National Weather Association (NWA)
SOL HIRSCH EDUCATION FUND GRANTS

**** Application Period is open through June 1st ****

Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants are awarded annually to teachers/educators of grades K-12 to help improve the education of their students, school and/or community in the science of meteorology. The Grant is intended to allow teachers to:

  • Purchase scientific materials and / or equipment for the classroom, school or community.
  • Begin new school and / or community science outreach and education programs.
  • Enhance and / or expand existing meteorology / science education programs.
  • Attend accredited courses, workshops and /or conferences related to meteorology that will significantly enhance their teaching activities.

Requirements: Teachers, program directors, school district supervisors and other individuals or groups proposing to improve the education of K-12 students in meteorology may submit an application. The application is to be completed online and consists of information related to the individual (s) submitting and a proposal regarding the initiative. The proposal should be a thorough description of activities, costs and expected outcomes of the initiative. Include the details of how the money ($750) will be spent. The Education Committee (rating committee) will place a high value on the creativity and expected impact of the project. Hints on how to develop the proposal are included in the online application. The project/proposal has to be approved by the school principal or equivalent type of supervisor as explained in the online procedures. Completed applications must be submitted no later than 1 June 2013. Applications can be started early and saved online and submitted when all required information is gathered and completed.

In general, those teachers /educators selected to receive the grant are those who's applications:

  • Are deemed to have the greatest need.
  • Will have the most significant and widest impact.
  • Have the a detailed spending plan for the Grant.
  • Are most likely to succeed with their proposal.
  • PLEASE NOTE - Incomplete applications are not considered.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY!

Since 1993, the NWA has awarded 109 K-12 Education Grants totaling nearly $60,000, thanks to the generosity of Sol Hirsch and the many NWA members who donate to this worthwhile program.

This map shows the locations of the 2010 award winners in blue, 2011 winners in pink and 2012 in yellow.


View The 2010, 2011 and 2012 National Weather Association Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants on a larger map

Past Winners of the NWA Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants 


2012 -
  • Angela Anderson - Neshannock Junior High School. New Castle, PA
  • Jacob Hall, Koa Elementary School, Kissimmee, FL
  • Jim Johnson, Children's Center for Treatment and Education, Custer City, PA

  • Amanda Lynch, Atlanta School District, Office of Gifted & Talented, Atlanta, GA
  • Ed Rebmann and 5 colleagues, Fairbanks Junior & Senior High Schools, Milford Center, OH
  • Meredith Scully and 4 colleagues, Arleth Elementary School, Parlin, NJ
  • Susan Smith and the entire 6th grade faculty, Eisenhower Middle School, Lawton, OK 


2011 -
  • Rebalynn Coil and Linda Hughes, Bartow Elementary Academy STEM Magnet School, Bartow, FL
  • Teresa Duvall and Lisa Smith, Brevard Middle School, Brevard, NC
  • Evan Franchini, Memorial Middle School, Fair Lawn, NJ
  • Sara Kuhar, Lauren Watson, Julia Calderon, Jan Crowe, Carlos Hernandez and Eric Bailey, Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences (SSA+S), Sarasota, FL
  • Christopher Kunkel and Leigh-Ann Mitchel, Hoboken Charter School, Hoboken, NJ
  • Lorraine Mann, Janina Ivester Brown and Adriana Guadarrama, Prescott Elementary School, Oakland, CA
  • Krystina Wisniewski, Passaic County Elks Cerebral Palsy High School, Clifton, NJ
2010 -
  • Tina Foster - Cedar Ridge Jr. High School, Newark, AR
  • Kathleen Poe - Fletcher Middle School (Part of Beaches Academy of Sciences with Fletcher High School, Neptune Beach and Mayport Middle School, Atlantic Beach), Jacksonville Beach, FL Click here to read more about this Grant
  • Cindy Sheetz - N. Vermillion Jr. / Sr. High School, Cayuga, IN
  • Richard McCoy - Laquey R-V School District, Laquey, MO
  • Craig Beals (with Ed. Directors from the Montana Learning Center) - Billings Senior High School, Billings, MT
  • Emily Thomas - Ridgewood Elementary School, Winterville, NC
  • Melissa Connor, PS/IS 276, New York, NY

2009 -
    • Mike Brown, Peter Woodbury School, Bedford, NH
    • Brendan Casey, Joan MacQueen Middle School, Alpine, CA
    • Debra Gochros, Kawaikini NCPCS, Lihue, HI
    • Margarita Gonzalez, John E. Ford Pre K-8 School, Jacksonville, FL
    • Kelly Green, Hamilton Accelerated Elementary School, Hamilton, MO
    • Danielle Hutchins, Life Adventure Center of the Bluegrass, Versailles, KY
    • Steven M. Jacobs, Dundee Middle School, Dundee, MI
    • Michael Lampert, West Salem High School, Salem, OR
    • Austen Onek, Pink Palace Museum, Memphis, TN
    • Jessie Soder, Gustavus School, Gustavus, AK

    In 2009, Education Committee Co-Chair Eleanor Vallier-Talbot traveled to Bedford, New Hampshire, to personally award the grant check to Mike Brown and the educator team at the Peter Woodbury School.

    Eleanor Vallier-Talbot delivers the Sol Hirsh Education Grant at the Peter Woodbury School - Oct 2009 Grand Opening of the Project at Peter Woodbury School 



2008 — Cliff Hudson, Williamston High School, Williamston, NC
                Mary Jean Johnston, Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center, Punxsutawney, PA
                Bev McKillip, Elkhorn Valley School, Tilden, NE
                Ronette Oller, Fort Middle School, Columbus, GA
                Susan Parker, Buckland Elementary School, Gates, NC
                Teresa Root, St. Mary of the Lake School, White Bear Lake, MN
                Timothy Sheehan, Sangamon County Juvenile Center, Community Transition Program, Springfield, IL
                Clara Shoe, Foster Elementary School, Tampa, FL
                Lisa Sims, Zellwood Elementary School, Zellwood, FL
                Leslie Stafford, Manual Junior Preparatory School, Peoria, IL

2007 — Chris Campbell, Simsboro School, Simsboro, Louisiana
                Terri Cloyde, Madill Elementary School, Madill, Oklahoma
                Scott MP Hawbaker, Depew Middle School, Depew, New York
                Linda R. Hogan, Lake Ridge Middle School, Gary, Indiana
                Deb Hurst, Mills Elementary School, Austin, Texas
                Dana K. Kelly, Highlands Grove Elementary, Lakeland, Florida
                Veronica Krautheim,  Multimedia & Visual Arts School, Crawford Educational Complex, San Diego, California
                Betsy Moore, Goodridge Elementary School, Hebron, Kentucky
                J. Christine Paulsell, Jefferson East Curriculum Center, Covington, Louisiana
                Cindy Wilson-Hyde, Gulliver Academy, Coral Gables, Florida

2006 — Karen Ashton, Dr. John Long Middle School, Wesley Chapel, Florida.
                Vickie Blankenship, East McDowell Junior High School, Marion, North Carolina.
                Regina Brinker, Christensen Middle School, Livermore, California.
                Robert L. Dospoy, Harmony Elementary School, Westover, Pennsylvania.
                Sherry Goldman,Floranada Elementary School, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
                Joyce Hembree, Mark Twain Elementary School, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
                Kathleen Jerome, STAR Academy, Lillington, North Carolina.
                Kathy K. Lineberger, Marvin Ward Elementary School, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
                Ros Won, Marymount School of New York, New York City.
                Way Yuhl, Flagstaff Children's Museum, Flagstaff, Arizona.

2005 — Marla Baldwin, Gillis Elementary School, Lake Charles, Louisiana.
                Gene Bush, Clay Hill Elementary School, Jacksonville, Florida.
                Karen DeBartolo, Saint Mark's Christian School, Middleburgh, New York.
                Erik Wood Fogel, Bronx Preparatory Charter School, Bronx, New York.
                Linda Militello, P.S. 84 Erie County Health Care Center, Buffalo, New York.
                Mary Ann Nakamoto,Churchill Elementary School, Glen Ellyn, Illinois.
                Caprice Potter, Gateway School, Santa Cruz, California.
                Catherine Ryan, Alvin High School, Alvin, Texas.
                Robert J. Stewart, Jr., Prince William County Juvenile Detention Center, Manassas, Virginia.

2004 — David W. Chapman, Okemos High School, Okemos, Michigan.
                Melanie DuBose, Valley Community Charter School, North Hills, California.
                Garland Jay Hart, Campbell Academy Challenge Cluster, Atlanta, Georgia.
                Peter Leinau, Jack L. Boyd Outdoor School, Fish Camp, California.
                Windy Linden, Reed Elementary School, Tiburon, California.
                Wendy McNeil, Dorothy B. Johnson Elementary School, Wilmington, North Carolina.
                Jennifer C. Williams, Isidore Newman School, New Orleans, Louisiana.

2003 — Cherie Edwards, Meadowlark Elementary School, Chinook, Montana.
                 Deborah J. Hargrove, LaVerna Evans Elementary School, O'Fallon, Illinois.
                 Kathy K. Lineberger, Marvin Ward Elementary School, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
                 Denise Scioli, Alternative Learning Center (Austin Independent School District), Austin, Texas.
                 John Schaefers, Ingomar Middle School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

2002 — Mary W. Altus, Brennan Elementary School, Columbia, South Carolina.
                Barbara A. Doughty, Saint Mary Elementary School, Norwalk, Ohio.
                James F. Dowling, Reading Muhlenberg Area Vocational School, Reading, Pennsylvania.
                Shannon Kleweno, Cedar Creek Elementary School, Olathe, Kansas.
                Rebecca J. Petrey, Kairos Academy, Newark, Ohio.

2001 — Chris Hockert, Clifton Hills Elementary School, Chattanooga, Tennessee.
                 Bernice Lowery, Langston Magnet School, Hot Springs, Arkansas.
                 Karen A. Vitek, Nassau Spackenkill School, Poughkeepsie, New York.

2000 — Susan J. Flores and Lynn Sillitoe, New Dominion Alternative School, Manassas, Virginia.
                 Marilyn M. Johnson, Umatilla-Morrow Education Service District, Pendleton, Oregon.
                 Catherine Sachse, Hudson Valley Circle of Learning, Rock Tavern, New York.

1999 — Jill Evans of the Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium in Fort Myers, Florida.
                 Peggy Morgan of Walnut Grove Elementary School in Ferguson, Missouri.
                 Arlene Scull of North Elementary School in Youngstown, Ohio.

1998 — Angela Marsan, Central Elementary School in Clewiston, Florida.
                Mary Beth Bauer, Ingram Tom Moore High School, Ingram, Texas.

1997 — Catherine Cavanaugh, Whitaker Center for Math, Science and Technology in Naples, Florida.
                Robyn Behen, Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Jefferson City, Missouri.
                Uri Harel, Hartland Elementary School in Hartland, Vermont. 

1996 — Leslie Demmert, Belleville, Illinois School District #118.
                Lisa Marie Gonzales, Thomas R. Pollicita Middle School in Daly City, California. 

1995 — Carrie Ann Lucas, Hopwood Junior High School in Chalan Piao, Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
                Winnifred G. Bolinsky, Foglesville Elementary School in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
                Christina Wilder, Paul Revere Elementary School in San Francisco, California. 

1994 — Barbara Feller, Program Director of Science Station, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
                Jean M. Parker, Sacred Heart School in Boise, Idaho. 

1993 — Linda J. Wygoda, Sam Houston High School in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

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Updated: 14 Mar, 2013