FY2020: Service-Learning Connect Science Energy and Design Institutes

Fund Code: 141

Purpose:

This federally funded competitive grant program provides funds to support school and/or district teams to engage in professional development (PD) to adopt an interdisciplinary approach to instruction. This opportunity will give teams tools to use service-learning to weave together instruction in science, social emotional learning (SEL), and other content areas, where appropriate.

Priorities:

Research from a randomized controlled trial in 2017-2018 showed that Connect Science Energy:

• Improved teacher science instructional practices,
• Boosted student science achievement,
• Improved student attitudes and beliefs about energy, and
• If used well, enhanced social skills.

This grant is designed to support teachers' science instruction, boost students' collaborative skills, and spark students' interest in future civic work. Participants will implement Connect Science Energy and/or develop one or more additional units (with existing vetted science materials) that use service-learning to integrate SEL, science and civics education.

Funded applicants will engage school/district teams to participate in one or both of the following professional development institutes during FY20 and, pending appropriation and meeting of continuation grant requirements FY21:

1. Connect Science Energy (Fourth Grade) — FY20: Participants will learn about and implement the Connect Science Energy curricula, a 12-week project-based learning unit through which fourth graders explore the topics of energy and natural resources in depth and engage in science through service-learning. The program prepares students to be knowledgeable and engaged citizens who can collaborate with others to solve community problems. Participating fourth grade teachers will implement the standards aligned unit with their students in Spring 2020.
2. Connect Science Design (Third – Fifth Grade) — FY20 and FY21: Teams will engage in professional development to design and plan standards aligned units of study that use Connect Science's interdisciplinary service-learning approach for new grades (third through fifth) and topics, and that includes explicit teaching and deeper learning related to social and emotional competencies. These units will build upon the district's existing science curricular materials and/or other vetted materials.

Competitive priority will be given to districts designated as requiring assistance or intervention, as well as districts in receivership.

Eligibility:

Massachusetts public school districts and collaboratives are eligible to apply.

All applicants must participate (or have participated in Summer 2019) in the Connect Science Energy (#1 in Priorities above) to be eligible for Connect Science Design (#2 in Priorities above).

Funding Type:

Federal CFDA: 84.424

Funding:

Approximately $50,000 is available.

Applicants participating in both Connect Science Energy* and Connect Science Design may apply for up to a total of $5,000.

*Including districts (Greenfield Public Schools and Tewksbury Public Schools) that participated in Connect Science Energy — Summer 2019 to present.

During the grant review process, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) may request additional information and/or interview applicants for clarification purposes.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding is to become available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines as listed in the initial RFP document.

Fund Use:

Funds must be used to support school and/or district team's participation in the Connect Science Institutes, and the development and implementation of Connect Science units. Fund use may include but is not limited to: stipends for team members' participation in professional development (Connect Science Institutes), stipends for planning, substitutes, travel and other costs associated with participation.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval (anticipated around January 6, 2020) – 08/31/2020

Pending appropriation and the meeting of all grant requirements, ALL applicants will be eligible for a one-year continuation grant in FY21 (9/1/2020 – 8/31/2021) to support continued participation.

Program Unit:

Office of Student and Family Support

Contact:

Kristen McKinnon

Phone Number:

(781) 338-6306

Date Due:

Friday, December 6, 2019

Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on the date due.

Required Forms:

Part I — General — Program Unit Signature Page — (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)

Budget

Part III — Required Program Information

Grant Assurances

Additional Information:

Connect Science Overview and Key Requirements: Applicants should reference this document for additional details about Connect Science and the key grant requirements. In addition, please see the Connect Science Energy — Year 1 details for more information about the Connect Science Energy unit and the school year 2019-2020 requirements.

Save the Dates:
Applicants must send a team of up to five that includes fourth grade teachers and a curriculum coordinator/director to the Connect Science: Energy Institute (5-days total)

• Days 1–2: Friday, January 17^th and Saturday, January 18^th
• Days 3–4: Friday, January 31^st and Saturday, February 1^st
• Day 5: TBD, likely early March

All members of the team must plan to attend all five days. Grant funds may be used to pay for substitutes and for participants participation on non-school days.

Questions: To the extent possible, the Department will respond to questions submitted to Kristen McKinnon.

Submission Instructions:

Please submit all required documents electronically to achievement@mass.gov.

All signature pages (Part I and Grant Assurances) should be signed, scanned, and emailed as PDF documents. All other documents should be submitted in their original Word/Excel formats.

Awarded Recipients: Upon award, recipients will be required to enter the approved budget and Part I in EdGrants. Once selected, recipients will be contacted with further instructions on the process.

Last Updated: October 31, 2019