NEF Announces $60 million School Grant program for STEM and Renovations

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National Education Foundation (NEF), the national non-profit leader in assisting schools to obtain Federal funds for education by giving grants, will offer the mandated 10% matching grant to enable any disadvantaged school district in the nation to receive $1 million to $30 million in Federal funds for STEM, energy efficiency, renovation and technology. 

Any school district/school with at least 35% of students on free or reduced cost lunch is eligible to apply at www.qzab.org. Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

NEF has set aside $60 million to provide the required 10% matching grant to enable school districts nationally to get a portion of the $600 million Federal funds. NEF will also set up the mandated STEM+ academy for improving Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, English, Social Studies, SAT/ACT, IT and Business skills, and to help districts to meet state standards.

NEF's STEM+ academies are capable of advancing a student one grade level in a subject in 20-30 learning hours as documented by the State University of NY (SUNY), which implements the STEM+ academies nationally with a grant from NEF.

According to Misty Weber, the NEF academy program director at the Warren County School District in PA, "NEF helped us to receive $34 million in Federal funds for renovating our school facilities and improving our energy efficiency programs. In addition, NEF's STEM+ academy, implemented by SUNY, helped our students to advance a grade level 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, both additional academies at no cost."

Dr. Appu Kuttan, Chairman of the National Education Foundation (NEF), author, philanthropist and global expert in STEM education and school financing states, "School districts across the US are faced with serious budget cuts at a time the US rankings in math, reading and science are still low. Twenty-four countries are ranked ahead of the US in math. Our $60 million grant program will provide school districts the required 10% match and a world-class STEM+ academy."

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."

The NEF's Adopt-A-School program, formulated at the Clinton Global Initiative, also creates school-college-business partnerships to provide world-class STEM+ academies for disadvantaged schools at no cost to the schools. Apply at www.cyberlearning.org.  

About NEF
National Education Foundation (NEF), founded in 1989 in the Washington, DC area, is the national non-profit leader in bridging the academic, financial and job skills divides through high-quality, affordable STEM+ education solutions. NEF provides total STEM+ education solutions including 2,500 top-quality, Web-based personalized learning courses, mentoring, motivational rewards, teacher stipends, teacher training and tech support to disadvantaged school districts across the nation. See www.cyberlearning.org

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SOURCE National Education Foundation (NEF)

Related Links

http://www.qzab.org