Safe Routes to School Mini-grants
About Safe Routes to School Mini-grants
The National Center for Safe Routes to School is now accepting applications for up to 35 mini-grants of $1,000 each to support the goal of Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs, which is to enable and encourage children to safely walk and bicycle to school. SRTS programs are implemented nationwide by parents, schools, community leaders, and local, state, and tribal governments.
The aim of the mini-grants is to use student creativity and leadership skills to increase safe walking and bicycling to school. Successful applications will focus on either (a) increasing safe walking and/or bicycling to school, or (b) improving the safety of students already walking and/or bicycling to school. Activities funded by the mini-grants must be part of a broader walking and/or bicycling to school effort.
Application Process
The National Center is now accepting applications for SRTS mini-grants. Applications are due Wed., April 7, 2010, and recipients will be announced by Wednesday, May 26, 2010. Activities must be completed by December 31, 2010, or the end of the Fall 2010 semester, whichever is later.
Applicant Eligibility
Eligible applicants include:
- Faculty, staff, or parent volunteers at elementary or middle schools;
- Adult-supervised elementary or middle school groups or clubs;
- Adult-supervised high school groups/clubs that wish to partner with a nearby elementary or middle school;
- Local governments;
- Tribal governments; and/or
- Community-based or private non-profit organizations engaged in improving safety for and increasing the number of children who safely walk or ride a bicycle to school.
Eligible Activities
The National Center for Safe Routes to School is providing mini-grants for creative ideas that support safe walking and/or bicycling to school and are youth-focused. Successful applications will focus on either (a) increasing safe walking and/or bicycling to school, or (b) improving the safety of students already walking and/or bicycling to school. Mini-grant activities may also explore a variety of issues related to SRTS, including physical activity and environmental benefits, distracted driving, personal safety, integrating children with disabilities and community building. Mini-grant activities with high levels of age-appropriate student engagement are encouraged.
Eligible mini-grant activities must occur at elementary or middle schools. These schools must either be (a) starting new safe walking/bicycling activities, or (b) expanding existing safe walking/bicycling activities. Activities funded by the mini-grants should have the potential for continued impacts.
Example eligible activities include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Students encouraging peers/parents to find opportunities to walk or bicycle to school.
- Students working to increase safe driving in school zones and neighborhoods. Issues addressed could include speeding, cell phone usage, texting, etc.
- Students developing and/or promoting school or district policies which are supportive of safe walking and bicycling to school.
- Students of all abilities working together to identify and resolve safe walking/bicycling accessibility issues.
- Students and teachers working together to integrate walking and bicycling into the general curriculum (math, social studies, English, science, etc.).
- Students connecting the choice to walk/bicycle with better health or with helping the environment.
From promoting positive policies to implementing school-wide walking and bicycling challenges to starting student safety patrols, submit a proposal for a project that can make a difference at your school or community.
Although it is not required, applicants may want to collect student travel data as part of their application in order to have more information about current rates of walking and bicycling to school. This information may help applicants decide on appropriate activities. For more information about data collection, and for student travel tally forms, please see www.saferoutesinfo.org/data.
Selection Criteria
All applications that meet the eligibility requirements above will be reviewed by a committee that will select recipients based on the following criteria:
- The application includes a clear description of how funding will be used for activities that fit with eligibility requirements outlined above;
- The application demonstrates a reasonable connection between activities and desired outcomes and plan for measuring those outcomes;
- Program activities have the potential to have a broad reach and lasting impact;
- The application demonstrates creativity and student leadership in program activities;
- As a group, the recipients represent a broad geographic distribution and a diversity of community characteristics.
- Promotional materials*
- Educational materials*
- Safety items (e.g., reflective vests and bands, bicycle helmets, bicycle lights, etc.)
- Bicycle racks
- Bicycles that benefit groups of students
- Bicycle rentals
- Digital camera rental
- Video camera rental
- Helmet camera rental
- Professional services (e.g., safety trainers)
- Food and refreshments
- Staff salaries
- Stipends for volunteers
- Fund-raising activities
- Gift cards
- Contests and prizes
- Incentives
- Bicycles for specific individuals
- Digital cameras
- Video cameras
- Helmet cameras
- Budget report of actual expenditures
- Description of the project’s activities, challenges, successes, and participation rates
- At least three digital pictures that show one or more activities of the funded project
- Submit electronically at www.saferoutesinfo.org/minigrants.
- Download and fax to:
- Download and mail to:
Funding Restrictions
The mini-grant funds are federal funds, and there are federal restrictions on how the funds are spent. Below are examples of items that conform to federal regulations as well as examples of items that are not allowed. Please note that these lists are not exhaustive. If you have questions about funding eligibility for specific activities or items, please email info@saferoutesinfo.org.
Permitted
* Modest-cost promotional/educational materials with the broadest reach are more likely to be competitive in the application process.
Prohibited
Reporting Requirements
Mini-grant recipients will be required to submit an informal written report on activities midway through the implementation period. Recipients will also be required to submit a brief formal report in January 2011 that provides information about the project. The formal report will include the following:
Mini-grant recipients may be required to complete a brief questionnaire after the grant period.
Application Deadline
The National Center is currently accepting applications for SRTS mini-grants. Applications may be submitted in three ways:
(919) 962-8710
Attention: Safe Routes Mini-Grants
National Center for Safe Routes to School
Attention: Safe Routes Mini-Grants
National Center for Safe Routes to School
730 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Suite 300
Campus Box 3430
Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3430
Applications are due Wed., April 7, 2010, and recipients will be announced by Wednesday, May 26, 2010. Activities must be completed by December 31, 2010, or the end of the Fall 2010 semester, whichever is later.
E-mail questions or requests for assistance to info@saferoutesinfo.org.
For more information, see our Mini-grant FAQs.
