APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

2009 Dodge Foundation Teacher Fellowships
For K-12 New Jersey Teachers in Newark

Please thoroughly read the following instructions
prior to completing the application

The 2009 Dodge Foundation Teacher Fellowships will provide up to $115,000 in individual and team grants to full-time classroom K-12 teachers in public and public charter schools in Newark, New Jersey.  Consideration will be given to a proposal submitted by an individual or proposals submitted by teams of teachers or by teams of teachers and administrators.  All applications must be from teachers (or administrators on a team led by teachers) who are employed in public and public charter schools in Newark, New Jersey.  Special consideration will be given to cross-disciplinary collaborations, or those representing school-wide or district-wide collaborations and/or partnerships. 

These funds are intended to support non-traditional, imaginative, professional development and personal and intellectual renewal endeavors which enable teachers to grow as educational leaders to better impact their schools and communities.  We are most interested in supporting transformational projects that expand intellectual capacity, rejuvenate the spirit, and cultivate an appreciation of diversity and culture.  Here is a small sampling of the projects completed by our 2008 Newark Dodge Foundation Teacher Fellows.  View a complete list of 2008 Fellowship projects.

  • Wynda Garcia-Orr from Branch Brook School explored coral reefs with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.
  • Terry Lane, Diana Bell and Belinda Poindexter from George W. Carver Carver/Bruce Street Schools visited various historical places of the late George Washington Carver including Tuskegee Institute and the George Washington Carver Museum.
  • Manju Misra from Quitman Street Community School explored the Bosque El Imposible National Park in El Salvador.
  • Cristina Pennetti, Monique Owens, Natasha Parrilla, Ibyns Ramos, Margaret Herencia and Deneen Washington from Maple Avenue School experienced the traditions, lifestyles, and methods of pedagogy in Japan.

Fellowship Awards:
Awards to teachers will range up to $7,500 for individuals and up to $10,000 for teams. 

Who is Eligible to Apply:

  • Full-time classroom K-12 New Jersey teachers or media specialists in public and public charter schools in Newark, NJ.
  • Administrators (i.e. Principals, Vice Principals, Guidance Counselors) in public and public charter schools in Newark, NJ who are part of team proposal submitted and led by teachers.

Examples of Projects We Cannot Fund Under This Fellowship Program:

  • Training that your school district would normally be expected to fund such as block scheduling or differentiated instruction.
  • Projects whose funds are directly used for classroom supplies, classroom activities, or classroom field trips. 
  • Projects or tuition that is directly linked to ongoing graduate, masters, or dissertation work.

Review Process:
Award determinations will be made by an independent panel consisting of four educators and one Dodge Foundation representative.  Notification of results will be sent via post mail by March 4, 2009.

Important Dates:

  • Request For Proposals distributed to teachers: October 2008
  • Proposals due by: December 1, 2008
  • Grant recipient notifications mailed via post mail by March 4, 2009
  • Final narrative and financial reports due no later than October 1, 2009
  • Alumni Event for 2008 and 2009 Fellows: Fall 2009

Questions:
We encourage you to visit our Frequently Asked Questions as you explore the Fellowship opportunity and begin completing your application.  Should you need further assistance please call 973-540-8442 and ask to speak to the Dodge Teacher Fellowship Coordinator.

How to Apply:
Applications must be submitted electronically by December 1, 2008.  The application form can be downloaded as a Microsoft Word document from our website and saved to your computer so that you can work on it at your leisure.  Once you have completed the application please send it to tfellows@grdodge.org as a Microsoft Word attachment.  Please read the instructions below before downloading the application. To download the application in Microsoft Word please click here.

Your completed application must include:         
Part 1: Contact Information and Release Form
Part 2: Project Summary
Maximum 50 words/320 characters
(For team applications the Project Summary should be consistent and appear in each team member’s application.)
Part 3: Your responses to the six questions
Maximum 500 words per question.
Part 4: Budget
Please click here for helpful hints for preparing your budget. (For team applications include a copy of your team budget in each team member’s application.)

Submission Instructions for Team Applications:

  • Each team member must complete an application form.
  • Please be sure to list all of your team members’ names in Part 1.

Submitting your team application via email:
1) You may have each individual send their application from their own email account.
OR
2) You may choose to have one team member submit all the applications from one email account. 

Confirmation of Application Receipt
We will send you an email confirming receipt of your application.  This confirmation will be sent within three business days of your application’s arrival.  Should you not receive a confirmation within 3 business days please contact Shannon at 973-540-8442 x106.

Reporting Procedures for Award Recipients
Each grant recipient is required to submit a report detailing the experience and the impact the experience has had either personally, professionally, or both.  In your report please include your reflections on how the experience expanded your vision and capacity, and how your personal and professional growth could impact your school community.  For an individual grant recipient, the report is expected to be between 2-3 double-sided pages.  A team report is expected to be between 3-4 double-sided pages.  If each member of a team would prefer to send an individual report, each team member’s report is expected to be between 2-3 double-sided pages. 

In addition, the report should include a financial statement, which provides a specific description of how the funds were spent.  We do not require actual receipts, just a breakdown of how the grant money was used.  The report (without the financial details) will be bound, along with all of the other reports from the Dodge Foundation Teacher Fellowship recipients and presented to each Fellow.  Please note that excerpts from the reports may be used in press releases and the Foundation’s Annual Report. 

The report is due by Oct 1, 2009 as an email attachment to tfellows@grdodge.org. If special circumstances preclude meeting the deadline, please contact the Dodge Teacher Fellowship Coordinator in advance of the deadline.

Alumni Gathering
In the fall of 2009 we will hold an alumni gathering for the 2008 and 2009 Dodge Foundation Newark Teacher Fellows.  We encourage you to take photographs during your fellowship experience and, if appropriate, bring mementos from your experience to share with us and your peers.  Details will be announced in advance of the event.

 

To download the 2009 Teacher Fellowship application click here.

If you have any questions, please call the Dodge Teacher Fellowship Coordinator at
973-540-8442 x106 or email tfellows@grdodge.org.