In a continuing effort to recognize outstanding contributions by K-12 educators and District level personnel in the field of Educational Technology, the Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF) in partnership with the Space Foundation and NASA, is pleased to present the Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award. The Award recognizes outstanding contributions made by technology personnel or classroom teachers to technology education. 

The Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award rewards excellence in the development and delivery of technology programs. Programs which focus on aerospace and/or aeronautics will be given priority to other programs. Applicants must demonstrate how their programs ultimately benefit the students in a school or district.

Community Action grants provide funds to individuals, AAUW branches and AAUW state organizations as well as local community-based nonprofit organizations for innovative programs or non-degree research projects that promote education and equity for women and girls. 

For the 2009 Program and Field grants cycle, the following focus has been established to guide the Foundation's funding decisions:

For 2009, the Foundation will award Grants exclusively to projects and programs that develop players, coaches, and referees in economically disadvantaged urban areas encompassing populations of 50,000 or more.

The one exception to this exclusive focus is the Foundation's Synthetic Field Building grants. Synthetic Field Building grants support the construction of state-of-the-art synthetic grass soccer fields and will continue to be available to projects serving all types of communities, though the highest priority will be given to projects serving players in economically disadvantaged urban areas.

The Dollar General Youth Literacy Grants provide funding to schools, public libraries and non-profit organizations to help with the implementation or expansion of literacy programs for students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading.

This grant supports classroom teachers who undertake action research inquiries about literacy and instruction.

Youth Service America (YSA) and Disney know that youth of all ages can be involved in volunteer service projects. Children can solve community problems by working with their families, schools, friends, and neighbors.

• improve the teaching and learning about global climate change in elementary and secondary schools and on college campuses;

• increase the number of students, particularly high school and undergraduate students, using NASA Earth observation data/NASA Earth system models to investigate and analyze global climate change issues;

• increase the number of undergraduate students prepared for employment and/or to enter graduate school in technical fields relevant to global climate change; and

• increase access to high quality global climate change education among students from groups historically underrepresented in science.

Best Buy is proud to support K-12 schools who have integrated interactive technology into the curriculum to engage students and make learning fun. As a company, Best Buy believes that when technology is used effectively it can inspire children and have a positive impact on their ability to learn.

The Best Buy Teach Award program recognizes creative uses of interactive technology in K-12 classrooms. Winning programs focus on kids using technology to learn standards-based curriculum, rather than on teaching students to use technology or educators using technology that children aren't able to use hands-on. The purpose of the Best Buy Teach Award program is to reward schools for the successful interactive programs they have launched using available technology.

The Foundation's impact on soccer through its annual Program and Field Grant awards has been significant and continues to grow. Since 1995, nearly $25 million dollars in cash, equipment, and services have been awarded through the annual grants program. The Foundation's support has benefited more than 500 grantees, covering all 50 states, and has served the entire spectrum of soccer communities from small local clubs to the U.S. Soccer Federation, the National Governing Body for the sport in the United States.