In 2003, I applied for my first Best Buy Te@ch award………….and won it. We received a check in the mail from Best Buy — and I went out and bought items for our computer lab (laser mice, printers, software) and because I am pretty frugal and good at getting deals (looking for rebates)…..was able to turn the grant in to almost $3000. What was neat was that at the beginning of the school year, I had told my students that by the middle of the year, I hoped they would all have laser mice — they remembered that, and the day we put the mice in the lab, it was a BIG DEAL!! We had achieved a hope!!!
And every year since then, I have won the grant. One year, I helped write it for a fellow teacher at my old school (she bought a MAC with her grant, plus other items) and this past year, I helped write it for a teacher at my current school (she bought 5 tower PC’s for her class, plus other items). And this year, I wrote one for myself, and will be helping write it for a friend at my old school.
People have asked for my “trick” on how to write a winning grant…….so I thought I would share with you some pointers on perhaps you being the next recipient of the grant.
1. Write about what you are doing now — But also write about what you are doing in the future.
When asking for ipods, I wrote “our students are recording books which will help to grow our audio library.” Share what you are doing TODAY but also how it effects TOMORROW!
2. Make sure your Wish List equals what you are doing.
If you ask for a MAC on your wish list…..make sure your plans for use emphasize greatly what the mac can bring (such as iLife!!) Be specific as much as you can. If you are asking for ipods — really talk up podcasting. If you are asking for computers, talk about internet availablity, programs you will need, how the printer, the ipod, the monitor, and the tower will all work together for the benefit of your students!
3. Don’t be afraid to boast.
If you have won awards on what you are doing, share it. If your class got written up in the local newspaper, share it.
And talk #’s — share how this award will not only impact your immediate classroom but also how it will help the entire school as well.
4. Be specifically vague.
They want to know what you have done, but they also want ideas of what you will do. Dream big, blow it out of the water……..shoot for something you might not be able to achieve, but with the grant monies, it will be a bit more possible. It is okay to embellish a bit….. (smiles)
5. Emphasize how you won’t be able to do what you wish to do without this grant!
Be confident that you will get the grant and let Best Buy know how much you are grateful that their grant will help your classroom achieve your goals!! I wrote “when we receive this grant, we will be able to ……” Look forward and accept the grant before you are even given it!!
6. You don’t have to use all the words quota!
Don’t ramble on and on. If you can be specific with 100 words — but they ask for 250……but you said it with 100…..be content!! As long as you convey your thoughts well….not hitting the word quota is okay.
7. Type it up in Word first!
Use spell check, use the thesaurus, check for words you use over and over again. And have someone else read it before you send it.
8. Double check carefully before you hit submit!!!
Triple check if necessary.
9. When you get the grant…….MAKE IT KNOWN!!
and at Best Buy, meet the manager and thank him/her and get a Personal Shopper to help you! This last time we won, the manager kept introducing us to EVERY clerk saying she (Janell) won the Best Buy Grant and mentioned our school. Great free publicity — made our school look very good!
Some FYI from the site:
Applications must be completed and submitted online by 11:59 p.m. Eastern DST on October 12, 2008. Awards will be announced on March 2, 2009
Link to Best Buy Te@ch: https://bestbuyteach.scholarshipamerica.org/
And one more thing — they are doing it a bit differently this year.
1. The grant awarded can be between $1,000 and $5,000 (usually it was either $2000 or $2500)
2. A special grant of $10,000 for 15 schools servicing 9th grade students! (I don’t know if this means it goes to a 9th grade teacher or to a school that could be K12 or 9-12……but if you are a 9th grade teacher — MENTION THAT A LOT!!)
Hope this helps! And I wish you the best!!
Let me know if you win!
Jen
Congratulations! This is wonderful. I’ve written grants before and gotten them so your suggestions were right on target. Another thing that I’ve done is have someone else read it to see if it makes sense and if you have someone who is not in education it really helps. Sometimes the people reading your application might not be in education and if you assume they are, you might not have made some points clear. Thanks for sharing this and good luck!
Thanks for the advice. Once I submit the grant, I’ll cross my fingers.