In 2015, CLiF received a grant from the Canaday Family Charitable Trust to study whether schools that had received a Year of the Book Grant (YOB) were able to sustain their momentum around literacy once the grant ended. CLiF contracted with Evergreen Evaluation and Consulting, Inc.(EEC) to conduct an external evaluation that addressed the following questions:
- How successful have past CLiF Year of the Book schools been in maintaining their momentum after the initial year is over?
- What are the greatest obstacles schools encounter when trying to maintain momentum?
- What lessons can be learned from past schools on ways to maintain sustainability?
- What would be the impact of CLiF offering a relatively small challenge grant and other forms of professional support in Year 2 to help schools maintain momentum?
Based on this research, CLiF announces a new sustainability grant for the year after completing Year of the Book. Schools that completed 2016-2017 Year of the Book grants are eligible for $1,000 of program support in 2017-2018. Please fill out the complete this form by September 13, 2017 to receive this additional support to sustain your Year of the Book momentum.
Mini-Grant Overview
- Up to $2,000 worth of funding school-wide: An individual teacher may submit a project application for up to $400. Multiple teachers can combine forces to ask for more money (two teachers can submit a joint application for up to $800.) We will award up to $2,000 to at least five teachers.
- Activities to make reading and writing FUN: Teachers submit grant applications that are project-oriented versus material-oriented. A teacher can certainly ask for books as part of the grant, but it should be in support a larger project that will help develop a love of reading and writing. For example, it is acceptable to ask for Greek mythology books to work on a creative writing unit in which students craft their own Greek myths.
- CLiF chooses recipients: Teachers submit applications directly to CLiF. We will evaluate the applicants and make the final granting decisions.
- Deadline: All applications must be received by November 1st
- Completed mini-grant survey: Teachers receiving a mini-grant are required to fill out a short report after they complete their projects. This should include a recounting of the project as well as pictures. This helps us track the mini-grants but also allows CLiF to grow our ideas roster.
Examples of Successful Mini-Grant Projects
- Using Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses, a music teacher had K-2 graders play music and act out the story. Each student shared both book and song with their families.
- A collaborative project between 5th-8th grade social studies teachers had students read Edgar Jackson’s Green Mountain Boys and take a field trip to the Hubbardton Battlefield.
- A preschool read going-to-work related books to therapy dogs as part of a unit on empathy.
- Eighth graders working with an art teacher wrote poems, illustrated them with paintings, and worked with a dancer to choreograph them. The eighth graders taught the dances to first and second graders.
- A guidance teacher purchased My Book About Me by Dr. Seuss, Incredible You!, by Dr. Wayne Dyer, and 104 composition notebooks for grades kindergarten through eighth grade. Reading and journaling helped students develop a better sense of self and motivated them to set personal goals. She brought the motivational interactive performance for the entire school and community.
