- Q: What is the definition of a K-12 school?
A: For purposes of KySTE, Schools/Districts must meet the following definition of elementary and secondary schools: the school must be recognized by the Kentucky Department of Education as a non-profit instructional day school, either public or private, that serves students in the range from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Pre-schools and postsecondary schools are not eligible.
- Q: How do I submit an application for my school?
A: Applications are submitted online via form. The applicant – the name appearing as the applicant on the application form – must be registered in our database of members in good standing, and have a membership number (it’s required on the form). You should confirm this beforehand by contacting KySTE. If you are not currently a member, you can be added, but it can take several days to process. You should become a member even if you are not ready to submit your application. If you wait until the deadline date to submit your application, and you are not a member, your application will not be considered.
- Q: Can I view an example of a completed, successful grant application?
A: No. All grant submissions are the sole property of KySTE and will not be made public.
- Q: How do I find if I, my school or my District is currently a member?
A: There are no district or school memberships, only individual memberships. Contact Lorena Hall at KySTE (director@kyste.org) to confirm membership and obtain your membership number (required on the application).
- Q: What kind of projects will qualify for the KySTE Outreach Grant for Education program?
A: Any project that meets KySTE’s mission as defined.
- Q: How much money is available for our school with the KySTE Outreach Grant for Education?
A: Total of grant funding will be published with the opening of the application window. Monies will be disbursed based on weighted rubric scores from the top scoring submission down until funds can no longer provide for the next highest scoring submission.
- Q: Is there a minimum or maximum amount I can apply for?
A: The maximum grant amount is $10,000.
- Q: Is there a timeframe by which we will need to complete our project, in order to qualify for the grant?
A: Yes. KySTE will only consider grants for projects that will be completed within one year of when the grant is received. A KySTE Outreach Grant can be used as part of a larger-scale project, like a computer lab, so long as the grant will be used to complete a phase of the project that can be completed within a year of the award.
- Q: What is an EIN#?
A: An EIN # is your school Employer Identification Number (EIN). It is also known as a Tax Identification Number (TIN) or a Federal Tax Identification number (FIN). It is a unique number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to entities operating in the United States for the purposes of identification. The number should be 9 digits in length. Applicants can get this info from their District Office.
- Q: When will we be notified if we have won?
A: All applicants will be notified of their status via email within the timelines set forth in the “Timelines” document on the KySTE website. When submitting an application, the contact email address included should be for a contact that will be available throughout the grant process.
- Q: What are the application deadlines?
A: Application window(s) will be announced. Please check the KySTE website for application deadlines.
- Q: Am I permitted to include any additional resources within the application?
A: No supplementary materials such as videos, attachments, link to webpages, etc. can be added to the application.
- Q: How many applications can be submitted per KySTE member number?
A: Only one application per KySTE Member number can be submitted each year.
- Q: May more than one application be considered from any one school during the same grant cycle?
A: Yes, multiple applications per school, per grant cycle, are acceptable only if the KySTE Member is different on each application.
- Q: If a KySTE Member applies and is not successful in obtaining a grant, may they apply again during the next grant cycle? And if so, could they apply for the same project (with or without modifications to the proposal)?
A: Yes, if unsuccessful in obtaining a grant during one grant cycle, the teacher/school/district may re-apply during the following application period.
- Q: If a KySTE Member applies during one grant cycle and is awarded a grant, are they eligible to apply again the next school year?
A: No, the KySTE Outreach committee will only consider a previously funded group's grant application after twelve months have passed since the original award.
- Q: Will I receive confirmation on receipt of my application?
A: Once your application is submitted successfully, you will receive electronic confirmation (email or form submission confirmation page).
- Q: What are the reporting requirements?
A: The reporting requirements are quite simple. Approximately 3-6 months after you receive your award, you will receive a survey via email which will ask how your project is going, is it complete, has it been started, etc. We ask that you complete this online survey. We also ask that you send us any news clips or promotional materials related to your project, along with any digital pictures you would like to share. In terms of the report at the completion of the project, please just summarize how it has gone, would you do anything differently, why it went so well, any impact it has on the school/students/district/community, etc. Just a basic evaluation of how you felt your project went and its success within the school and the community. You can send this report to your KySTE contact as noted on your successful grant contract. Failure to complete the reporting portion of the contract may result in KySTE seeking return of partial or full funding amount. There may also be additional reporting requirements as noted on the application.
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Q: What are the presenting requirements?
A: Spring Conference the following year. Each project will receive one complimentary presenter registration for the conference. Any co-presenters will need to pay their own registration.
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Q: If our needs change, can we spend our award funds on different items than originally requested?
A: Send any request to the KySTE Outreach Officer (kysteoutreach@gmail.com)