School music programs have really taken a financial hit over the past decade. The Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation would like to help through its Music Matters Grant Program for K-12 school music programs and independent music programs throughout the United States. “Public school programs (qualifying for Title I federal funding and serving a minimum of 70 percent low-income students) as well as nonprofit organizations directly funding music education and serving students regardless of their ability to pay are eligible to apply.” You must apply by February 5, 2010. You can click here for the guidelines and the application form.

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The 2010 Minnesota Evaluation Studies Institute Conference will be held March 8 – 12 in Blooming, Minnesota. I have attended this gathering three times over the course of the past 5 years and have always come away with a better knowledge of the field of evaluation and a stronger connection to a great community of research colleagues. There are useful sessions for both beginners and experienced researchers.

Leah Goldstein Moses, President and CEO of the Improve Group will be one of this year’s presenters along with Michael Quinn Patton, Jean King and many other notable evaluation professionals. If you are hoping to improve your skills, update your knowledge in the field or just network with a great group of people I highly recommend the MESI Conference. This year’s theme is “If Social Betterment is the Goal, Are Evaluators Leading the Way? “ Click here for more information.

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The misuse of alcohol is a problem for college campuses. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is providing funds for NCAA member-institutions and conferences to help in integrating athletics into efforts to reduce alcohol abuse on college campuses. The CHOICES grants range up to $15,000 for the first year, $10,000 for the second year, and $5,000 for the third, final year. The deadline to submit grants is February 16, 2010. You can download the proposal and guide lines here.

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We are turning our attention to health here at the Improve Group. The State Health Improvement (SHIP) grant evaluations we are working on remind us daily to keep ourselves well and our communities healthy. In this spirit, the following funding program is aimed at caring for the health of our children.

The Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) makes grants of up to $12,000 to pediatricians in the initial and/or pilot stage of developing and implementing a community-based child health initiative. The fund is a national initiative of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Activities may include service delivery, community meetings, focus groups, and development of grant proposals in the context of a pilot project. The deadline to apply is January 29, 2010. For additional information, click here.

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