CPALMS Grant to Implement MyStemKits Curriculum and 3D Printing

We are celebrating CPALMS' 10th Anniversary and we got a present for you! #CpalmsTurns10

We are pleased to announce a grant opportunity that will award up to 300 mini-grants for Florida teachers and schools to implement the MyStemKits.com curriculum and 3D printing for math and science teaching.

• Do you want to have a 3D printer in your school to use for teaching math and science? Or do you already have a 3D printer that is underutilized?
• Do you want to do more hands-on and problem-based activities?
• Are you interested in using the MyStemKits.com curriculum and models?
• Are you building a STEM lab or an after school STEM program and need lessons and activities?

If you answered yes to one or more of the questions above, this grant program might be for you. Proposals will be reviewed and awarded starting on May 7th but we are extending the deadline until 5PM EST on August 31, 2018. 

About MyStemKits.com 

MyStemKits provides K-12 curriculum for standards-driven instruction and 3D-printable manipulatives to create an end-to-end STEM solution. The focus of the curriculum is on real-world, hands-on learning that is designed to promote deep conceptual understanding so students are equipped to succeed in the 21st century. The curriculum is developed by the FCR-STEM/CPALMS expert teachers, subject area experts, and specifically built for the standards. These lessons and kits have been well tested and researched by the Florida Center for Research in STEM at Florida State University. There are currently more than 200 lessons and more than 150 kits available with many more in the development pipeline. Click on the following link for more information about the curriculum and kits:

• Curriculum:  https://www.mystemkits.com/curriculum/.
• 3D printable kits: https://www.mystemkits.com/3d-printed-kits/

What do I get?

Implementing MyStemKits' curriculum requires having the following components: compatible verified 3D printer (see below for list) and filament supplies + subscription to MyStemKits.com. Through this grant, you can apply for either the 3D printer that comes with some filament or a one-year premium/enterprise subscription to MyStemKits.com. The other component will need to be provided by the teacher/school.

Individual teachers or teacher groups/schools can submit an application. Individual teachers can only apply for one 3D printer or one one-year premium subscription to MyStemKits.com. Group/school applications can apply for up to five 3D printers or a one-year subscription(s) to MyStemKits.com for the participating teachers (proposals with 2-4 teachers) or the entire school (for 5 or more teachers) based on your proposal.

Unless you have a compatible and MyStemKits.com verified 3D printer (see system requirements) or a premium/enterprise subscription to MyStemKits.com, you will need to budget $1,500/3D printer or $1,500/subscription (or up to 5 x $1,500 = $7,500 for school/group application).

Please note that the grant is awarded to the school regardless of the grant type (teacher or group/school). The ownership of the one-year licenses or the 3D printers will be provided and owned by the school and will not be owned by the individual teachers.

Application

Please choose one of the two options below to submit an application. There is more information about the program below the application section.

Sample Principal Letters

• Click here to download the principal sample letter for teacher applications.
• Click here to download the principal sample letter for group or school applications.

Eligibility and Selection Process

Any active Florida K-12 mathematics teacher, science teacher, or administrator in a public school can apply. Public school districts are also eligible to apply. Every application received within the due date will be considered. Awards will be given based on the merit of the proposal plan and sustainability beyond the one year. Preferences will be considered based on the additional following elements:

• CPALMS FCR-STEMLearn Participants from years 2015, 2016, and 2017 that successfully completed the training and the follow-up program. Participants that did not receive a 3D printer will have the highest priority but both are welcome to apply.
• High-needs schools based on how it is defined within the State of Florida
• Date of submission

We expect to award up to 300 grants in total.

Timeline and Important Dates

• Original proposal due date is at 5PM Eastern Time on May 4, 2018. Deadline extended to 5PM Eastern Time on August 31. Proposal reviews will start on May 7, 2018 and on an a continuous basis.
• First award notifications will be given by May 18, 2018
• Award acceptance will be one week from award notification 
• Printer/subscription distribution will follow the award acceptance

System Requirements

Please note that only the MyStemKits.com premium or enterprise packages are acceptable. The grant program will either award premium or enterprise level subscriptions. While MyStemKits.com works with many there are only a few printers that have been verified. Only a verified 3D printer will qualify for this program. The following is the list of qualified printers:

• Robo 3D - R2 model
• Dremel - 3D40 and 3D45 models
• Lulzbot - Taz 5 and Taz 6 models

These printers use filament supplies to print similar to how paper printer uses toner cartridges. The filament cost is the responsibility of the school although the granted printers will include a few spools. We are also working with manufacturers to create a package that include a few spools of filament if you will need to purchase the printer(s).

Questions and Answers

Can one person submit multiple application?
A teacher can submit one teacher application and also be part of one group/school application. A group or school is limited to one application. 

What 3D printer will the program provide?
We will provide the Dremel 3D40 3D printer and some spools of filament for those that apply to receive the grant with 3D printers.

Why MyStemKits.com and 3D printing?
About five years ago, the CPALMS team at FCR-STEM partnered with MyStemKits.com to develop this library of 3D printable kits and lessons that are specific to our curriculum standards. MyStemKits.com is an external organization that licensed and distributes the curriculum our team created along with their kits. Over the last four years, we have been testing it in thousands of classrooms and the results have been very positive. More than 190,000 kits have been given to Florida teachers and we received a lot of positive feedback. They are highly engaging lessons and activities and students have been responding very positively when exposed to these kits. With the combination of the 3D printer and MyStemKits.com, the teacher will have their own manipulatives factory right in their classroom.

Can I apply if I already have a 3D printer?
If you already have a 3D printer(s) that is on the MyStemKits.com verified list (please see system requirements), you certainly can apply and do not have to purchase another printer unless you like to.

Can I apply if my school already has MyStemKits.com Subscription?
Yes. Your subscription at the school would need to be valid through the full 18-19 school year.

Who will own the 3D printer/license
The license(s) or the printer(s) will be provided to the school regardless of the application type (teacher or group/school). They will be the school property and not the indidvidual teacher.

Can I apply if I am moving schools?
Yes. If you already know that you will be moving to another public school in Florida, you can still apply. You will need to indicate the new school name on the application as well as get a letter from the principal of your new school.

What happens if I transfer to a new school after I receive an award?
Because the school contributed to the cost, you will be unable to transfer what we provide to your new school unless your current and new school principal approve this in writing. Your new school will have to provide the other component that the first school paid for unless they agree for you to transfer this. We only need to approve transferring what we provide to your new school. Please submit that request to our team and we will consider it. We will provide the contact information with the grant approval notices.

Will I keep the 3D printer after a year?
Yes if you complete the program that you were awarded to do. If not, we reserve the right to take it back.

How many grants are you required to give?
None. We would like to give up to 300 grants but we do not have any requirement to do so. Only strong and eligible applications will be awarded.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, please complete the following form and one of our team will get back to you as quickly as possible.