McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation Now Accepting Applications for $10,000 Grants & $6,000 Scholarships: Applications for Academic Enrichment Grants, Teacher Development Grants and Student Teaching Scholarships Due May 1, 2008

The McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation is now accepting applications for its Academic Enrichment Grants, Teacher Development Grants, and Student Teaching Scholarships. The deadline for applications is May 1, 2008. Eligibility requirements, program overviews and applications are available online at www.mccartheydressman.org.

CHICAGO (Business Wire EON) March 27, 2008 -- The McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation is now accepting applications for its Academic Enrichment Grants, Teacher Development Grants, and Student Teaching Scholarships. The deadline for applications is May 1, 2008. Eligibility requirements, program overviews and applications are available online at www.mccartheydressman.org.

Our intent is to help scholarship recipients acquire and strengthen exemplary teaching practices that inspire learning among their own students.

Academic Enrichment Grants are designed to develop in-class and extra-curricular programs that improve student learning. According to Sarah McCarthey, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation and Professor of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, these grants seek to maximize innovation and results in classrooms and education departments by funding programs that nurture the intellectual, artistic and creative abilities of children from low-income households. Successful applicants may receive grants up to $10,000 per year for a maximum of three years.

The Foundation’s Teacher Development Grants seek to increase the effectiveness of individual educators and small teams of teachers by funding the formation and implementation of groundbreaking k-12 classroom instruction. Grantees may be awarded amounts up to $10,000 per year for a maximum of three years. Professor McCarthey noted that these grants provide opportunities for teachers to integrate fresh strategies that encourage critical inquiry and to observe the effect of those strategies on students. Teachers have the opportunity to reflect and write about their projects and to share their observations with other teachers.

Student Teaching Scholarships are available for full-time students specializing in elementary or secondary education, and who are in good standing in their final year of teacher education programs at New Mexico State University, the University of California at Santa Cruz, the University of Texas at Austin, and West Virginia University. The Foundation awards one-year scholarships in the amount of $6,000 each to successful applicants. “The Foundation offers these scholarships to instill a lifelong, passionate commitment to education and learning at the highest level,” commented Professor McCarthey. “Our intent is to help scholarship recipients acquire and strengthen exemplary teaching practices that inspire learning among their own students.” Applications for both fall and spring semester student teaching programs are due May 1, 2008.

Queries can be made at info@mccartheydressman.org, by phone at 801.578.1260, or by fax at 801.578.1261.

About the McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation 501(c)(3)

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, the McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation was founded by Sarah McCarthey and Mark Dressman, professors at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in recognition of the struggle educators too often face in bringing truly exceptional teaching to their students. The Foundation awards grants and scholarships to those projects and/or initiatives with significant potential to augment the educational experiences for youth of all backgrounds, beliefs, and national origins.