Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) August 02, 2013
The Ohio Department of Education has $44 million QZAB (http://www.qzab.org) funds available. School districts with 35% or more students on Free/Reduced cost lunch can apply. The funds can be used for rehabilitating or repairing school facilities, energy programs, equipment, technology, curriculum and teacher training. Funds are given out on a first-come, first-served basis.
Working with the US Education Department, the National Education Foundation (NEF), the national non-profit leader in assisting schools to find Federal funds, announced today a nationwide initiative to award the Federally-mandated 10% matching grants to any QZAB-eligible school district. NEF grants also help the school districts to set up the Federally-mandated QZAB academy to “prepare students better for college and workforce.”
NEF’s academic partner, the State University of New York (SUNY) helps schools with QZAB academy focused on STEM+ education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, English, Social Studies, SAT/ACT, IT and Business) solutions, capable of advancing a student one grade level in a subject such as math in 20-30 learning hours, as per the evaluation of the 2012-13 QZAB academy students by SUNY.
Dr. Appu Kuttan, Chairman of the National Education Foundation (NEF), global expert in digital education and empowerment, and the recent University of Wisconsin Distinguished Achievement Award winner, 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. Moreover, schools located in low income communities could receive additional Federal cash grants."
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.”
In the high school for at-risk students in Virginia’s Prince William County, the graduation rate went up from 61% to 87%.
Kirsten DeMento, Curriculum Director of New York’s Watervliet school district says, "NEF grant provides a total learning solution including differentiated learning using the top-rated Pearson SuccessMaker and GradPoint courses, mentoring, teacher training and teacher-parent-student motivational incentives."
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, teacher training and parent 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