Education goes far beyond the subjects we typically teach in school. Life skills like focus and perspective taking are essential to building human potential. Mind in the Making will be a powerful new resource for teachers and families.

— Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board

FAQ’s about the Request for Information Mind in the Making Learning Communities

 

Thank you for your interest in the Mind in the Making Learning Communities RFI. We are thrilled by the enthusiastic response.

In response to the individual questions we have received, we are posting the answers to all of these questions. If you have additional questions, please let us know (send an email to mitm-rfi@familiesandwork.org) and we will answer you directly as well as post the answers.
 

Purpose of the Mini-Grants

Q: What are you looking for in providing funding to learning communities?

A: We hope to fund learning communities that bring together groups that might otherwise not have joined together in the birth through eight continuum (such as parents and teachers or staff from elementary and early childhood groups or professionals who represent different constituencies such as health and education). We are also looking for groups that reach underserved communities.


Budgets

Q: What is an acceptable indirect cost rate?

A: The Kellogg Foundation has stipulated that only expenses directly attributable to grant activities are allowed; therefore, a general overhead percentage and indirect costs are not allowed.

Q: What do you mean when you say that groups can request UP to $5000?

A: The amount you request should reflect your actual costs. $5000 is the top limit of what can be requested. The Kellogg Foundation has provided a certain amount of funding ($125,000 overall), thus we will be able to give away more funds if groups request less than the full amount.

Q: What type of budget details do groups need to provide as part of their proposal?

A: Although we are only asking for a summary budget, you need to detail how you will spend the funds. So please include the major items (such as staff time, meeting expenses, material expenses).

Q: Do we need to include a timeline?

A:  We are not looking for an exact timeline, but we do need to know start time and end time of your project. You have up to a year to spend these funds.

Q: How much specificity about our project do you want?

A: IN ADDITION TO YOUR GOALS AND ACTIVITIES, we need to know approximately how many participants will be in your learning community and approximately how often you will meet.

 


Materials Costs for MITM Learning Communities

Q: How much is the Mind in the Making book? And the Vook?

A: Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs is available on Amazon.com. On March 16, the price was $9.44, but the price is subject to change. Prices for the Mind in the Making Vook are available at http://vook.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=33.

Q: The RFI refers to a library of Mind in the Making videos that will be released in April of 2011. What will be the cost of those videos?

A: For the purpose of this RFI, we will make the “Mind in the Making: The Science of Children’s Learning” videos available to grantees at a price of $99 for 1 DVD, or $150 for both DVDs. Each DVD contains 20 videos of leading experiments in children’s learning. Each video is approximately 5-7 minutes long.


Page Limit

Q: Does the two-page limit include the contact information, organizational description and summary budget?

A: No. Those items do not have to be included in the two-page limit. 


Time Limit for Expenditures

Q: Once we are awarded the mini-grant, how long do we have to spend the money?

A: Grant funds must be expended within one year of the date of the award.

 

NOTE: We may have questions for you. If so, we will be in touch.

Daily Kid



Here is a list of Mind in the Making researchers and educators filmed to date

Community Schools: “Mind in the Making and Community Schools: Crossing Boundaries and Creating Strong Linkages for Children Birth through Eight and their Families,” is a collaborative project with The Children’s Aid Society’s National Center for Community Schools and the Institute for Educational Leadership. (Read more)

Learning Communities: Throughout the country, groups of parents, educators, and other family support and health professionals have joined together to learn more about the research on children’s learning from birth through the early elementary school years, and about how to use this research to promote better outcomes for children. (Read more)

Learning Modules for Educators: Mind in the Making Learning Modules for Educators is an 11-part, facilitated learning process designed to bridge the gap between research and teaching practice. (Read more)

Seven Skills Modules: We have created new Modules from the book, called the Mind in the Making Seven Essential Skills Modules. (Read more)

Experiments in Children's Learning DVD: This two-volume series of 42 videos take viewers on a series of virtual “field trips” to laboratories in the U.S. and abroad. (Read more)
View a crosswalk of the experiments to the seven essential life skills

Download a companion Catalogue to Mind in the Making: Experiments in Children's Learning

Have you seen the Marshmallow Test?

What does eating marshmallows have to do with how your kid does on the SAT?
Watch the video

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