Nominations are due February 4, 2009.Selected school applications must be postmarked by March 27, 2009.Please read the below listed requirements and criteria before nominating a school or applying for the grant.
OverviewNFL Network will award one Middle School a $10,000 grant to improve general Physical Education for all students throughout the school. The grant could encompass indoor and outdoor facility refurbishments, staff and salary supplements for in-school, before-school and after-school activities, new, improved or increased equipment, staff training, or any other ways of improving overall physical education at the school.
Any interested person can nominate a Middle School for the Keep Gym in School Physical Education Grant. Nominations are accepted online only and can be received no later than 8:00 PM EST on February 4, 2009.
The Keep Gym in School Grant Review Panel will select the top 20 schools from the national nomination processand provide those schools with the Application. One school will then be selected the winner from those 20 applicants.
Nomination Requirements and CredentialsNomination Requirements
Eligible nominators are parents, students, teachers, administrators or members of the community. Each nominatorcan nominate only one Middle School.
Nominated applicant schools must be located in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia.
Eligible schools for nomination are designated Middle Schools (grades 6-8; either separate Middle Schools, combination K-8, combination 7-12, or any combination therein; with distinct Middle School curriculum).
If the middle school grades (6, 7, 8) are part of a public K-12 school or secondary school, then that school is considereda public middle school for the purpose of this grant program.
Other grades that are part of a middle school (e.g., grade 5, grade 9) are not eligible for this grant.
Nomination Credentials
The Keep Gym in School Grant Review Panel will judge submitted national nominations based on the following key criteria:
Proposals must demonstrate need as the key criteria in the application. Through illustration of current PE programs, curriculum, facilities, and equipment, applicant should demonstrate PE needs that the Keep Gym in School program will fill.
Proposals will outline how the Keep Gym in School grant will make Physical Education more successful and engaging for students in the nominated school.
Application Requirements and CriteriaApplication Requirements
Grant applications must be postmarked no later than March 27, 2009.
Document must be in Microsoft Word. Document must have 1” or larger margins on all four sides of the page, be double spaced, and use Times Roman 12 point font. All pages must be numbered on the bottom right. Applications must be no longer than 10 pages in total length.
Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted.
The physical education department chair, school principal, and school foodservice/nutrition director must be in support of the grant application (as demonstrated by the required letters of support).
Grant funds will be distributed in total only after the winning school and its school district have signed Letters of Agreement confirming need and the commitment to implement the winning fitness plan and refurbishment;
Grants will support in-school refurbishments/programs scheduled to be complete by the start of the 09/10 school year.
The winning school will be selected on or about April 3, 2009. Winners will be notified immediately.
Representatives from the winning school will be brought to NYC for a Keep Gym in School Honors Luncheon and NFL Draft Week events. (Dates TBD – expected to be on or about April 23-26, 2009) Exact number of representatives TBD – likely to include school principal, Physical Education department chair. Costs will be covered by NFLN as part of the grant prize.
Official Grant Criteria
The top 20 selected school applicants must submit a proposal for a complete $10,000 in-school physical fitness program. The fitness program should outline the most effective ways for the school to utilize $10,000 to improve physical fitness at the school. The plan can encompass indoor and outdoor facility refurbishments, staff and salary supplements for in-school, before-school and after-school activities, new, improved or increased equipment, staff training, nutrition education, etc.
The Keep Gym in School Grant Review Panel will judge submitted applications based on the following four key criteria:
Proposals will outline a clear, school-wide, organized physical education program that defines specific parameters for increased physical activity and fitness improvement and incorporates a package of capital refurbishments and/or equipment and salary supplements. Proposals will show how this grant will provide more students with more hours of in-school Physical Education.Proposals might outline how existing PE classes can be more engaging to disinterested students, or expanded to include more students throughout the school. Proposals could also instigate or incorporate before-school, lunch-time or after-school programs that engage multiple students in improved physical fitness. Proposals can also include nutrition and health education as part of fitness, but should focus on getting kids active as the primary goal.Highly-rated applications will:
Show knowledge of the current issues physical education is facing in schools and address those issues and Demonstrate innovative solutions for engaging all Middle School students tailored to your own school and community needs .
Proposals will outline the necessary gym/field refurbishments (either indoor or outdoor) and equipment needs to successfully implement the proposed fitness program.Highly-rated applications will:
Include well-thought-out and researched budget analysis for proposed refurbishments and equipment;
Include a timeline and approvals process for implementing the proposed refurbishments;
Request innovative equipment that can be used widely and creatively to reach the largest number of students.
Proposals must demonstrate need as key criteria in the application. Through illustration of current PE programs, facilities, and equipment, school should demonstrate needs that the Keep Gym in School program will fill.
Proposals will also want to touch on the broader positive effects on physical activity and fitness in the local community as a result of the grant. While not mandatory, highly-rated applications will demonstrate broad effectiveness throughout the school community.
Assistance for Applicants
Questions about grant guidelines and applications will be accepted via e-mail. Please address your questions to
grant@keepgyminschool.com
If your question is in regard to wanting to know when the next request for proposal (RFP) will be announced and/or which states will be eligible to apply, please do not call or e-mail as that information is not yet known. When it is known, it will be posted on the Keep Gym in School website.
February 4, 2009
DEADLINE for nominations for school grant applicants. Nominations must be received by 8:00 PM EST.
March 27, 2009
DEADLINE for applications for school grant recipients. Applications must be postmarked no later than March 27, 2009.
April 3, 2009
Winning school notified
April 25/26, 2009
NFL Draft Weekend
Aug / Sep 2009
Keep Gym in School refurbishment projects complete (for First Day of School 2009)
Judging
NFL Network will appoint representatives to a judging panel, along with representatives from other physical education (or physical activity)-oriented groups to include National Association for Sport and Physical Education and Action for Healthy Kids.
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