Free & Quick Money For PE and Health Teachers
CARES[1] Act provides Coronavirus financial aid for K-12 public schools in need of technology. Within this $2 trillion legislation, K-12 public schools are allocated $13.2 billion for emergency funding called the ESSER Fund[2] for to respond to the impact that COVID-19 has placed on school programs. There is an additional $17 billion dollars for private schools and higher education. As a health and physical education teacher, you may ask for a portion of the $13.2 billion dollars if it is directed towards technology. And, there’s little to no paperwork required. Different from grants, this emergency funding is available now for PE and health teachers.
Physical education and health teachers can easily ask for this emergency funds to satisfy needs in equipment and technology that are necessary to provide an exceptional learning environment. One example is that of Health/PE Curriculum Specialist, Adam Otstot, Hanover Country Public Schools, Virginia. He asked his district’s school board for over $150,000 to purchase iPads, Heart Zones Move[3] and Heart Zones ePE[4] technology solutions. His request was granted because this technology meets the tech requirements of the CARES emergency funds requirements.
Qualifying for ESSER Funds:
When applying for these emergency funds rest assured that you qualify if you use them to facilitate the delivery of new instructional methods that focus on your students using technology, equipment, and PD (professional development and training).
Because this is emergency funding designed to quickly move money to the local schools, the CARES Act grants are distributed from Congress through ESSER Funds and sent to each individual state. It is your State Educational Agency (SEA) which is typically your state Department of Education (DOE). The SEA typically regrants to your Local Educational Agency (LEA)[5]. An LEA typically refers to a district’s local school board or the school district administration.[6] This is important for you to realize that this is not like other grants[7]. It is different, easier, and with little paperwork involved.
You Qualify for Emergency Funds:
When asking for these funds for your physical education and health program, rest assured the money is there – it has not been spent yet. The grant money is there – right now. Explain that it is necessary to facilitate your delivery of new instructional methods that uses technology, equipment, and PD (professional development and training) that helps all students to continue to learn through online learning. You are entitled to the money, this is not like a typical grant.
ASK and Don’t Take “No”.
The first step is to use this simple one word: Ask. You must ask, not apply. Don’t take “no” for an answer but rather keep asking. In the CARES Act, there are no grant forms like a typical grant. Rather, this is emergency funding provided through your school or district. In that “ask” process, there are some tricks and buzz words to use to help you succeed. Here are some suggestions to help you get the “yes” when you ask:
- Helps students focus on their health and safety by using home and at school connected physical activity[8] and fitness technology.
- Teaches self-management by using connected smart devices like step counting, heart rate, and other tools.
- Provides student and teacher accountability at every level by using technology that helps quantify work completed like Heart Zones ePE solution to bring data to the remote learning environment.
- Supports the management and implementation of SEL, social, and emotional learning programs.
- Allows for more students to become involved in self-directed physical activity
Who is on your team?
One of the starting points is to contact your physical education coordinator, lead teacher, or department chair. Next get the individuals in the purchasing department to help out. They know that your school or district has been funded. They have the money and can make it happen today. Likewise, contact your health and physical education coordinator and department chairperson to elicit their involvement. Share with your school administration personnel that the CARES emergency funding allows for more students to be involved because you are providing them with much-needed connected physical activity technology solutions. If you need presentation materials, then snag the Heart Zones Powerpoint Presentation titled “Funding Template” on the Heart Zones Website to quickly modify a presentation if requested. You probably won’t be asked for this as the government is trying to quickly get the free money to you.
Call to Action.
It is important to get started now because the funding is there waiting for you to ask. It is first-come-first-serve but no must be asked for later than September 2021. Here are some action steps that Heart Zones recommends:
- Contact the individual(s) who holds the purse strings in your school or district and ask about ESSER Funds because they know about them.
- Resources: See the list of resources at the end of this article for more information.
- Current Heart Zones customers contact your Heart Zones Regional Manager to help support your success or new customers contact Joe Gooden directly for any questions that you have about the Heart Zones Move Solution and distance-learning ePE Solution. We want to hear from you so we can all accomplish our goal of helping get fit, emotionally and physically because like the CARES act, Heart Zones cares.
This is an Emergency
.
The goal is to quickly redistribute ESSER funds to you. As a result, the requirements have been streamlined to accomplish this. Given that the regranting process happens through each individual state’s SEAs granting to the Local Educational Agency (LEA) which is typically your local school board your next move is to ask anyone in your school finance department. To date, the disbursement for such request have been quick. Again, now, that you know. You know that there’s free money. So go get it now and get it quick – ask. Forward this email on to your fellow teacher-friends. Be ready for next week’s article that Heart Zones will be emailing to you: “Part 2. Ask, a Step-by-Step For How to Ask for an Emergency Funding Grant”. Today, now, start with contacting those holding the purse strings for this free money.
As curriculum specialist Adam Otstor stated, “Although COVID-19 has presented numerous challenges this year for schools, framing the challenge in a new lens, and looking at it as an opportunity has helped me secure new equipment to help teachers and students learn not only this year but hopefully for many years to come in Hanover County.”
About Heart Zones
Heart Zones is a company that provides smart measurement devices, physical education and health curriculums, and professional development workshops, seminars, and certifications. These school-developed solutions can be used by teachers to provide developmentally appropriate physical education and health that is safe. They support the acquisition of motor, fitness, cognitive, and personal social skills among students so that they may pursue healthy, active lifestyle. For more information please visit: www.heartzones.com or email Staff@heartzones.com
Recommended Resources:
- https://www.ncsl.org/ncsl-in-dc/standing-committees/education/cares-act-elementary-and-secondary-school-emergency-relief-fund-tracker.aspx
- https://www.ncsl.org/blog/2020/04/01/-cares-act-gives-state-education-funding-flexibility-in-wake-of-covid-19.aspx
- https://www.schoolitgrants.info/GrantDetails.aspx?gid=57263
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpTRB_DDoPs
- https://vimeo.com./349714952
[1]CARES: Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act
[2] ESSER: Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER Fund).
[3] Heart Zones Move Solution is a complete technology, professional development and instructional materials built specifically for school health and physical education. https://www.heartzones.com/schools/tour-of-the-heart-zones-move-app/
[4]ePE is the technology solution from Heart Zones for online, remote, virtual, home schooling, and distance learning methods. Learn more here: https://www.heartzones.com/schools/epe/
[5] To find out who is holding these emergency funds in your district, you reach out to the LEA for your district. You can contact your local SEA for each individual state here: https://www2.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html
[6] CARES grants money is separate from the much needed SEL support and does not impact SEL funding. CARES Act funds can be used by individual districts and schools based on needs with a focus on purchasing educational equipment technology.
[7] A different funding opportunity like that for ESSA required significant grant writing requirements – this emergency grant does not: https://vimeo.com/349714952
[8] Connected Physical Activity: Refers to the set of tools, whether apps or equipment, which bring together one’s physical activity and one’s digital life. Connected physical activity allows students the near experience of working out in the gym from the safe and comfortable environment of their home.