NEF CyberLearning Offers Schools Matching Grants for STEM and Energy Programs

Enables disadvantaged school districts to get up to $50 million Federal funds

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National Education Foundation - CyberLearning

Feb 26, 2014, 10:33 ET

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National Education Foundation (NEF), the national non-profit leader in STEM education as well as assisting schools to find Federal funds, will offer the mandated matching grant to enable any disadvantaged school district anywhere in the nation to receive $1million to $50 million Federal funds for energy efficiency, renovation, technology, curriculum and teacher training.

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Dr. Kuttan and incentive winners at Beaty Warren Middle School. (PRNewsFoto/National Education Foundation - CyberLearning) (PRNewsFoto/NATIONAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION...)

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

The little-known Federal Funding program has $700 million available. NEF has set aside $70 million to provide the required 10% matching grant. NEF would also set up the mandated STEM+ (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, English, Social Studies, SAT/ACT, IT, Business) academy at no cost to the school district.

Dr. Appu Kuttan, Chairman of the National Education Foundation (NEF), author, philanthropist and global expert in digital education, STEM education and empowerment, states, "School districts across the Nation are faced with serious budget cuts at a time US rankings in math, reading and science are still going down. Twenty four countries are ranked ahead of US in math. Our $70 million grant program would provide school districts the required 10% match and a world-class STEM+ academy at no cost. Moreover, schools located in low income communities could receive additional Federal cash grants."

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

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."

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 energy efficiency programs. In addition, NEF's STEM+ academy, implemented by SUNY, helped our students to advance a grade level in 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 at no cost."

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

About NEF
National Education Foundation (NEF), founded in 1989 in the Washington, DC area, is the national non-profit leader in bridging the academic 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 earning courses, mentoring, motivational rewards, teacher stipends, teacher training and tech support to disadvantaged school districts across the nation.

Websites: www.cyberlearning.org and www.qzab.org

SOURCE National Education Foundation - CyberLearning