The CVS Caremark Charitable Trust focuses primarily on supporting charitable organizations that are making a difference in the lives of children with disabilities. Resources are also allocated to help support organizations focused on providing healthcare to the uninsured. We believe these two areas represent opportunities for the Trust to create positive outcomes for diverse populations of people in communities across the country.

The CVS Caremark Charitable Trust funds the following:

Programs that serve children with disabilities under the age of 21 that address the following:

• Accessibility to Physical Activity
• Early Intervention
• Health and Rehabilitative Services

A green light signals “GO!” and permission to proceed. What revs you up as an artist and moves you to create? What signals the spark of creativity? Imagine that you receive a signal to drive your own future. Describe the experience and how you will direct your route – both artistically and personally. How does art give you permission to be who you are? Consider the infinite possibilities that art (or creativity) provides.

We are interested in both representational and abstract work. Artwork may illustrate actual aspects of what signals your creative motivations such as the physical world or personal discoveries. Abstract work that relates to feelings or emotions is also encouraged. Work might also reflect your experience of living with a disability and its role in shaping or transforming your work

We accept proposals from nonprofit organizations for projects which meet one of the Foundation’s two basic purposes:

• To contribute to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual welfare of children through the dissemination of knowledge about new and innovative organizations and/or their programs designed to benefit youth; and
• To contribute to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual welfare of children through the dissemination of knowledge already possessed by well-established organizations, to the end that such information can be more adequately used by society.

With the creation of national standards for arts learning in the 1990’s, assessment of student learning in the arts has become critical for providers of arts instruction throughout the country. Through the Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth category, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) awards millions of dollars each year to support arts education projects that include many forms of assessment designed to measure student learning and program effectiveness. Applicants are required to describe their assessment plans in their proposed projects. However, creating, identifying, and implementing effective assessment tools that support quality arts instruction can be a challenge. Arts educators who provide instruction in schools and communities are looking for models of assessment in all art forms.

Summer 2008 will feature twelve Teacher-to-Teacher workshops. Due to the tremendous success of previous events, the National Park Service, NASA, the Office of Charter Schools are again hosting workshops. New partners include the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Energy, Department of Defense Education Agency, and the US Mint.

Prominent teachers, principals, and district officials provide training sessions and share research-based practices they have successfully applied in their classrooms and schools. Reading, math, science and history will be the content focus as well as using data, differentiating instruction, Doing What Works, and technology to support student achievement. All workshops will also provide important resources from the National Math Panel.

Since 2004 the U.S. Department of Education, through its Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative, has trained 20,000 teachers at 75 regional and district workshops. Attendees have included teachers and administrators from all 50 states who work in urban, suburban and rural schools.

We hope you can join us at one of this summer's workshops

The Libri Foundation was established in 1989 for the sole purpose of helping rural libraries acquire new, quality, hardcover children's books they could not otherwise afford to buy.

The grant program’s main objective is to help children whose socio-economic status impacts on their access to professional oral care and adversely affects their oral health habits at home. The program philosophy seeks to increase access to, and education on, oral health care by encouraging volunteerism in the health professions community.

By also encouraging synergy between community based applicants and awardees, the grant program seeks to pool limited resources within dentistry, industry and public charities to significantly reduce the level of children’s oral disease through education. Through this effort, the program assists in the dissemination of oral health promotion activities to aid those children most at risk.

The National High School Yearbook Adviser of the Year program is designed to honor outstanding high school advisers and their exemplary work from the previous year, as well as throughout their careers.

About CVS Caremark Community Grants
Community Grants target effective and innovative programs that align with our philanthropic values and criteria. To ensure that we make a positive impact, the 2008 Community Grants Program will focus on these two key areas:

1. PROGRAMS TARGETING CHILDREN UNDER AGE 18 WITH DISABILITIES THAT ADDRESS ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:

• Health and Rehabilitation Services: We believe that health and rehabilitation services are critical in assuring that children with disabilities develop the skills needed to live as independently as possible at home, in school and in the community. Our CVS Caremark Community Grants support programs that promote independence among children with disabilities including physical and occupational therapies, speech and hearing therapies, assistive technology and recreational therapies.
• Public schools promoting a greater level of inclusion in student activities and extracurricular programs: We are devoted to supporting organizations that enrich the lives of children with disabilities through inclusive programs. Through our Community Grants Program we work to ensure that students are not left behind in school. Proposed programs must be fully inclusive where children with disabilities are full participants in an early childhood, adolescent, or teenage programs along side their typically developing peers.
• Creating opportunities or facilities which give greater access to physical movement and play: We believe that play is essential to healthy development—physical, cognitive, emotional and social—and offers a means of understanding the world. Therefore, we are devoted to the principle of free play. The unstructured, spontaneous, voluntary activity that's so engaging for children—has long been recognized as the most beneficial form. Proposed programs may include either physical activities or play opportunities and should address the specific needs of the population served.

This program provides funding for graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines to acquire additional skills that will broadly prepare them for professional and scientific careers in the 21st century. Through interactions with teachers and students in K-12 schools and with other graduate fellows and faculty from STEM disciplines, graduate students can improve communication, teaching, collaboration, and team building skills while enriching STEM learning and instruction in K-12 schools. Through this experience, graduate students can gain a deeper understanding of their own STEM research. In addition, the GK-12 program provides institutions of higher education with an opportunity to make a permanent change in their graduate programs by incorporating GK-12 like activities in the training of their STEM graduate students. Expected outcomes include improved communication, teaching, collaboration, and team building skills for the fellows; professional development opportunities for K-12 teachers; enriched learning for K-12 students; and strengthened and sustained partnerships in STEM between institutions of higher education and local school districts.

NSTA New Science Teacher Academy, cofounded by the Amgen Foundation, is a professional development initiative created to help promote quality science teaching, enhance teacher confidence and classroom excellence, and improve teacher content knowledge.

According to a 2003 study by Richard Ingersoll, nearly 50% of beginning teachers leave their jobs in the first five years. The NSTA New Science Teacher Academy endeavors to use mentoring and other professional development resources to support science teachers during the often challenging, initial teaching years and to help them stay in the profession.

As an NSTA Fellow, you will receive:

• Comprehensive NSTA membership and its benefits;
• An opportunity to participate in a variety of web-based professional development activities, including web seminars
• Unlimited use of resources including vetted web links for lesson plans, links to state and national standards, professional organizations, safety tips and more;
• An opportunity to participate in e-Mentoring developed by NSTA, the New Teacher Center, and Montana State University that includes:
  • e-Mentoring with an experienced teacher in the same science discipline and grade level;
  • Facilitated online curriculum that focuses on science content and applicable classroom pedagogy;
  • Access to a nationwide, online network of science educators and scientists that facilitate the exchange of information, ideas, and resources;
• Accommodations, coverage of airfare, food, and registration fees to attend the NSTA national conference;
• An opportunity to participate in specialized conference pathways and to participate in a Research Dissemination Conference or a Professional Development Institute.

• Project support is for existing high school retention programs with a successful track record of achieving effective results. The support may be used to continue programs in their current form, expand them to serve additional students, or add a component to strengthen the program. Project support is intended for programs that are ready to operate in their current or modified form by the first semester of the 2008 - 2009 school year. Grant payout will range from $50,000 - $100,000 a year for up to four years (2008 - 2011).
• Planning/capacity-building support is for efforts that need additional planning time and resources. Applicants for these grants must demonstrate that they will be able to identify the administrative, financial and programmatic support needed to commence program implementation during the first semester of the 2009 - 2010 school year. Grant payout will range from $25,000 - $35,000 for one year only.

To be considered for funding under the Small Innovative Grants Program, the proposed project must distinguish itself from the large number of high quality programs proposed to Legacy in each grant round. The program must demonstrate an element of creativity, ingenuity or innovation.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is supporting the participation of American high school students in intensive, substantive foreign language study to further strengthen national security and prosperity in the 21st century as part of the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI), launched by President Bush in January 2006.

Foreign language skills are essential to engaging foreign governments and peoples, especially in critical world regions, to promote understanding and convey respect for other cultures. Americans will use these skills to support the nation's foreign affairs priorities, its economic competitiveness, and its educational institutions as they prepare future citizens for full engagement in the global environment. The broad NSLI initiative focuses resources on improving language learning for U.S. citizens across the educational spectrum and emphasizes the need to achieve mastery of critical languages. NSLI-Y programs support the participation of American high school students and those who have just graduated in intensive, substantive educational exchange programs that will promote language learning, as well as engage the successor generation in a dialogue for greater understanding.

The Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy is a one-week all-expense-paid intensive professional development program for third- through fifth-grade teachers. The Academy offers a five-day program designed to provide third- through fifth-grade teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to motivate students to pursue careers in science and math.

Phil and Amy Mickelson partnered with ExxonMobil to develop the Academy in conjunction with the National Science Teachers Association and Math Solutions. The Mickelsons wanted to develop a program that inspires teachers from across the country in math and science and equips them with interactive teaching tools to ignite their students' passion for these subjects. They also wanted to develop a program that helps to develop the next generation of science savvy citizens who will grow up to make the next breakthrough in medicine, in energy, or in any of the growing number of fields that require a solid foundation in math and science.

Two of the nation's leading teacher-training organizations, Math Solutions Professional Development, founded by Marilyn Burns, and the National Science Teachers Association, design the curriculum, provide instructors and manage the daily activities and logistics of the Academy.

The overarching goals of the program are to:
1. Promote better understanding by youth from selected countries about American society, people, institutions, values and culture;
2. Foster lasting personal ties;
3. Engage the exchange participants in activities that advance mutual understanding, respect for diversity, leadership skills, and understanding of civil society during their exchange in the U.S.;
4. Enhance Americans' understanding of the foreign students' countries and cultures;
5. Increase the capacity of organizations in participating countries to engage youth in activities that enhance mutual understanding, respect for diversity, leadership skills, and understanding of civil society through alumni activities

GreenWorks! grants engage PLT educators and their students with their local community in "learning-by-doing" environmental projects.  Student leadership, service-learning, and community participation are the cornerstones to GreenWorks! projects. These grassroots action projects enable schools and youth organizations across the country to make a positive impact on their communities. 

The LIVE GREEN Teacher Grant program, a Discovery Education program presented by General Motors, challenges middle school teachers to develop innovative ideas for furthering environmental and energy sustainability. Teachers will identify an issue or problem, create a plan to address it, and integrate the topic into classroom teaching.

The Founders Award recognizes youth that are making extraordinary contributions to the lives of other children.

Available Grants

Two types of grants will be offered through the Great American Bake Sale grants program:

Grants for Program Sponsors

Grants will be awarded to organizations that directly sponsor USDA-reimbursed afterschool and/or summer meal programs for children. Grants will specifically support efforts to increase participation in the organization's USDA summer and afterschool meal programs. Grant awards will range from $1,000-$10,000.

Grants for Advocacy

Grants will be awarded to organizations that work to increase participation in USDA-reimbursed afterschool and summer meal programs through outreach and advocacy. Grants will support projects designed to increase participation in afterschool and summer meal programs through advocacy. Organizations engage in advocacy when they work with schools, community organizations, local businesses, and with a range of government officials to increase participation in summer and afterschool meal programs. Grant awards will range from $1,000-$10,000.

Educational grants from Dominion and the Dominion Foundation provide elementary and secondary educators with the tools they need to revitalize math and science programs through the study of energy and the environment.

In the area of k-12 education, Dominion accepts grant applications, up to $10,000, to encourage the development of new programs to strengthen math and science education through the study of energy or the environment.

The purpose of this grant is support and encourage classroom-based research in precollege mathematics education in collaboration with college or university mathematics educators. For 2009–2010, grants with a maximum of $8,000 each will be awarded to classroom teachers* currently teaching mathematics at the grades K–12 level. The research must be a significant collaborative effort involving a college or university mathematics educator (a mathematics education researcher or a teacher of mathematics learning, teaching, or curriculum) and one or more grades K–12 classroom teachers. The proposal may include, but is not restricted to, research on the following topics:

• Curriculum development and implementation
  
• Involvement of at-risk or minority students
  
• Students’ thinking about a particular mathematics concept or set of concepts
  
• Connection of mathematics to other disciplines
  
• Focused learning and teaching of mathematics with embedded use of technology (any acquisition of equipment must support the proposed plan but not be the primary focus of the grant)
  
• Innovative assessment or evaluation strategies

(*The definition of a classroom teacher is an individual who spends half or more of his/her work time teaching in the classroom.)

Inspire the youth in your community to become the preservationists of tomorrow. Museums, historic sites, historical societies, preservation organizations, libraries, and archives are invited to partner with a local school or youth group and apply for funding to help preserve the history of their communities. Each year, The History Channel awards grants of up to $10,000 to organizations across the country that partner with schools or youth groups on community preservation projects that engage students in learning about, documenting and preserving the history of their communities.

National ersonName w:st="on">History DayersonName> is pleased to ersonName w:st="on">annersonName>ounce the 2008 Richard T. Farrell Teacher of Merit Award for innovative history teaching.  The award recognizes outstanding teachers at the state level and one exceptional history teacher at the national level who will receive a cash prize during the National ersonName w:st="on">History DayersonName> contest in June. The eight finalists for this award will also be recognized at the national level, and each will receive a PBS video library.

National History Day, in collaboration with The History Channel, is proud to announce the 9^th annual History Channel Award for Service.  The award, sponsored by The History Channel, will be presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to history education through service to the National History Day program.

Inspire the youth in your community to become the preservationists of tomorrow. Museums, historic sites, historical societies, preservation organizations, libraries, and archives are invited to partner with a local school or youth group and apply for funding to help preserve the history of their communities. Each year, The History Channel awards grants of up to $10,000 to organizations across the country that partner with schools or youth groups on community preservation projects that engage students in learning about, documenting and preserving the history of their communities.

National ersonName w:st="on">History DayersonName> is pleased to ersonName w:st="on">annersonName>ounce the 2008 Richard T. Farrell Teacher of Merit Award for innovative history teaching.  The award recognizes outstanding teachers at the state level and one exceptional history teacher at the national level who will receive a cash prize during the National ersonName w:st="on">History DayersonName> contest in June. The eight finalists for this award will also be recognized at the national level, and each will receive a PBS video library.

National History Day, in collaboration with The History Channel, is proud to announce the 9^th annual History Channel Award for Service.  The award, sponsored by The History Channel, will be presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to history education through service to the National History Day program.

The McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation offers Academic Enrichment Grants designed to develop in-class and extra-curricular programs that improve student learning. The Foundation considers proposals that foster understanding, deepen students’ knowledge, and provide opportunities to expand awareness of the world around them.

The Academic Enrichment Grants provide funding for programs that nurture the intellectual, artistic and creative abilities of children from low-income households. The McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation awards grants to individuals in amounts up to $10,000 per year for a maximum of three years, provided the eligibility requirements continue to be met.

Our mission is to serve as a catalyst in maximizing the skills and creativity of educators at the k-12 levels and in cultivating pioneering approaches to teaching that result in dynamic student learning. The Foundation sponsors proposals that enhance student learning and educational quality, paying particular attention to those that best serve the at-risk and under-funded.

The Teacher Development Grants provide funding to individuals or small teams of teachers in the formation and implementation of groundbreaking k-12 classroom instruction. The grants provide opportunities for teachers to integrate fresh strategies that encourage critical inquiry and to observe their effects on students. Teachers have the opportunity to reflect and write about their projects, as well as to share their results with other teachers. The Foundation awards grants to individuals in amounts up to $10,000 per year for a maximum of three years, provided the eligibility requirements continue to be met.

"Make it Matter" is a new initiative of the Reader’s Digest Foundation. The Foundation will give away $1 million to nonprofit organizations based on inspiring stories submitted by the public.

Every month for ten months, Reader’s Digest will choose one individual whose story of giving back serves as an inspiration to others. For each story, the Reader’s Digest Foundation will donate $100,000 to a nonprofit organization that is associated either with the story or the cause. These individuals and their stories of giving back will appear every month in the new "Make it Matter" column in Reader’s Digest and on rd.com, beginning with the April issue.

Know anyone making an extraordinary contribution to your community? Tell the Reader's Digest Foundation about them and the story selected by RDF may be featured in Reader's Digest.