Education Microgrant

Please read the following information before applying for an Education Microgrant.

Purpose

The classroom is often where new generations of mappers are first introduced to OpenStreetMap as an invaluable tool for teaching geographic principles. To promote learning through open mapping, TeachOSM is awarding grants of up to $500 to support classroom activities, events, or supplies that incorporate or facilitate the use of OpenStreetMap. Examples of eligible causes include pizza for a mapathon during or after school hours, field trips to conduct in-person surveys, or materials such as clipboards and pencils to conduct a Field Papers expedition.

Grant Requirements

1. Funded events/activities must occur within the United States (or, if virtual, be concerned with mapping efforts in the US), and be hosted by academic institutions or groups operating within the US (though they may have international campuses or branches).
2. Grants are open to classes in high school or higher education institutions, after-school or extracurricular groups, student groups with experience hosting events, and chapter-based youth organizations (i.e. Girl Scouts of America or 4-H). If you are unsure if your group qualifies, please contact us.
   1. Grants are NOT limited to classes and groups focused on geography or mapping. Grants are broadly available to classes in social sciences, environmental sciences, humanities, and other disciplines, as long as the activity sponsored by this grant involves OpenStreetMap.
3. The individual applying for an Education Grant (the “applicant”) on behalf of their academic institution or group must meet one of the following membership requirements:
   1. The applicant must be be a current paid individual member of OpenStreetMap US at any tier at the time of submission, and must still be a member at the time of the planned event(s), or
   2. The applicant’s place of employment, or a participating academic institution/organization, must be a current paid organizational member of OpenStreetMap US at any tier at the time of application, and must still be a member at the time of the planned event(s).
4. The event/activity must advance the mission of OpenStreetMap US and align with our Code of Conduct.
5. The title of funded event(s) must include “sponsored by OpenStreetMap US” in all public promotional materials.
6. The event(s) must be noncommercial in nature and be accessible to all who are interested in attending.
7. The original applicant must complete a Post-Event Reflections document within 2 weeks of the event date, or co-author a blog post to be posted on the OpenStreetMap US blog.
   1. Please note that the information recorded in these documents can be used at the discretion of OSM US for promotional purposes, such as promoting the event(s) via social media.
8. The Primary Applicant must maintain a regularly updated budget document for the event(s), shared with OSM US.

More Information

1. Maximum grant amount is $500 USD for a single event.
2. This grant may be used to cover the following expenses:
   1. space and equipment rental,
   2. educational or mapping-related materials,
   3. event advertisement, and
   4. food and non-alcoholic beverages offered for free to attendees.
3. This grant can only be used to fund an event that occurs within 12 months of the award date.
4. This grant is disbursed via reimbursement of expenses to the applicant. All receipts must be sent to OSM US staff within 48 hours of payment.
5. Awardees must wait a full calendar year from their event date to re-apply for this grant.

Evaluation Criteria

Localization: Does the activity improve OpenStreetMap data locally or otherwise have a local impact?

Purpose: What will students gain or learn from this activity, besides practicing skills in OpenStreetMap?

Collaboration: How will students learn from each other?

Inspiration: How will this activity impact the continuation of open mapping in your classroom/group?

How to Apply

Complete the following proposal form, which will ask for:

1. Information about the event/planned activities.
2. Information about the schools, clubs, organizations, or groups involved including information for secondary points of contact.
3. Your best estimate of total eligible expenses.
4. How your event will benefit and strengthen the OpenStreetMap US community.

Apply

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Grant applications are reviewed and selected on a rolling basis. Please keep in mind that it may take up to 3 months to receive information about your application status. All grants are awarded at the discretion of the OSM US staff and Board of Directors.