HATS STEDTRAIN
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Science and Technology EDucation and TRAINing (STEDTRAIN)

STEDTRAIN is a Committee of the Huntsville Association of Technical Societies (HATS) that administers a Seed Grant program that provides funding up to $1,000 to an educator for innovative hands-on classroom projects that will stimulate children’s interest in science and technology.

Since the Program began in 1988, it has distributed over $367,478 for 392 individual grants and other worthy educational projects. The grants currently benefit approximately 10,000 students directly and about 20,000 indirectly a year.

HATS is grateful to many of its Member societies, corporate, and individual donors for their support. The current economic situation, however, undoubtedly will substantially increase the number of grant applications received for the 2012-2013 school season, requiring funding substantially beyond what was previously possible.

Click here to see the donors list.

Send your tax-deductible donation (and make checks payable) to
HATS STEDTRAIN, P.O. Box 1964, Huntsville, AL 35807

Grant Funds for the 2012-2013 School Season

The STEDTRAIN Committee is pleased to announce continuation of its Seed Grant Program for K-12 schools in Jackson, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, and Limestone Counties in Alabama and Lincoln County in Tennessee for the 2012-2013 school year. We received 37 proposals during our open proposal season that closed on April 1, 2012. These proposals that range for $200 to $1000 will be reviewed by the STEDTRAIN Committee and the results will be announced according to the following agenda.

• July 31, 2011, on or about -- Email notifications will be sent to the lead educator and their principal.

• 25 August 2012, Saturday, AM -- Awards Ceremony.

• 20 January 2013 -- midterm report due

• 27 April 2013, Saturday, AM -- final reports due

Some confusion has existed in the past as to the meaning of "Seed." The word "Seed" as used for the Seed Grant Program is meant to be taken figuratively, not literally. We normally do not fund planting vegetable or flower seeds unless the activity is part of a valid hands-on botany project. We fund innovative projects that "seed" an enthusiasm in students for science and technology education.

The following documents provide abstracts for the Seed Grant proposals that have been funded over the past several years. The awards for the 2012-13 school year will be published when they are available later this summer.

• 2009-10 Seed Grant Awarded (PDF)
• 2010-11 Seed Grant Awarded
• 2011-12 Seed Grant Awarded