-point scale, which includes (not limited to):
  • A project summary
  • Project goals – their alignment to DOE education goals and how it would incorporate technology
  • Project narrative – describing how the project would change “business as usual” in the district, would be accessible by all students and how the goals could be measured.
  • Project budget – listing equipment and materials needed and describing its investment value.
• Maximum grant amount is $25,000.
• Application deadline is Monday, July 8 at 5 p.m. (Central Standard Time).
• Applications should be emailed to DOEInnovationGrants@state.sd.us as a PDF attachment.

Technology Infrastructure Upgrade (download application here and scoring matrix here.)

• Provides funding for technology upgrades to improve student achievement.
• DOE listed distance learning and server plus Windows 2012 as items to consider.
• K-12 school districts can submit applications.
• Scoring matrix is on a 100-point scale, which includes (not limited to):
  • Background and Need – demonstrating the district’s need, evidence that project could not be completed without funds and level of Capital Outlay levy.
  • Approach – how the project aligns with DOE education goals and how it benefits the school district.
  • Budget Narrative – includes up to 30 percent of matching funds and explains how the project is sustainable.
• Maximum grant amount is $20,000 with up to 30 percent of matching funds expected to be provided by the school district.
• Application deadline is Saturday, June 15.
• Applications should be emailed to DOETechnologyGrants@state.sd.us as a PDF attachment.

Grant award recipients will be announced on Thursday, Aug. 1. Questions about the grant process should be directed to Amy Fowler of the DOE via email at amy.fowler@state.sd.us or 605-773-6898.