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The Foundation currently has two open requests for proposals. REQUEST FOR PORPOSALS # 1: Continuing Education for Hawaii’s Pre-School Teachers: A Request for Mini-Proposals Since 1894, the Henry and Dorothy Castle Memorial Fund has worked to develop a high quality early education experience for all children in Hawaii. This work must continue as we face unprecedented demand for well educated teachers as well pre-school directors. The Foundation, working with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, seeks to have every child reading at or above grade level by grade 3. Over the next 8 years, we will collaborate with other public and private funders to reach this goal by helping to develop a superior pre-school experience for all Hawaii's families. To assist schools in meeting the needs of teachers seeking to continue their education and thereby meet rising accreditation standards, the Foundation invites expedited applications for up to $5,000 to be matched by a 20% contribution from the school and/or the teacher her/himself, to be applied to some or all of the following: books and supplies; transportation to attend classes; release time for teachers attending classes; cost of a substitute teacher; needed technology to assist teacher learning. Mini-grant funds cannot be used for salary incentives, collage tuition scholarships, general operations, or travel to conferences. The Foundation provides scholarships through the University of Hawaii and Chaminade University. Pre-Schools receiving a mini-grant in 2009 are not eligible for consideration in 2010. REQUEST FOR PORPOSALS # 2: Additional Request for Proposals for 2010 The trustees of the Henry and Dorothy Castle Memorial Fund recognize that the quality and quantity of teacher-child interaction in class is the key to high quality pre-schools. High quality instruction provides Hawaii’s children the best chance for school readiness in the critical developmental ages of 3-8. To address some of the needs of the professional development of pre-school teachers outside of their formal higher education, the Foundation will make mini-grants of up to $10,000 with a required minimum match of 20% from the pre-school to support the following quality improvements: Defining developmentally appropriate practices in classroom teaching and applying them to the school's classroom; Promoting outcomes assessments of classroom instruction; Assessing children's needs accurately and improve the instructional feedback to children; Increasing the capacity to provide emotional support for children; Improving the quality of teacher-student interaction, improve classroom management, and improve the quantity and quality of parent engagement with student learning at home and in school; Supporting for directors and staff to meet NAEYC accreditation. The grants may be used for holding in-service training, for hiring expert coaches, mentors and consultants, or for purchasing instructional materials to support professional development for teachers. Collaboration with nearby K-3 schools to allow for common experiences in professional development is a plus and may qualify for a higher grant. School directors are asked to discuss their proposed application and projects with the Foundation's Executive Director before submitting. Application Procedure: Decisions will normally be rendered within 8 weeks. Applications should be sent to the office of the Executive Director, Samuel N. & Mary Castle Foundation, 733 Bishop Street, Suite 1275, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. The short application should be a 2-page letter describing the needs of the school, the number of teachers needing assistance in the 2010 academic year, the schools accreditation status and its commitment to the professional development of its faculty and school director. The application must be signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the school and by the School Director. The school and/or teacher(s) impacted must agree to provide at least 20% match or more for the amount requested (up to $10,000). For example, schools requesting $5,000 should expect to contribute at least $1,000 to the project. The application should include proof of a 501(c) 3 tax-exempt status, a detailed budget describing funds devoted to professional development, and a brief statement of how the project will be evaluated. All successful grant applications will submit a brief final report describing how the funds were used no later than 12 months from the receipt of the grant. Any unused funds must be retuned to the Foundation for regranting to other schools. Each school will determine its method of selecting teachers and directors for support, but it is expected that the school board will play an active role in the process in concert with the school director. Due Dates: All applications are due February 1, June 1, or October 1. Trustees will review applications in April, August, and December. Please contact Al Castle, Executive Director, at (808) 522-1101 if a school director has questions. Final Report Guidelines for 2009-2010 Mini-Grant Since the size of a pre-school’s mini-grant is smaller than our Foundation’s normal grants, please use a shortened final report. This will be due within 12 months of the receipt of this grant and should include a 2-3 page narrative to include the following elements: Report on how the grant money was used and include a brief budget; Confirm that your pre-school did match our grant at a 20% rate or more; Include a brief description of the impact, if any, of the grant; Give a brief description of how your school will sustain support for the critically important education of the teaching staff; Although not required, a brief statement on how the Samuel N. & Mary Castle Foundation can be of help to your school and others in regard to continuing education will be helpful to us; As always, contact the executive director if you have questions.