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The Unified Education Strategy (UES) Grants application period is
closed.
The question and answer period ended April 8.
Below, you will find a complete list of questions that were submitted during
both question and answer periods that are applicable to this cycle.
The questions and responses have been grouped into two major categories,
programmatic and application-related.
Programmatic Questions:
Application-Related Questions:
Programmatic Questions
Q. How will participation in UES grant program enhance student achievement? Also, how will UES leverage existing curriculum and texts?
A. The CIWMB is working closely with the State Board of Education/Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission, California Department of Education and Office of the Secretary of Education to assure that all components of the professional development program and all supporting educational materials are based on state content standards and integrated with adopted instructional materials.
For example, a team comprised of members of the state Science Materials Adoption Committee and other science curriculum experts helped to design the Audit Modules so that they directly address specific sixth-grade science standards. Then, following a comprehensive analysis of all sixth-grade textbooks, the writing team identified the linkages between the adopted instructional materials and each component of the audit.
The audits combine campus investigations with adopted instructional materials in a way that will help students:
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Learn content for specific sixth-grade science standards;
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Strengthen investigation and experimentation skills by collecting real data and analyzing their results; and,
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Further the development of standards-based content and skills in language arts and mathematics, through data analysis/representation and their written and oral presentations.
The professional development and supporting educational materials for the UES program are based on the EIC Model™ (Environment as an Integrating Context for learning), a standards-based school improvement method. The EIC Model™ was developed by the
State Education and Environment Roundtable (SEER) specifically to support standards-based instruction. Its primary goal is enhancing student achievement. Further information about is available from
The Education Commission of the
States.
Q. How will UES Program improve teacher's skills and classroom experiences?
A. Participating educators will be involved in a two-year professional development and implementation effort that will help them create and put into practice several different approaches to standards-based instruction.
During the first year, they will learn how to implement the waste diversion and resource management audit modules. Using the campus waste audit, for example, students will assess current campus practices related to waste disposal, source reduction, materials reuse, recycling, composting, and purchasing recycled products. As they conduct the campus audit and investigate the waste stream, students will explore the natural origins of the materials used to make the products they are discovering, thus helping to achieve sixth-grade science standard 6.c., "Natural origins of the materials used to make common objects." As students evaluate which of the resources comprising these products are renewable or nonrenewable, they will be working to achieve science standard 6.b., "Students know different natural energy and material resources, including air, soil, rocks, minerals, petroleum, fresh water, wildlife, and forests, and know how to classify them as renewable or nonrenewable." Thus, through the audit, teachers and students will be able to directly connect standards-based science concepts with resource use practices on their campuses.
As they progress through the UES Professional Development process, teachers will be involved in learning how to: identify environmental (management) issues related to their school site that can be used as real-world contexts for their integrated instructional programs; develop student-generated campus investigations; support students as they design and implement academically-based service-learning projects; and, participate in the evaluation of impacts on student achievement and resource conservation.
Q. How will UES Program bring standards to life?
A. The UES Program and all related educational materials are designed specifically to support standards-based instruction using campus investigations and service-learning projects as a means of bringing learning to life. The campus investigations and service-learning projects will address standards and adopted instructional materials through active, participatory instructional practices.
Q. By making the commitment, what will the school district gain in the end?
A. If fully implemented, the school district should achieve significant gains in waste diversion. Some California School Districts have generated cost savings of over $100,000 per year by implementing waste diversion and recycling programs.
Equally important, participating teachers will have the opportunity to strengthen their standards-based instructional practices through a professional development program that has reached over 2,000 educators across the United States.
Q. Does a district have to have a community outreach or service-learning component to the proposal?
A. Yes, service learning is a key component of this program. Since the first year of the funding is targeted toward implementing the campus audits and developing an overall implementation plan, it is unlikely that in the first year programs will include a service-learning component. In the second year, during the implementation phase, service-learning is a required element.
Q. I am somewhat confused, are the UES grants intended to help districts develop education programs or are they focused on changing district practices and policies related to waste diversion and resource management?
A. The UES grants are intended to help districts achieve progress on both of these fronts. Districts are expected to begin the process of developing integrated education programs that support waste diversion and resource management at school sites and district facilities.
Specifically, the Office of Education and the Environment (OEE) is seeking candidates for the UES grants that are interested in working in an active partnership with the OEE and its representatives (including consultants) to:
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increase the integration between their standards-based instructional practices and onsite conservation efforts that provide active pupil participation in integrated waste management and energy and water conservation;
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incorporate waste management, energy and water audits and other resource conservation activities into their standards-based instructional practices;
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develop and implement an instructional plan that will effectively integrate resource conservation strategies with California’s educational standards and adopted instructional materials;
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form service-learning partnerships in which schools and communities provide real-world experiences to pupils in areas of waste diversion and resource conservation, including education projects developed and implemented by pupils to, for example, encourage others to utilize integrated waste management concepts; and,
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collect qualitative and quantitative data to assess the impact of the UES program on participating students and schools and specifically, to the extent feasible, on student achievement and resource conservation.
Q. Are the goals and objectives for the whole process or each phase?
A. The goals and objectives outlined in the application materials apply to the whole process, i.e., Phase One and Phase Two of the UES grant program.
The principal goals and objectives are as follows:
Phase One
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implement waste diversion and resource management audit modules that are designed to address California science content standards and that are connected directly with adopted instructional materials programs in use at school sites;
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use the audit modules to provide standards-based learning experiences and problem-solving skills;
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develop an implementation plan that encompasses:
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school-site waste diversion and resource management projects;
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integration of these activities with standards-based instructional practices; and,
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potential service-learning site-based waste diversion and resource conservation projects that provide for active student participation and are aligned with adopted content standards; and,
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begin the process of working with the EIC Model™ (Environment as an Integrating Context for learning).
Phase Two
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begin to incorporate the EIC Model into instructional practices;
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successfully complete their approved implementation plans;
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identify environmental (management) issues related to their school site that can be used as real-world contexts for their integrated instructional programs;
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undertake, with their students, active student participation waste diversion and resource conservation projects that are aligned with adopted content standards; and,
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participate in the evaluation of impacts on student achievement and resource conservation.
Q. If our district receives one of the UES grants are we required to incorporate State Education and Environment Roundtable’s (SEER) EIC Model™ in our implementation plans?
A. Yes, the CIWMB has selected the EIC Model™ as the core of the instructional program within the UES. The other partners supporting this program ratified this instructional approach. The EIC Model™ was developed by the SEER, one of the consultants serving this program. Adopted as a school improvement program by over 100 schools across the U.S., EIC is a school improvement model that can be used to address content standards from multiple disciplines.
Q. Where can we find more information about the EIC Model™?
A. Specific information about the EIC Model™ and its role in the UES grants is available at
www.seer.org/ues/.
Q. Where can we find more information about the SEER?
A. Specific information about SEER and its role in the UES grants is available at
www.seer.org/ues/. General information about SEER’s other work is available at
www.seer.org.
Q. Do the State Board of Education and California Department of Education have a role in the UES Grants?
A. Yes, the State Board of Education, California Department of Education and Governor’s Secretary of Education are all partners with the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) in implementing all aspects of the School DEEL. These agencies have had a major role in the design of the program and are actively involved in reviewing all documents and approving the professional development programs that will be provided to the school districts.
Q. According to the language on page 20 of the application materials, all of the elements deal with solid waste projects at the district level. How should an applicant address these district approaches if we want to address energy issues for our district project? Do all of these solid waste efforts need to be in place in order to be considered? Furthermore on page 9 it stays that we must have a local waste management partner on our team. Is this the case if we are to pursue an energy audit? Must we have waste management partner as well as a utility partner?
A. The authorizing legislation for this program Senate Bill 373 (Torlakson, Chapter 926, Statutes of 2001) primarily focuses on waste management; accordingly, the UES has been designed for school districts to plan and/or expand upon their waste management programs, and therefore a local waste management partner is necessary to the program. It is permissible for school districts to incorporate other resource conservation programs into their proposals for an integrated approach to both instruction and resource management.
Q. I am specifically interested in starting an energy audit and conservation curriculum effort at a local school here in Arcata, CA. If there is other, supplemental info that you would encourage we look at prior to applying it would be much appreciated.
A. As discussed in the immediately preceding answer, waste management is the primary focus of this grant. The Energy Commission may have additional materials/resources that you could obtain. Their web site is
www.energy.ca.gov.
Q. We are looking at embedding the goals of this grant into the existing 6th grade science and other curricular areas, wherever possible. Does the RFP for this proposal encourage an embedded, articulated approach for this grant?
A. The UES program specifically encourages the use of integrated-interdisciplinary teaching methods. Participating educators will receive professional development and technical support in implementing the EIC Model™. The OEE staff has selected the EIC Model™ (Environment as an Integrating Context for learning) as the core of the instructional program within the
UES.
Implementing the EIC Model™ is an integral element of the UES Program. The EIC Model™ was developed by the State Education and Environment Roundtable (SEER), one of the consultants serving this program. Further information is available at
www.seer.org/ues/ or by contacting
sb373@seer.org.
Q. I am interested in your education grant, but would like to know something about the 6th grade requirement. We do have a 6th grade in our District, but it is at the middle school level. Our elementary schools go up to 5th grade, with the middle schools housing 6th, 7th, and 8th grade children. Must the 6th graders attend school at the elementary school to qualify for this grant?
A. The UES Grant Program does have a 6th grade focus, but the 6th grade class(es) that participates can be either part of an elementary school or middle school. The applicant must be the school district and there must be participation by 6th grade classes, but there is no required number of classes, students, or schools that must participate.
Q. Could the program objectives of the proposed grant involve students in higher grades in addition to those in the 6th grade? Our specific grant proposal would have 6th graders as its main target, but older students would create curriculum and then mentor and train our 6th grade group to be environmentally more proactive. The 6th grade group would be responsible for monitoring the compost and recycling bins and apply other units embedded in the program to their study of the ecosystems, which is part of their science curricula.
A. Since the State Board of Education requires us to align all programs and products with State education standards and with State-adopted textbooks, the CIWMB made the decision to focus the UES program on sixth grade. All of the materials that are being developed and provided are being prepared to meet sixth grade standards. Students in other grades may be involved but the applicant’s program objectives should be focused on 6th grade.
This program is designed to support teachers as they develop programs for their schools and districts based on SEER’s EIC Model™. It is not designed to support the development of curriculum by older students who would then mentor and train your 6th grade students.
Q. On page 5 of the application it states "school districts are encouraged to send teachers who represent at least three disciplines, grades, and/or specialties." If the grant project is to be piloted in 6th grades why would three grades be represented in the team? Also, if representatives of schools that will be involved in the project are to be a part of the EIC team and there are suppose to be a minimum of four teachers in the team it doesn’t seem possible to have three grades represented.
A. We apologize for the confusion. You are correct, the focus of the UES is 6th grade and, generally, the teams should be comprised of only sixth grade teachers. If a district’s 6th grade teachers are departmentalized, the UES team should include teachers from various 6th grade disciplines. All of the materials that are being developed and provided are being prepared to meet sixth grade standards. If for some district-specific reason the proposal includes teachers from other grades, the reasoning should clearly specify why this is being proposed.
Q. Are the dates known yet for the July/August module trainings?
A. The dates for the two-day UES workshops are July 17-18, July 29-30, and August 7-8 2003. The specific locations for each of the workshops have not been set. The locations will be determined, to some extent, on the basis of the locations of the participating districts. If the timing of the workshop nearest to any particular district is a problem, that district may be accommodated at another workshop (the team’s travel expenses would likely increase from the average estimated expenses).
Q. What is the location of the summer institute for grantees? It [the application] mentioned being regional; does that mean in Sacramento?
A. The location of the summer 2003 Professional Development Program Workshop is yet to be determined and there may be multiple locations that are aligned with the locations of the grantees.
Q. I have reviewed the UES application and I know that this is a district approach, but for the professional development it states that one team must attend the Audit and Planning workshops. Does this mean that a team from one school site or does this mean a district team of participants from a few school sites must attend?
A. As discussed in the UES Grant application, certain participant categories (e.g., teachers and local public agency representative) are required to attend the Professional Development Program Workshops. However, each school district may select the individuals it believes best fills these categories. The CIWMB strongly encourages a well-rounded team, which may includes teachers that will actively participate in the grant project (or a representative for those teachers), a district business official, a facilities director or delegate, a high-ranking district administrator, the district curriculum specialist and/or service-learning coordinator. Additionally, the district may want to invite service provider(s) personnel to be a part of the team, (e.g., a local recycling coordinator) or a representative(s) from the hauling or utility company, etc.
Q. Is the audit and planning training something teachers can bring back to their sites and train others on? Also, are there other schools that have received similar funding and have waste management programs in progress?
A. The concepts and materials provided at the training events are intended to be shared throughout a district, so yes, we encourage trained teachers to train their colleagues.
The CIWMB is working with seven school districts and one county office of education on the Environmental Ambassador Pilot Program to develop "school district models" using some of the same concepts designed for the UES program. . For more information on this program, you may read the
agenda item from the CIWMB’s 2002 December Board meeting, scroll down to Agenda Item #30.
Also on the CIWMB Web site are examples of waste management programs that have been or are being conducted by school districts around the state.
We suggest an Internet search for other school waste management programs.
 Q. Does a district have to have a community outreach or service-learning component to the proposal that would require the 6th grade students to be off the school site to meet the requirements of the grant? We have a very large school district that is interested in submitting or participating in a grant proposal, but their 6th grade students are not allowed to conduct service or community service projects outside of their school.
A. Sixth grade students are not required to conduct an off-site service-learning project. The school campus can be used as the "community" and a related service-learning project done on-site would be sufficient for the service-learning component. It should be noted, that Phase One of this grant program is intended for Auditing and Planning. During Phase Two, the UES team will receive a weeklong intensive training program that includes techniques and strategies for service-learning, so it is likely that service-learning activities would be incorporated into the project during Phase Two (year two).
Q. Is there a number (minimum) of 6th grade classrooms or teachers that need to be involved? Or is four the number of teachers involved in the institute and committee?
A. There is no minimum number of 6th grade classrooms within a school and within the district that are required to be involved. We strongly encourage a high participation rate by 6th grade classes within the district. There is no required number of teachers either; however, the team to receive professional development via the summer 2003 Professional Development Program Workshop should include the teachers (or a representative) whose classes will actively participate in the grant project.
Q. My question is regarding the amount or percentage of 6th grade classes in a district that are required to be involved. Is there a percentage of teachers, students, or classrooms required to be involved and active in the program to be eligible for the grant?
A. While there is no required percentage of 6th grade classes, teachers, or students in a district that must actively participate in the program in order to be eligible, the CIWMB strongly encourages as much participation as possible by 6th grade classes within the applying school district.
Q. Under Phase One: Can you please define Audit and Planning?
A. Phase One of the UES Grant has been designed to utilize a school-site Audit Module (waste, energy and water) and resource tools that are being developed for this grant program and will be provided to successful applicants. Through performing audits, the school district/grantee will develop an implementation plan for Phase Two of the UES Grant, hence the term "Audit and Planning."
Q. When writing up the audit and planning strategy, I’m wondering what the audit entails specifically so we can better describe our plan. In other words, how do we write the plan until we know the results of the audit? Can you tell us anything specific about the audit?
A. You have identified one of the key reasons why the UES Grant Program has been structured into two phases: Phase One--Audit and Planning Phase and Phase Two--Implementation Phase. The intention of the UES Workshops during summer 2003 is to provide professional development in a variety of tasks, including undertaking the school-site audits as well as other Phase One tasks identified on pages 4 and 5 of the application materials.
The Audit Module will focus on three key environmental topics: waste management, energy and air resources, and water management practices. The Audit Module is currently under development and will be reviewed and approved by the State Board of Education and the California Department of Education this spring.
The Audit Module is envisioned to:
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Provide procedures and forms that teachers and students can use to collect baseline data related to waste management, energy use, and water management practices at participating school sites. (Teams will not be required to undertake all of the elements of the module.)
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Reflect standards-based educational activities that are consistent with the adopted instructional materials in use at the school sites.
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Help the student and teachers identify specific resource management needs at their school site. Focus at the sixth grade level (the grade level at which the science content standards emphasize earth science).
Q. If our district receives one of the UES grants are we required to participate in the overall program evaluation?
A. Yes, the evaluation of this program is a key element of the legislation under which this program is funded. The evaluation will consider two key factors, the impact of the UES grants on students and the impact on waste diversion and resource management practices. The SEER will be working with the districts to guide and assist them in the process of collecting the data that they must submit at the conclusion of the program.
Application-Related Questions
Q. Would it be possible for our county office to organize the county's 24 elementary and unified school districts, which includes 388 elementary schools, into "HUB" areas that will be comprised of approx. 6 school districts to design, facilitate and implement the goals of the UES grant and waste management programs that will be developed? If so, would there be funding available for each "hub" area, which would represent 4 to 6 districts?
A. The scenario described seems feasible; however, there are no provisions in the grant program to fund several hubs for one Grantee. Funding is allocated per Grantee and shall not exceed the maximum amounts prescribed in the application information.
Q. Do you prefer a county office to limit itself to 2-4 school districts to design, facilitate and implement the waste management program (if selected)? Since there would be more than one district involved, would the funds be adjusted accordingly to meet the needs of multiple districts, teachers and students?
A. The CIWMB does not have a preference with regard to limiting the number of school districts within a county that participate in the UES grant project. Funding is allocated per Grantee and there are no provisions to multiply the funding levels based upon the number of districts included in the proposal. It would behoove the County Office to submit separate grant applications for each district in order to be eligible for the maximum funding amounts per applicant.
Q. Is this grant only available to public schools with sixth grade? What about private schools with sixth grade?
A. This grant offering is only for California public schools with sixth grade.
Q. Are county offices of education able to apply?
A. Yes, county offices of education are eligible to apply. As applicants, they are required to submit a resolution from their governing body (see the application for more details). In their application, they should specifically identify school districts and/or schools within the county that will participate in the program. Participating districts and/or schools must be committed to be actively involved in the program. Phase Two funding will be dependent on this active participation. Applicant county offices must submit a Resolution.
Q. Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
A. School districts and county offices of education may apply for the UES Grant.
Q. Can a nonprofit organization in partnership with a school district apply for this grant and be the administrator?
A. The school district must be the applicant. It may partner with a nonprofit organization; however, the individual responsible for carrying out the day-to-day management and implementation of the grant must be a school district representative (e.g., school district employee, participating school employee).
Q. It is not clear to me on this e-mail notice whether individual schools (as opposed to districts only) can apply?
A. The school district must be the applicant; however, the district can choose to involve individual schools in the program. In its application, the school district should specifically identify these schools. Participating schools must be committed to be actively involved in the program. Phase Two funding will be dependent on this active participation.
Q. Are private schools eligible to apply?
A. This grant offering is for the California public school system only.
Q. Are Charter schools eligible to apply?
A. Charter schools within the California public school system are eligible; however, if the charter school is not under the purview of a school district, the application must come from the county office of education.
Q. Are directly funded charter schools eligible to apply for this grant, and if yes, may they do so independently of their sponsoring school district?
A. Charter schools within the California public school system are eligible. In such cases, the proposals must be submitted under the auspices of the sponsoring school district or the county office of education. Such applications should describe how the experiences related to this program would be shared with other schools in the district or county.
Q. Can you please tell me if/when funds would be available in this DEEL grant program for high schools to start-up or continue their environmental education programs.
A. The amount of funding available ($400,000 for Unified Education Strategy grants) limits the focus and the breadth of education outreach. Since the State Board of Education requires us to align all programs and products with State education standards and with State-adopted textbooks, we made the decision to target sixth grade. By selecting the sixth grade, we are able to open up the program to both elementary and middle schools, reaching approximately two-thirds of California schools.
Our long-term goal is to broaden our program to more grade levels. With the large State deficit, finding funding is extremely difficult. However, our staff is committed to continue seeking additional revenue to promote environmental education efforts. In the meantime, please look at our Web site and the Web site posted by the California Department of Education for other grant opportunities (e.g. CalServe Service Learning Partnerships). Our site has a list of grants available by other organizations and we encourage you to check back frequently for new funding opportunities.
Q. Can we still apply for the UES school grants even though one of our local districts (Local District B) has been selected as an
EAP?
A. Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Local Districts, except Local District B, are eligible to apply for UES Grants. LAUSD’s Local District B is ineligible because it is a recipient of an Environmental Ambassador Pilot (EAP) Grant.
Q. On the narrative it appears that there is a one-page template, however the instructions say that we should have it double-sided. Can we use more than one page for the narrative?
A. Yes, you may write more than a one-page narrative. Print it as double-sided.
Q. May I continue to submit questions I have regarding this grant program?
A. The deadline to submit questions and have them answered is April 8, 2003. No questions submitted after April 8th will be answered.
Q. Is the School Board Resolution required to be submitted with our UES Application? If not, when is it required to be submitted?
A. The Resolution may be submitted after the April 11, 2003 deadline for the application, if in the application the Applicant sets forth good cause as to why the Resolution was not turned in on time (e.g., "The Applicant’s Board of Directors meets quarterly. Its next meeting will not occur until April 15, 2003."). Note: the Resolution must be received no later than May 1, 2003. Failure to meet this deadline will result in an ineligible application.
Q. If we send our application by overnight carrier on April 10th and we have a receipt that shows when it was sent, would it be accepted even if the carrier delivers it after 2:00 p.m. on April 11th?
A. No, it would not be accepted after 2:00 p.m. on April 11th, even if you sent it the day before.
The application must be received at the Environmental Services Center at the California Environmental Protection Agency's headquarters building located at 1001 I Street, 1st floor, Sacramento CA 95814,
by 2:00 p.m. on April 11th.
Q. Would it be possible for our county office to organize the county's 24 elementary and unified school districts, which includes 388 elementary schools, into "HUB" areas that will be comprised of approx. 6 school districts to design, facilitate and implement the goals of the UES grant and waste management programs that will be developed? If so, would there be funding available for each "hub" area, which would represent 4 to 6 districts?
A. The scenario described seems feasible; however, there are no provisions in the grant program to fund several hubs for one Grantee. Funding is allocated per Grantee and shall not exceed the maximum amounts prescribed in the application information.
Q. Do you prefer a county office to limit itself to 2-4 school districts to design, facilitate and implement the waste management program (if selected)? Since there would be more than one district involved, would the funds be adjusted accordingly to meet the needs of multiple districts, teachers and students?
A. The CIWMB does not have a preference with regard to limiting the number of school districts within a county that participate in the UES grant project. Funding is allocated per Grantee and there are no provisions to multiply the funding levels based upon the number of districts included in the proposal. It would behoove the County Office to submit separate grant applications for each district in order to be eligible for the maximum funding amounts per applicant.
Q. Will teacher's salaries constitute "matching funds"? What other "in-kind" services will be acceptable? Can you offer some suggestions to help meet the requirements of the grant?
A. No, teachers’ classroom instruction time cannot be used as a match. However, if one teacher is assigned as a "lead", "project manager", etc., and spends time outside of the classroom working on activities associated with the UES grant project, the value of the this teacher’s time could be calculated and used for the matching fund requirement. Likewise, any other teachers involved in the project that are spending collaboration, planning time, etc., on the project may count towards matching funds. Other eligible matching funds include:
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Money already budgeted by the Grantee (i.e., district funds) or a partner may be considered matching funds as long as the work/funds are incurred during the grant term, directly support the objectives of the grant, and are eligible expenses.
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The value of staff time of local public agencies, nonprofits, commercial businesses, private contractors/subcontractors, or volunteers may be used as matching funds as long as the time is dedicated solely to the performance of the grant project. Documentation evidencing staff salaries is required. The value of the volunteers’ labor must be comparable to the salaries of the staff in similar positions. Supporting documentation showing that the salaries are comparable must be included with the application.
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Matching funds may come from donations from the public, fundraisers, monies from the budgets of local public agencies, nonprofits, commercial businesses, etc. In-kind contributions are allowable, but must be itemized and supporting documentation from the donor validating the value of the in-kind products/services must be included with the application.
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Grants other than CIWMB grants, if authorized, may be used as the matching funds to apply towards eligible project costs.
Q. Can we use teachers’ time teaching the lesson as a match?
A. No, teachers’ classroom instruction time cannot be used as a match. However, if one teacher is assigned as a "lead, project manager, etc" and spends time outside of the classroom working on activities associated with the UES grant project, the value of the this teacher’s time could be calculated and used for the matching fund requirement.
Q. If our district receives one of the UES grants are we required to contract with the State Education and Environment Roundtable for technical support?
A. SEER will be providing all grantees with professional development workshops and technical support throughout the full term of the UES program and these activities have fixed costs associated with them, which is explained in the UES application materials. SEER’s EIC Model™ is a required component of all UES implementation strategies. Further information about SEER is available at
www.seer.org/ues/.
Q. What is the cost per head of the module trainings? It states that we need to include $3,000 -$7,000 for a team of 5-10 members. Seven hundred dollars ($700) per member for travel and lodging is in addition correct?
A. The estimate of seven hundred dollars ($700) per member for travel and lodging is the total cost that must be budgeted. For example, if the district team were comprised of 10 members, the estimated expenses for travel, lodging, and meals would total $7,000 ($700 per team member). The actual cost per team member would depend on the expenses specific to each team member (e.g., one person per hotel room or two, traveling together, etc.). If the grantee realizes a savings from these costs, with approval from the grant manager, the savings may be applied to other grant costs. The cost to conduct the workshop (i.e., facilitation, materials, etc.) is being paid by the Board.
Q. Will the technical visits the first year involve teacher release time, lunch costs, etc.?
A. Yes, the technical support visits will require the involvement of the members of the team that represents the school district. Funding for teacher release time, local travel, meals, etc. should be built into the proposed budget.
It is anticipated that the teams will participate in multiple planning meetings in the process of planning and conducting both Phases One and Two of the UES program. Funding for expenses related to these meetings (teacher release time, local travel, meals, etc.) should also be built into the proposed budget.
Q. Are the technical support site visits mandatory? Is the $5,000 a fixed cost?
A. Yes, site visits are technical support mandatory and the $5,000 is a fixed cost.
Q. Where is the institute for the summer of 2003? This will help us in determining transportation costs.
A. The location of the summer 2003 Professional Development Program Workshop is yet to be determined and there may be multiple locations that are aligned with the locations of the grantees. In the application materials, it states to allow between $3,000–$7,000 for travel and lodging costs for the team. If the grantee realizes a savings from these costs, with approval from the grant manager, the savings may be applied to other grant costs.
Q. We have a need for improved containment of recyclables. Does this qualify and at what percentage level?
A. Improving containment of recyclables is an allowable expense. It is important to note that any expenses in these categories must have a direct correlation to the work plan activities and should be budgeted for in the preapproved budget. Since the main focus of Phase One is funding for audits and educational planning, the budgeted expenses for equipment, materials, and supplies are generally expected to be a fairly small portion of the total budget.
Q. Can the funding available from the UES Grants be utilized for a middle school to purchase composting equipment that will process cafeteria waste on-site at the school? The composting equipment would be a part of a broader curriculum that would integrate environmental education in the form of resource recycling into the classroom.
A. The UES Grant monies can be used to pay for composting equipment to process cafeteria waste on-site at a middle school as long as the other budget requirements, (i.e., professional development and technical site visits), are included in the budget and the budget does not exceed the maximum allowable for Phase One, which is $27,000.
Q. Although this is a state issued grant, does the origination of the funding, or part of it, come from the federal government’s EPA [Environmental Protection Agency]?
A. No, none of the funding is from the USEPA.
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