NEF CyberLearning Launches Grant Campaign for School Renovations/Rehabilitation
(PRWEB) November 20, 2013 -- Funding programs for School districts are in jeopardy as Congress considers what programs to fund for the next fiscal year. One such program is the Qualified Zone Academy Bond (QZAB), a program designed to help low-income communities perform facilities rehabilitation and renovation. The National Education Foundation (NEF) has found that this program is underutilized due to lack of publicity. To address this concern NEF has launched a nationwide campaign to promote the program. This campaign includes offering up to $100 million in matching grants to any school or district that applies for QZAB funding.
National Education Foundation (NEF), a national non-profit leader in assisting schools to find Federal funds, believes this nationwide initiative to any school district with at least 35% of students on free or reduced cost lunch, will aid schools get needed funds and bridge the academic gap. The Foundation will also provide a STEM academy that will help increase students participation in STEM related academic and career fields through effective STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education solutions.
Dr. Appu Kuttan, Chairman of the National Education Foundation (NEF), author and global expert in digital education and empowerment, states, "School districts across the Nation are faced with serious budget cuts at a time US rankings in math, reading and science are still going down. Twenty four countries are ranked ahead of US in math. Our $100 million grant program would provide school districts the required 10% match, and thus enable them to receive $1 billion in Federal QZAB funds (http://www.qzab.org) for energy efficiency, renovation, technology, teacher training and STEM academies. Moreover, schools located in low income communities could receive additional Federal cash grants."
In addition to the 10% match grant, NEF helps the school districts to create QZAB STEM+ academies capable of advancing a student one grade level in a subject in 20-30 learning hours in the NEF system, as documented by the State University of NY (SUNY), which implements the academies nationally with a grant from NEF.
President Bill Clinton has commended NEF’s STEM+ academy program, "You are helping to empower tomorrow's leaders. I salute you for your ongoing commitment for creating a better and stronger America."
According to Misty Weber, the QZAB academy program director at the Warren County School District in PA, “NEF helped us to receive $34 million in QZAB funds for renovating our school facilities. In addition, NEF’s QZAB academy, implemented by SUNY, helped our students to advance a grade level in in math in 22 learning hours. NEF also set up a parent academy to train our parents in job skills, as well as a teacher academy to enhance our teachers’ teaching skills.”
The NEF STEM program, formulated at the Clinton Global Initiative in Chicago, also creates school-college-business partnerships to provide world-class STEM+ academies for disadvantaged schools at no cost to the schools.
To apply for the QZAB grant, visit http://www.qzab.org.
About NEF
National Education Foundation (NEF), founded in 1989 in Washington, DC area, is the national non-profit leader in bridging the academic and job skills divides through high-quality, affordable STEM+ education solutions. NEF provides total STEM+ education solutions including 6,000 top-quality Web-based differentiated learning courses, mentoring, motivational rewards, teacher stipends and teacher training to disadvantaged school districts across the nation.
Contact: Tamara Stephens
Grants Director
Tel: 703-823-9999
Email: qzab(at)qzab(dot)org
Websites: http://www.cyberlearning.org and http://www.qzab.org
Appu Kuttan, Cyber Learning, http://www.cyberlearning.org, +1 (703) 823-9999, [email protected]
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