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Crystal Gomes Sunshine Foundation (Foundation) was founded
in 2000 with the mission of promoting and cultivating excellence in
education. The Foundation believes that just as our world cannot grow
and prosper without sunshine, neither can it grow and prosper without
education. Thus "education is essential as sunshine" in
our lives. The grants awarded by the Foundation offer rays of hope
and assistance to educators and their students. To achieve this mission,
the Foundation provides three different types of grants to educators
of kindergarten through twelfth grade students in a state accredited
school system. All grants are limited to individuals residing in the
geographic area of the top 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle or the
Illinois counties of Fulton, Knox, Peoria and Tazewell. All grants
are awarded on an objective and nondiscriminatory basis and are not
limited to a specific amount or subject matter.
The first type of grant assists
existing degreed educators in implementing a specific innovative
educational concept. These concepts should be original and have
direct educational impact on students in a particular school. Only
concepts that are not funded by a local school district will be
considered.
The second type of grant
provides future teaching candidates a scholarship to complete their
degree at a university of their choice. These scholarships are awarded
to deserving individuals based on academic ability, desire, character,
and economic necessity. Scholarships are awarded to individuals
within two years of completing an
undergraduate degree in education.
The third type of grant allows
existing degreed educators to take courses at an accredited post-secondary
education entity of their choice. These grants may be used for educational
coursework that does not necessarily lead to an advanced degree.
Eligible coursework cannot be reimbursed by local school districts.
Courses need to be useful and have direct educational impact on
students in a particular school.
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