Weekly Newsletter

We’re feeling grateful for Idaho educators, school staff, students and families whose commitment to learning helps strengthen communities and improve lives. Thank you!
 
PLEASE NOTE:
Idaho Department of Education offices will be closed today, Nov. 23, and tomorrow, Nov. 24. We will be back on Monday, Nov. 27.
 

A proposed settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit brought by several public school districts across the country against the management and consulting firm McKinsey & Co., Inc. and three related companies.

Under the settlement agreement, McKinsey will deposit $23 million into a Public School District Opioid Recovery Trust. The school district trust will make grants to school districts for projects to abate and mitigate the effects of the opioid crisis in public schools. The trust will invite funding proposals from public school districts nationwide and Idaho districts are encouraged to explore their options. 

Districts have the option to apply for funds by submitting a request and proposal for funding to the Public School District Opioid Recovery Trust. Please review application guidelines for more information on how to submit a valid grant proposal. 

The settlement class includes all elementary, middle and secondary school districts in the United States, except those in Indiana, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Guam the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The proposed settlement and application guidelines are downloadable at the button below. 

The Idaho Department of Education's Child Nutrition Programs will begin accepting Technology Improvement Grant (TIG) Mini-Grant Applications on December 1. This funding was made available through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) FY21 Technology Innovation Grant (nTIG). The grant is available to Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) sponsors to request funding to purchase new or upgrade existing software and/or hardware systems and/or technology services such as training. The Idaho Department of Education has identified a need for these upgrades within many food service operations throughout the state. Funding is only available to support the purchase of technology solutions for use by food service operations to support child nutrition programs.

A complete application packet must be submitted no later than 6:00 p.m. MST on January 12, 2024.  

All awards are contingent upon available USDA funds. The grant application will be sent to all eligible sponsors and is also available at the button below. A checklist to successfully complete the application is provided on page 8. For more information, contact Child Nutrition Programs at 208-332-6820.

Educators interested in facilitating student leadership while bringing STEM and ecology to their classrooms are encouraged to explore planning a tree-planting event with Tree-Plenish. Tree-Plenish events are planned by student leaders and bring together students, their school and their wider community to focus on tree planting. Students work together to determine their community's need for saplings before planning and advertising a day of volunteer planting. Residents can also request a tree to be planted in their yard. Instructors are encouraged to share several upcoming interest meetings with interested high school students:

Give students a view of complete project planning, marketing, event execution and volunteerism. Planning will start soon and all tree-planting events will take place in the spring. 

The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation invites U.S. high school students to describe and analyze an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917, the year John F. Kennedy was born. 

In Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy recounted the stories of eight U.S. senators who risked their careers to do what was right for the nation. These leaders demonstrated political courage by taking a stand for the public good in spite of pressure by interest groups, their political party or even their constituents. The Profile in Courage Essay Contest challenges students to write an original and creative essay that demonstrates an understanding of political courage as described by John F. Kennedy in Profiles in Courage.

All submissions must adhere to contest requirements. The contest deadline is January 12.

Recognizing the value of a postsecondary education, the State of Idaho offers a variety of scholarship options for eligible Idaho students. The scholarships detailed below are administered by the State Board of Education with funding from a variety of sources:

Visit the Board of Education's scholarship page at the button below to learn more. 

Report Card Stakeholder Survey Closes
November 24 

IDOG Public Records Training 
November 28 

Idaho Launch Applications Due 
November 30

21stCCLC External Evaluator/Researcher Application Due
November 30

Technology Improvement Grant (TIG) Mini-Grant Applications Due
December 1

Idaho Humanities Council K-12 Grants Due
December 1

Content and Curriculum Coordinators Webinar 
December 6

Curricular Materials Review Members Application Due
December 17 

State Board Emergency Provisional Certificate Applications Due
December 26 

GIS Online Competition for Idaho Students Applications Due
December 31

Profiles in Courage Essays Due 
January 12

National Air and Space Museum's Teacher Innovator Institute Application Due
January 15

Special Education 101 PD for School Administrators Applications Due
January 15 

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