A grant is the primary source of funding for most schools that want to implement a technology program or enhance an existing one. The ability to make a compelling case for your school's need for a TV Studio Lab or for Editing Stations is essential.

Grant writing is one of the services we offer, and our experienced staff can help you secure the financing needed for the package that would best suit your school.

Sample Goal Statement

Technological literacy is essential in the global community. Broadcasting technology is an effective and highly visible means to help students achieve technological literacy. The student broadcast station described in this grant proposal provides instruction in every aspect of broadcasting in proper sequence, allowing hands-on experience with state of the art equipment.

Working as a team, students must learn how to use the equipment, plan a broadcast, and solve the problems involved in creating a finished broadcast. In the process, students not only become proficient in operating equipment, but also acquire technological and social skills that enable them to create a finished product. The proposed video broadcast station is truly interdisciplinary in nature. It can and should encompass every class and department, school personnel, district and school board activities. Indeed, this is an integral link between the school and the community.

The primary goal of this proposal is to provide students with the opportunity to use broadcast production techniques as a means to learn technological skills they will need throughout their lives. According to the STEM publication “Skills for a New Century: A Blueprint for Lifelong Learning”, education and training programs must relate directly to skill needs, and lead to credentials that employers value.

These skills, such as those recommended by the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (STEM) and skill standards for specific jobs, include the following: basic skills, thinking skills, problem-solving skills, resource management, interpersonal skills, information analysis, understanding systems, and using new technologies.

Broadcast production falls within the communications area of technology studies. As such, it is in a unique position to meet the skills considered necessary by the STEM publication. Students learn the basic skills of using tools and equipment involved in broadcasting. They go on to plan broadcasts, design storyboards, and solve problems as they come up. Students gain experience in managing equipment and personnel resources required for the broadcast.

As part of a team, students learn to do their part, and help others do theirs, and that all jobs are important to the finished product. During the editing phase, students must analyze the recorded information, and determine the best way to present it to the public in a fair, unbiased fashion. Students gain an understanding of a number of technological systems, including the camcorder and its operation, use of video editing equipment, and programming the broadcasting equipment. Finally, broadcast technology is changing dramatically. The proposed broadcast station will expose students to cutting-edge technology with digital camcorders, non-linear editing systems, audio and video mixers, and programmable broadcasting equipment.

A secondary goal is to give the school higher visibility within the community. These broadcasts serve as a means to promote school events, and they are an excellent public relations tool for the school. Using local cable access, the community has an increased awareness of school events and issues and a first-hand view of student efforts as they learn about video broadcasting. By forming a partnership with the school, cable stations set the pace for other area businesses.

Expected Overall Results

Based on the experiences of other schools that have implemented a broadcasting station, students who participate in this program will increase their knowledge of video broadcasting as a medium and in terms of the equipment required. They will learn to plan broadcasts and allocate resources to make the broadcast possible. Unexpected events and glitches will give them valuable experience in problem solving.

Involvement in broadcasting gives them an opportunity to determine how information is presented to the community, and teach them to evaluate information that they receive on television in their homes. Their experience with the school broadcast system will teach the students to use a methodical approach to using new technology, and give them a positive attitude toward it. Improved teamwork and interpersonal skills-- perhaps the most valued characteristic of employees in the workplace-- should be evident, as students must each work effectively in their own capacity while helping others do the same in order to produce a successful broadcast.

Target Population

The equipment and curriculum purchased through this grant will be available to all students who sign up for the class. It will be offered at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels with the advanced veteran students helping the rookies.

Note: If it does not appear elsewhere in the proposal, information about demographics would be helpful here. This could include school enrollment, economic profile (number of students on free/ reduced lunches), and possibly racial profile of the school. How many students can the lab accommodate per year?

Objective 1

Upon completion of the School Broadcast Station Session Guides, all students will have a basic understanding of the elements of broadcasting and will demonstrate the processes of broadcast production via their edited video, which will be a news program available to the school and community.

Evaluation

Before beginning the actual curriculum, students will take a pre-test to measure their knowledge of broadcast production. A quiz follows each session to reinforce the knowledge acquired during each process (formative evaluation). Upon completion of the course, students will take the post-test as a summery evaluation. A 90% improvement in knowledge and ability is expected. Tests will cover both elements of broadcasting and equipment operation.

An edited video, which will be completed by each student, will illustrate the ability to effectively communicate a particular message to a targeted audience. Communication ability will be measured by designing a storyboard, writing and conducting an interview the continuity of the video.

Objective 2

Students will work as part of a team to solve the problems associated with creating a broadcast.

Evaluation

The instructor will observe and note positive and negative instances of teamwork. Evaluation will be based on students demonstrating whether they value their role and the role of others in the broadcast team. A weekly brainstorming session will be held to discuss these issues, and consider options for dealing with them. Each student will keep a portfolio showing the work they have done. This will include evidence that they have fulfilled their particular role as a broadcast team member. For example, the portfolio will contain storyboards created by the student, a journal of the student’s impressions of the each day’s work, scripts, interview notes, and a video copy of at least three completed broadcasts.

Objective 3

Students will apply their knowledge of video broadcast to other disciplines within the school.

Evaluation

Students will produce broadcast videos from at least three other areas within the school. These may include (but are not limited to) sports highlights, drama productions, speech and debate, ROTC activities, band concerts, science fairs, field trips, school board meetings, community projects, weekly news show, safety videos, and PTO meetings.

GRANT INFORMATION

• http://www.Ksbe.state.ks.us Click on Education Initiatives, TAKE/E-Rate and Educational Resources for information on technology incentive programs, grants and funding.
• http://www.dese.state.mo.us Grants that are available in Missouri are listed on this site. Among them are technology acquisition grants, technology enhancement grants, competitive grants, incentive grants, safe schools grants, school-to-work/school-to-career grants, A+ Schools Grants, and Community 2000 Grants.
• http://www.mcrel.org/connect/tech/funding.html This web page provides a directory of funding opportunities, grant writing aids and strategies for schools interested in acquiring and establishing new technologies.
• http://www.ospi.wednet.edu/grants.html A resource for students and teachers, the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction lists information on grants and funding for technology that can be found on the Internet.
• http://discoveryschool.com/schrockguide/business/grants.html Six sites are listed with information on professional development opportunities, RETA '98 (project of Los Alamos National Laboratory and the New Mexico Department of Education), grant resources for Oregon teachers, Graphics, Exploiting Technology Grants and Refermation Reference Sites.
• http://www.cfda.gov/ Federal programs that provide assistance in a wide variety of areas, including funding for technology assistance.
• http://www.mindspring.com/~ajgrant/guide.htm A Grant Seeker's Guide to the Internet: Revised and Revisited: Ten page article that describes how to get connected to the Internet, necessary tools and links to grant sites.
• http://www.ed.gov/Technology/challenge/ U. S. Department of Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grants: Promotes innovative uses of educational technology by awarding grants to partnerships of school districts, universities, businesses, libraries, software designers, and others.
• http://www.ed.gov/funding.html U.S. Department of Education: Money Matters: State and Federal grant information (guidelines and regulations). Included is A+America Free Technology For Schools Home Page (http://www.aplusamerica.org/).

 

 

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