Actually, there is. There is $400 billion available in federal grants. Of course, knowing about available funding isn’t enough, which brings us to our second problem: How can you galvanize the grant application process and put together the right kind of team to go forward with the application?

Tulare County Schools and Communities have been implementing CHARACTER COUNTS! for more than a decade, starting with the Court and Community School group as a pilot project in 1994. “The program was so successful with students on probation that Jim Vidak, county superintendent of schools in Tulare, committed his office to making the program available to all Tulare County schools and other facets of the community,” says Kelley Petty, the current CC! coordinator hired as part of the embedded character-education framework.

The changes in environment and attitudes have been obvious, and the involvement of Court and Community Schools provided the impetus to officially measure the effectiveness of CC!, addressing the problems of funding and putting together a team.

Tulare Mid-County Mural

A Few Good Men and Women

Having a dedicated team is an essential part of the grant application process. To find the best award for your proposed project, hire a grant writer. This will ensure accuracy and efficiency and reduce time spent in sending ill-thought-out proposals.

Guided by the strong vision of Mr. Vidak, a team was formed in 2006 to begin drafting the Request For Application (RFA). Retired Tulare County Office of Education (TCOE) grant specialist, Fay Johnson, was enlisted as the lead writer.

“There are three important qualities to all well written proposals,” says Ilene Mack, senior program officer at the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. “Clarity, brevity, and specificity of purpose.” The goals of your project, as well as how it will be carried out, should be clearly stated.

The CC! national office provides support and advice on how to design a measured study into your CC! initiative. Tulare enlisted the help of CC! associate director, Jessica Ellis for this purpose. “We provide support and consultation for the grant-writing process and help in designing a sustainable plan for implementation and procedure,” she says. “When the grant is received, we continue to be involved and offer comprehensive advice on research tools for measuring outcomes.”

To assist with research effectiveness, the director of Fresno State University’s Bonner Center for Character Education, Jacques Benninga, was invited onboard. Dr. Benninga’s research background, combined with Petty’s understanding of local issues and CC! national faculty member Donna Glassman-Sommer’s experience resulted in a dedicated team that could make the application a success.

Pillar Square in Tulare County, CA

Consistent, Comprehensive, and Continuous

The Tulare team met at various times throughout a six-week window. “Our goal was to develop an application that proved our commitment to demonstrating predicted student effects through a valid and rigorous evaluation,” Petty says.

The study will be all inclusive. Five different levels of school categories will be established: K-8th grade rural schools, elementary schools, high schools, and the Court and Community School campuses. Up to four schools in each of these categories will participate as either a project school or a comparison school. The number of schools will total between 15 to 20 campuses. Tulare is currently inviting schools to participate and develop their character-education program.

The relationship between the grantee and grantor is mutual, based on respect and responsibility. Tulare states in their invitation to schools who wish to participate that the four-year study is in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education’s Character Education Program (PCEP), and the grant-writing team in Tulare remains active in the implementation aspects of the study.

On receipt of the grant, additional team members were added. Dr. Steve Rider, president of Pacific Research and Design, came onboard as the grant evaluator, Kathleen Green, grant-assistant and data technician, and a future team member will be a curriculum specialist who willintegrate CC! into the history, social science, and language arts California Content Standards for grades K-12.

“The opportunity to study the effects of character education on students is an awesome one,” Superintendent Vidak says. “For ten years, we have wholeheartedly supported character education in Tulare County schools and beyond. It’s an honor to be chosen for a project which could have positive benefits for schools throughout the nation.”

CC! Plaque in Tulare County's Pillar Square

When you know change is in the air as a result of your character-education initiative, gather your team and get those grants to prove it.

Jack O’Connell, California State superintendent of public instruction, says, “When we walk into a school that is beating the odds in achievement, we find that school embracing character education along with standards-based education.”

For more information on obtaining federal grants to measure the success of your CC! implementation, here is a list of useful organizations and how they can help:

http://www.grantsalert.com/index.cfm
Grantsalert is a searchable database of education funding divided into grant and education categories. It also provides a searchable database of grant writers, links, and a grants alert blog.

http://www.grants.gov/index.jsp
Grants.gov, managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, helps organizations find and apply for funding.

http://ctb.ku.edu/
The Community Toolbox offers a wealth of information to guide you through the process of writing a grant proposal.

http://www.charactercounts.org/
CC! staff are available to provide you with assistance at every stage.