Grant Proposal (50 points) INSTRUCTIONS: Read Chapter 22 (Proposals) before completing this project. Length: 900 to 1000 words Part I: Background Part II: Instructions PART I: BACKGROUND Purpose: You have been hired as the grant writer for Workshop Houston, a local after-school program in Houston, that is seeking funding to expand the organization and support its young student members. Using the background information provided below, write a persuasive grant proposal requesting the Next UP Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Your Employer: Workshop Houston Background: Workshop Houston was built on the belief that learning is more than just what happens in a classroom. Founded by four Oberlin College graduates in 2005, Workshop Houston has grown into a well-established youth development agency and important neighborhood resource. Using a hands-on, arts-based educational philosophy to respond to the needs of the community, your program has served thousands of youth Houstonians through after school and summer programs that help students to build technical skills, develop a meaningful creative practice, while building academic confidence. • Student Eligibility: Workshop Houston Starter Courses are FREE, but space is limited • Enrollment is open to all Houston Area students but priority placement is given to students living in East End, Greater Third Ward, South Park, and Sunnyside Neighborhoods. • Applications are accepted on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis. Workshop Houston website: https://www.workshophouston.org/ ▪ Who You Are | The Mission Workshop Houston’s goal is to provide youth with creative, technical and educational resources. Our vision is to lay the groundwork for a just society by creating a community that provides youth with support, expanded opportunities and alternative definitions of success. ▪ What You Do | The 4 Workshops Workshop Houston offers innovative youth development programs through four studio/classrooms: 1. Beat Shop (music production) 2. Media Shop (graphic design) Dance Shop (dance and hip hop), and the Style Shop (fashion and graphic design.)
You are Proposing the Development of a 5th Workshop that will be offered along with the 4 existing workshops summarized below: The Beat Shop Is a music production studio where students explore music of all forms using computer software, recording equipment, and live instruments. While mainly focusing on the foundations of hip-hop, students express themselves through writing lyrics, creating beats, and engineering tracks. In order to make original music. Students in the shop form their own bands, working together to offer their unique voices and strengths in... The Style Shop Is a fashion design studio where students create their own clothes and accessories by cutting and sewing garments. Through exploration of form, color, and pattern, students find their own individual style and point of view towards visual language. In learning about the history and power of clothing and fashion as an art form, students in the shop become oriented towards being cultural producers, finding a strong sense of self.... The Dance Shop Is a studio where kids learn the fundamentals of various styles of dance and choreography. The artform of dance encourages freedom of movement, expression and students bring their ideas to life through live performance... The Media Shop Is a creative studio that inspires multidisciplinary learning in graphic design, photography, videography, podcasting, & social media. Students learn the basics of each medium and utilize the technology for expression. The Media Shop is collaborative and serves as the connection between each of the four shops. GRANT ORGANIZATION National Endowment of the Arts The US federal government offers grant awards (funding) for many fields related to business, technology, science, the environment, art, and education. The National Endowment of the Arts is one government agency that focuses on art and education—for this grant proposal assignment, you will be writing to the NEA to request the Next UP Grant Award. NEA Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Next UP Grant Award: The Next UP Grant is the National Endowment for the Arts’ education and community-based grant award. The NEA is requesting proposals from after-school programs that make an impact on underserved communities in the United States. Programs that meet the criteria will seek to close the opportunity gaps for children from lower-income neighborhoods. Chosen programs awarded the Next UP Grant offer activities that involve art, education, culture, and design, while seeking to enhance the creativity, critical thinking, and independence of its student members.
INSTRUCTIONS
Forbidden Topics: Please no “childhood obesity” or “sports” or “fitness” or “exercise-based” programs. Note: I have received several plagiarized proposals in recent semesters. A few of these proposals were projects from past students. * NOTE: I have a library of old proposals to cross check—do your own work. Note: Do not use ChatGPT to write any of this proposal—I use Turnitin.com, and ChatGPT Detector. You will fail the project and lose your Professionalism grade and I may submit your name to the IST Department Chair for further review. Textbook Proposal You may use the funding proposal for the SMU Torch on p. 561 (Chapter 22: Proposals) as a basic model for your own project. However, you have creative flexibility with the writing, style, and design of your proposal—write in your own voice, be persuasive and passionate. Organization: Create specific headers to organize each section of your proposal. Headers will preview the material and engage the reader. Don’t write “Statement of Problem.” That’s too general, but a header such as, “Low Telekinesis Scores in Public Schools” will educate the reader on the content of that section. ▪ EX: Use headers, subheadings, bold-face, bullets, and “tables” if relevant. 11 REQUIRED PARTS Your proposal should only have these 11 parts—this is all you are responsible for: 1) Title Page 2) Table of Contents 3) Overview 4) Background 5) Statement of Problem 6) Plan 7) Method 8) Schedule 9) Budget 10) Conclusion 11) References. PARTS OF YOUR GRANT PROPOSAL: Write your proposal to match the description and values of the Next UP Grant—the NEA is the organization who will be offering you the funding, and your proposal will likely reference the criteria stated in the Next UP Grant description. 1) Title Page a. See SMU Torch example OR Student Sample
2) Table of Contents a. See SMU Torch example OR Student Sample 3) Overview An effective overview is a relatively brief introduction. (5-8 sentences). It offers a concise and persuasive statement of the key elements of the proposal—it should be engaging and persuasive and hook your audience. In this section, you will identify the following: a. Start your overview with a hook that introduces either the subject or problem b. Introduce your Workshop idea—include the name of the workshop, and your purpose for requesting the Next UP Grant Award. c. Briefly suggest the benefits or outcomes that students will take away if they attend your workshop. 4) Background The Background section is a summary of your organization—just copy and paste the paragraph below into your grant proposal. BACKGROUND (copy and paste) Workshop Houston was built on the belief that learning is more than just what happens in the classroom. Our program has grown into a well-established youth development agency and valuable neighborhood resource. We use a practical, arts-based educational philosophy to respond to the needs of our community. Since 2015, Workshop Houston has served Houston’s youth through our afterschool and summer programs that help students build technical skills, develop a meaningful creative practice, and achieve academic confidence. Our goal is to provide the next generation with creative, technical and educational resources that lays the groundwork for a just and equitable society. We hope to foster a local, Houston-based community that provides youth with support, expanded opportunities, an independent mindset, while building alternative definitions of success. 5) Statement of Problem (350 to 400 words approximately) Questions to help you develop your statement of problem: Remember, you are trying to create an after-school program for students who come from lower-income communities in the Houston area. a. To be persuasive, your will need to provide data, research, or reference the testimony of experts on your chosen problem. Think of your proposed Workshop and your Plan as a kind of solution to the problem stated in the statement of problem. 1. What is the problem the community faces and that your workshop is attempting to address? Find research that supports your claims.
2. Optional: You could also reference any benefits that might come from student’s learning the subject or skills taught at your workshop 3. OR: You can focus the entire section on the problem your workshop is attempting to alleviate. Note: Your Statement of Problem and Workshop Plan are closely related. Your workshop is an attempt to help students develop or gain experience in some important skillset related to either art or education. Hypothetical Example If you propose an Astronomy Workshop as your Plan, then your argument about the Problem would focus on the importance of science education. ▪ Problem: You might then research the problem of low-science literacy among underserved students in the United States. You could also find data about low math test scores and weak performance in the sciences. BENEFITS (optional section) ▪ Benefits: You could also find data about the benefits of a STEM education and the skills your students will be developing if they attend your Astronomy Workshop. ▪ You could research the cognitive value of studying astronomy, emphasizing the math, physics, and science skills involved in studying the field. Audience: In your statement of problem be sure to address your community—teens, adolescents, or young adults growing up in underserved communities. The students who enroll in Workshop Houston disproportionately attend underfunded public schools that either lack after school programs, or offer limited extracurricular activities. 6) Plan: Your Plan is one paragraph that establishes the concept and goal of your workshop. a. Discuss the subject and purpose of your program and identify the results you are hoping for the students who attend your workshop. b. How will your students benefit? What are the skills, talents, abilities, mindset, or personality and/or character traits that you hope to inspire in them? 7) Schedule: a. What’s the schedule for your workshop? Are the classes held after school? Perhaps offered on the weekends? How many days a week? How long is a class or session? b. Or perhaps you are proposing the development of an intensive summer 6-week program? 8) Methods a. Now get specific. b. What’s the curriculum? What kind of lessons will you offer? What materials will you work with? What subject matter will you study? c. What will students do during a class session or meeting? For example, what software will they learn or work with?
d. Be creative and remember your audience—how do you make it fun and engaging? Perhaps you will combine a mix of traditional teaching methods with practical, hands-on lessons? e. Events or Contests: You might include a description of an end of the semester contest, competition, science fair, event, or showcase designed to share with the community what the students have learned or created in your workshop. Note: I would recommend using a table or chart for the schedule. 9) Budget: a. Make up the numbers. b. You’ll have to decide how specific to be. Is this the kind of project that needs line-by-line budgetary information, tables, pie charts, or can you group tasks into categories and discuss how much each category will cost? c. Identify costs for materials, tools, equipment, software, travel, guest speakers—and also improvements and renovations to the existing classroom (if needed) d. You might also suggest paying for staffing—hiring a part-time teacher, teaching assistant, volunteer, guest speaker. e. Review the SMU Torch Example the Student Example or any other budget design examples from the textbook. 9) Conclusion: a. This is the last opportunity to compel your audience to act—to award you the funds, and help you achieve your objectives. b. Remind the audience of the key benefits of your plan and try to motivate them to offer you the Next UP Grant Award. Suggest that your program will make a difference. c. Optional: If you want to insert the specific dollar amount you are requesting, then this would be the appropriate place. d. The conclusion is typically short (one paragraph), concise, and persuasive. 10) References: a. Your proposal will have a research component that will include a minimum of 3-4 outside sources to support your argument. Online or web sources are allowed, but should come from credible places such as government websites, agencies, studies, newspapers, magazines.d. Be creative and remember your audience—how do you make it fun and engaging? Perhaps you will combine a mix of traditional teaching methods with practical, hands-on lessons? e. Events or Contests: You might include a description of an end of the semester contest, competition, science fair, event, or showcase designed to share with the community what the students have learned or created in your workshop. Note: I would recommend using a table or chart for the schedule. 9) Budget: a. Make up the numbers. b. You’ll have to decide how specific to be. Is this the kind of project that needs line-by-line budgetary information, tables, pie charts, or can you group tasks into categories and discuss how much each category will cost? c. Identify costs for materials, tools, equipment, software, travel, guest speakers—and also improvements and renovations to the existing classroom (if needed) d. You might also suggest paying for staffing—hiring a part-time teacher, teaching assistant, volunteer, guest speaker. e. Review the SMU Torch Example the Student Example or any other budget design examples from the textbook. 9) Conclusion: a. This is the last opportunity to compel your audience to act—to award you the funds, and help you achieve your objectives. b. Remind the audience of the key benefits of your plan and try to motivate them to offer you the Next UP Grant Award. Suggest that your program will make a difference. c. Optional: If you want to insert the specific dollar amount you are requesting, then this would be the appropriate place. d. The conclusion is typically short (one paragraph), concise, and persuasive. 10) References: a. Your proposal will have a research component that will include a minimum of 3-4 outside sources to support your argument. Online or web sources are allowed, but should come from credible places such as government websites, agencies, studies, newspapers, magazines.
b. Sources should be documented using correct APA format for in-text citations and work cited page. c. Your textbook includes information APA format, but below I have also included links to the North Carolina Writing Center: d. Most of your data will be used to build your “statement of problem.” However, some students will insert a data point or important fact into their Overview, Plan, or Conclusion—this is an optional strategy. APA Citation Links: 1. How to Insert a quote in the text: https://guides.lib.u-nc.edu/citing-information/apa... ▪ A more detailed handout is available in the Grant Proposal folder: “How to Quote an Online Source in APA format” (and is the subject my Video Lecture) 2. List of “signal phrases for introducing quote: http://www.capella.edu/interactivemedia/onlineWrit... hrases2009.pdf 3. Documenting Online Sources: http://guides.lib.unc.edu/citing-information/apa-o... 4. Sample References Page: http://guides.lib.unc.edu/citing-information/apa-s... GRADING CRITERIA: Your proposal will be graded according to the criteria by which proposals are typically accepted or rejected. A successful grant proposal will: • Demonstrate an understanding of Workshop Houston’s values and mission statement. • Be organized into clear sections with proper headings. • Illustrate the soundness/practicality of the plan being offered. • Identify a relevant problem in the community and a feasible approach to its solution. • Illustrate the quality of the project’s organization and management. • Demonstrate an ability to control costs. • Include a research component with correct citations. • Demonstrate the qualifications of the staff to be assigned to the project. • Use persuasive techniques (including a clear focus on audience needs and benefits, honest and supportable claims, appropriate detail, readability, convincing language, accessible and attractive page design, proper citations of any sources or contributors, etc.).
•Display correct grammar and mechanics. Demonstrate concision, clarity, and fluency