e-Learning Foundation Launches Spring Grants Round 9

The e-Learning Foundation has launched its Spring Grants Round and is now inviting applications for funding from schools across the country, including Scotland and Wales, for local e-learning projects.

Last year the e-Learning Foundation offered over 1 million in grant funds to support schools with their home access/e-learning programmes. All successful projects supported shared the common principles of equity of access, home access and sustainability of funding through parental involvement.

We are delighted to be in a position to help more schools across the country set up sustainable e-learning projects, commented Valerie Thompson, Chief Executive of the e-Learning Foundation. While projects in areas of significant social disadvantage are likely to receive a higher percentage of their project cost as a grant, we encourage all schools to apply.

To enable the e-Learning Foundation to support as many projects as possible, we expect to offer grants on average of 10,000 per school. The balance of the project costs will come from a variety of sources, the most significant being regular donations from parents and school funds, added Thompson.

Schools will be required to demonstrate that they share the national e-Learning Foundations core values - equal access for all, sustainability and home access.

While schools are better equipped than ever before, the variation in the quality of learning that takes place in the home is enormous. As children only spend 15% of their lives at school, learning that takes place at home is extremely important to their future success.

Good access to ICT (Information and Communications Technology) at home has been proven to significantly influence educational outcomes. Yet low income families are five times less likely to own a home computer than high income families; for example, 25% of single parent families do not have a computer at home and 50% do not have access to the Internet. Whilst there is a growing preference for portable technologies within schools, fewer than 20% of schools loan computers for home use.

Terms and conditions apply; for further details on the Grants Round please log onto our website www.e-learningfoundation.com . Please note the deadline for fully completed applications to be received by e-mail at the e-Learning Foundationís offices is 5 pm Wednesday 2nd May 2007.