AFCEA Hampton Roads Chapter realizes the importance of encouraging students to study the scientific, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines that support our industry's focus on the design, development, manufacture, maintenance, and operation of communications, electronics, information technology, and intelligence systems. We believe that effective STEM education at the middle school and high school levels can capture students' interest and inspire them to study the "hard" subjects as STEM majors when they enter college. The Science Teaching Tools Award (STTA) Program is a joint effort of the AFCEA International Educational Foundation and the AFCEA Hampton Roads Chapter to promote effective STEM education by enhancing the resources available to STEM teachers in middle schools and secondary schools in the Hampton Roads area.

For the 2011/2012 school year, the Hampton Roads Chapter will award a total of $10,000 in STTAs. Of this total, $9,000 will be awarded on a competitive basis to high school and middle school science teachers from public and private schools in the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and Suffolk who have applied for grants of any amount up to $1,000. An additional $1,000 STTA will be awarded to a teacher that participated in the 2011 March 2011 Tidewater Science Fair who has been exceptionally effective in encouraging student and school participation in science fairs.

Guidelines
The AFCEA Hampton Roads Chapter will consider all applications submitted by public or private high school and middle school STEM teachers in the Hampton Roads area..

• Grants are intended for such items or activities as consumable supplies, hardware, software, SMART boards, projectors or other equipment. Grants can also be used to fund extra-curricular activities sponsored by STEM teachers such as robotics clubs, math clubs, and FIRST competitions.
• The primary selection criteria will be the application's potential for effectively demonstrating scientific and mathematical principles through classroom demonstrations and experiments. A secondary criteria is the number of students who will benefit from the award in the current and future school years. In the case of proposals of equal merit, preference will be given to proposals submitted by teachers from schools with limited math/science education budgets and/or a student body with a high proportion of economically disadvantaged students. Except in unusual circumstances, the STTAs will not be renewable to teachers in two consecutive years.
• Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded directly to the teachers who submit the top ranked proposals. It is clearly understood that the materials and equipment purchased with STTA funds will be used to support math/science classroom activities.
• The number of awards will depend on the amounts requested in the top-ranked proposals.

How to Apply for a Science Teaching Tools Award(STTA)

To apply, complete the STTA application cover sheet provided as the final page of this document. Attach a short (5 pages maximum) proposal describing how you will use STTA funds to improve the learning environment in your classroom.
Ensure that your application/proposal includes the following information:

• Course Name and Description; i.e., grade level and general course objectives
• Participation in the March 2011 Tidewater Science Fair including number of student projects entered
• Project Description
  • Describe the classroom activity that will be funded by a STTA
  • Cost of materials to fund the activity (Itemized list)
  • Number of students who will participate in the activity or otherwise benefit this year
  • Describe carry-over benefits to students in future years if this request is funded
• Financial Need Considerations
  • What is the school's budget (per student) for math/science classroom consumable supplies and equipment for the current school year?
  • Have you already purchased classroom supplies or equipment out-of-pocket to support this year's curriculum? If so, how much have you spent to date?
  • Are lab/activity fees are collected from students enrolled in your school's math/science classes? If so, how much?
  • What percentage of the school's students receives either free or reduced price meals through the National School Lunch Program?
• Place your name and your school's name at the top of each page.
• Please observe the 5-page proposal page limit, using .75" top/bottom/left/right margins and a minimum 10 pt font size.

Submission and Award Schedule

The AFCEA HR Chapter appreciates the fact that most teachers have a "wish list" of supplies and equipment they would like to have available in the classroom at the beginning of the school year. We also understand that school budgets rarely provide every item on a teacher's wish list. It is only upon returning from the summer vacation that teachers learn what their classroom budgets will be for the coming school year and what items from the "wish list" failed to make the budget cut.

We want to help make up the difference between the "wish list" and the budget, so we feel that the best time to solicit applications for STTAs is at the beginning of the school year, immediately after teachers have learned what budget requests have been denied. Although we realize that the start of the school year is a very busy time for teachers, we ask for applications in September because we want to get money into the hands of teachers as early as possible in the school year.

• Applications may be submitted by e-mail (preferred) or by U.S. mail, but in either case, the deadline for receipt of applications is Friday, September 23, 2011.
  • Address applications submitted as e-mail attachments to Scholorships@afceahamptonroads.org
  • Address applications submitted by U.S. mail to:
         AFCEA HR Science Teaching Tools
         527 Wittington Drive
         Chesapeake, VA 23322
• Each application requires three signatures: (1) the applicant's signature, (2) the signature of the applicant's Department Head, and (3) the Principal's signature. We request the Department Head and Principal signatures to confirm that the applicant's request represents a valid but unfunded request for materials that will enhance the learning environment in the school's STEM classrooms.
• While providing applications with signatures is no problem when submitting via U.S. Mail, it may cause some problems for applications submitted as e-mail attachments.
  • Signed applications converted to .pdf documents that clearly show all required signatures will be accepted as valid and complete.
• If submitting MS Word documents without signatures via e-mail, insert the phrase "Original Signature Page via U.S. Mail" in the space provided for the signatures. The unsigned e-mail attachment combined with an original signature page received no later than Friday, September 23, 2011 will be accepted as a valid, complete application.
• Awards will be announced by Monday, October 3, 2011.
• Awardees and one guest will be invited to attend the AFCEA Hampton Roads Chapter's luncheon meeting on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 to receive their award.

If you have questions regarding the Science Teaching Tools Awards, send them via e-mail to Scholarships@afceahamptonroads.org or contact one of the following members of the committee by telephone. Committee for further information:
     Ms. Mary Yager, (757) 389-4848
     OR
     Mr. Manny Cordero, (904) 673-2316

2009/2010 Science Teaching Tools Awards Winners

In September 2009, the AFCEA HR Chapter received 18 applications for Science Teaching Tools Awards. The nine teachers listed below received awards totaling $7,879.

Ms. Michele Baird, Granby High School, Norfolk Public Schools
Telescope, Astronomy Equipment and accessories for "Star Parties" ($850.00); Award benefits 200 students

Ms. Tonya Bates, Hugo Owens Middle School, Chesapeake Public Schools
Lab Equipment and consumables for "Circuits Alive! An Investigation of Electricity in our Daily Lives" ($925.74); Award benefits 400 Students

Ms. Shampriest Bevel, Norview Middle School, Norfolk Public Schools
Multimedia Projector and accessories ($599.98); Award benefits 937 Students

Ms. Sunni Burns, Norview High School, Norfolk Public Schools
TI-89 Graphing Calculators and TI-89 View Screen Calculator ($975.00); Award benefits 56 Students

Ms. Laura Freeman, Booker T Washington High School, Norfolk Public Schools
Porcelain Steel Marker Boards ($907.00); Award benefits 190 Students

Mr. Donald H. Ives, Oceanography and Astronomy Teacher, Kempsville High School, Virginia Beach Public Schools
Multimedia Projector, Pull Down Screen and accessories ($902.50); Award benefits 143 Students

Mr. Gregory A. Nottingham, 6th-8th Grade Physical Science and Earth Science Teacher, Renaissance Academy, Virginia Beach Public Schools
Telescope and standard observing accessories ($924.85); Award benefits 175 Students

Ms. Hillary Weir, Ms. Heather Smith, Ms. Brena Daniels, and Ms. Patricia Horton-Jackson, 8th Grade Science Teachers, Churchland Middle School, Portsmouth Public Schools
Garmin GPS and accessories for Forensics Testing Labs ($993.15); Award benefits 600 Students

Ms. Lisa Field, Science Teacher, York County High School, York County Public Schools
Battery powered Microscopes, TI-84 calculators and PASCO GLS equipment for collecting and viewing data and the field ($1,000.00)

2008/2009 Science Teaching Tools Awards Winners

In September 2008, the AFCEA HR Chapter received 11 applications for Science Teaching Tools Awards.  The nine teachers listed below received awards totaling $7,879.

Ms. Clara J. Heyder, Health Sciences Academy, Bayside High, School, Virginia Beach
Vernier LabQuest handheld computer w/physiology probe kit. ($1,000); Award benefits 90 students

Ms. Rose Ann Behson, Science Department Head, Virginia Beach Middle School
250GB external hard drives for 10 teachers to support multimedia curriculum requirements ($700); Award benefits 700 students

Ms. Janet Brown, 8th Grade Earth Sciences, Great Neck Middle School, Virginia Beach
Multimedia Projector and accessories ($569.99); Award benefits 125 students

Mr. Tim Criner, Gildersleeve Middle School, Newport News Public Schools,
Nominated by the Tidewater Science Congress for exceptional success in encouraging student and school system participation in Science Fairs ($1,000).  Funds applied to purchase of classroom consumables and curriculum materials and to defray registration expenses for the school’s Science Fair winners attending Virginia Junior Academy of Science events at Virginia Commonwealth University; Award benefits 350 students

Ms. Kathy Turner, 9th Grade Magnet Chemistry, Ocean Lakes HS, Virginia Beach
H-ITT Classroom Response Systems ($925.00); Award benefits 130 students

Mrs. Demorrow Bond-Lee, 7th & 8th Science Department Head, Ghent School, Norfolk
Equipment and consumables for "high-tech" DNA fingerprinting labs. ($1,000.00); Award benefits 130 students

Ms. Mary Hing-Hickman, Physics for Technology, Hickory High School, Chesapeake
Vernier LabPro interfaces and Logger Pro software supporting the robotics team ($1,000.00); Award benefits 150 students

Mr. Kenny Grimes; Physics and Intro to Robotics, Norview High School, Norfolk
TI-84 graphing calculators, ROBOT-C software site license, batteries for classroom electronic equipment ($933.67); Award benefits 155 students

Ms. Jamie Young; Life, Physical, Earth Sciences Kemps Landing MS, Virginia Beach
Multimedia Projector and accessories ($569.99); Award benefits 120 students