Mini-grants for higher education programs

Purpose:

1. Build a foundation of knowledge among faculty in your education program to understand computer science and integrate computational thinking elements into the curriculum.
2. Incorporate existing resources to address the MD K12 CS standards into your education courses 

Questions to consider:

1. Do you have a plan to provide multiple experiences for students in an education pathway with integrated computational thinking and computer science skills? Who do you need to bring on board to make this work?
2. What percentage of your education faculty will your proposal support?
3. What connections do you have to your CS faculty, your local school system, and other institutions?
4. What percentage of your undergraduate education students will the results of your work reach?
5. How will the project you design create a lasting impact on the understanding of computational thinking and computer science among the students who graduate from your program?

Required elements:

1. Have a plan to create something that can be sustained beyond the grant period.
2. Start by making use of high-quality existing materials and activities that align to what is being done in Maryland classrooms.
3. Plan to expose students to multiple experiences of applied computational thinking, computer science skills, and opportunities to design experiences for children.
4. Collaborate with local school systems and between higher education institutions.
5. Become familiar with the MD K12 CS standards and the national CS teacher standards. (csteachers.org)
6.  Attend a MD higher education preservice workshop and follow up day
   1. Preservice Workshop #1: June 16-18. 8:30-12:30 each day. 12 hours total. Focus on specific activities for introductory-level education classes.
   2. Preservice Workshop #2: June 28-July 2. 8:30-12:30 each day. 16 hours total. Focus on effective use of computational thinking integrated into subject areas.
   3. Follow-up days: July 27 or July 28 . 8:30-12:30
7. SUBMIT:
   1. Grant PI information and background
   2. Goals and objective
   3. Timeline
   4. Budget. Use this spreadsheet if it applies.
   5. Summary of who this will reach and how it will sustain.

Budget limit:
Starter grants: $3,000 - $5,000. Follow up mini-grants up to $10,000

Eligibility: Maryland institutions of higher education with courses in education.

Timeline:  6-9 months

Email MCCE at usmd dot edu with your information to apply.