Practically Free Sketchbooks

To be able to give my 4th and 5th grade students sketchbooks, is expensive and not very practical, on my budget. So, last year I wrote a grant and for the first time was able to give out sketchbooks. I bought them from Sketch for Schools. They are always giving out freebies at conventions and are very reasonably priced.  My students were thrilled, especially when told they could take them home at the end of the school year. They did all sorts of planning and experimenting in their books.

Wasn't sure that I would get another grant to do this........ HOWEVER, my son has a close friend who is the vice president of a printing firm. AND he had all this paper that he couldn't use, I'm talking 10,000 sheets that filled 5 boxes! Along with covers and backs enough for 200 books! BUT the company is in Nashville, Tennessee and I live in Spring Hill, Florida! However, it was my son's turn to have his parents visit for Thanksgiving............

 

So, across the back seat of the car is 5 boxes of paper, enough for 200 sketchbooks. Along with the paper is a ton of baby stuff, for my daughter, who is expecting in April. The trunk had our luggage and bags of baby clothes. It's amazing what a determined art teacher can fit into a small SUV.

I researched how all this paper would magically turn into sketchbooks and found out we have a production lab, at district, that would do it for free. On the Monday after break, I drove it down to district. All I needed to pay for were the plastic coils to bind the books. A whopping $13.

The books were done in less then a week and since I still had classes who had not yet printed their logos....

 

Amazing, right?  I fixed up the boxes to store each class separately and added the classroom teacher's name. I can't wait to see what fun my students will have with them.

 

I was so fortunate to have all the connections to do this for my students! I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it was to get such a generous donation of paper from my son's friend. (BTW I may even be able to hook some of you up with scraps from time to time, in you live in the Nashville area. Let me know if you are interested and I will pass along the information.)

So my practically free sketchbooks cost me a little time and trouble, but was SO, worth it to see how excited my students were. Am I the only one who does this stuff for their students? Let me hear from you, what really nice, crazy things you do.
Thanks for reading!

For a free list of art center suggestions go my store at Teachers pay Teachers .

Grateful for Grants

Over 20 years ago a friend of mine, who taught art, complained to me that she only got $1 per student to spend. I get less then that per student and as I pointed out IT IS 20 years later.

The very first time I asked for a grant was from the School Advisory Committee or SAC. I wanted to do something a little different with my students and requested supplies to do a leather craft project with them.

 

Students in all grades had the opportunity to learn about leather and make a key chain. Since that was  several years ago, I recently did the project again. This time funding came from a district art festival.

Target gives grants for field trips and I was able to get funded through them twice. What better place to take students then an art museum?

 Last year I received a grant for sketchbooks. When I told my students at the end of the year that they could take them home, they were beyond thrilled!

There are opportunities all over the place for getting grants. Sometimes, missed opportunities if I can't think of what I need at that moment in time. Soooo, I blew many chances to apply for a grant. Soooo, I thought it would be prudent of me to keep a wish list available for when an opportunity falls in my lap. And this past January was that CHANCE OF A LIFETIME I had been waiting for. Farmers Insurance had decided to thank a million teachers by giving away $1,000,000. They broke the country down into regions and the 6 people with the highest votes would each get $2,500. The first photo is me with the real check and the second photo is the check I received at a special presentation with representatives from Farmers Insurance. Members of the staff, PTO and district people all participated in the event. Who doesn't want a photo op with a BIG check!

 

I found out about the grant on Facebook thru Nancy Walkup, editor of School Arts Magazine. She is always posting the most inspiring articles and up to date information for art teachers.

By now, you must be wondering what I did with all that money? PARTY! PARTY! Noooo... not me!
Actually I managed to add another $1,000 from SAC .......... AND......... GOT............ iPADS!!!!
 YEAH!!!!! Not one ipad, no, not two ipads BUT EIGHT! 8! iPADS!!!! AND CASES!!!!

 

And I even let the students use them............

Here the student is searching for backgrounds, for a selfie project, I promise to share soon.
Have you applied for a grant lately?   Thanks for reading!