Bob Costas Grants for the Teaching of Writing
Application Deadline: November 21, 2008
The application deadline for the 2009 Bob Costas Grants for the Teaching of Writing is November 21, 2008. Scroll down to learn more and download the application forms.
Grants of $3,000 awarded to teachers who inspire students to write
Each year the College Board recognizes exceptional teachers of grades 6 through 12 for the innovative methods they use to develop their students' writing skills. Grants of $3,000 each will be awarded to teachers who are doing an inspiring job of teaching their students to write and who will benefit most from a grant to enhance a successful project.
The award was named for Bob Costas, the Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and author, for his dedication to the craft of writing and his generous public service work on behalf of the National Commission on Writing.
Application forms
Below are links to the application, reference form, and student testimonial form. You must electronically submit these forms on or before November 21, 2008. If you prefer to print and mail your materials, they must be postmarked by November 21, 2008. Requires Adobe Reader (latest version recommended).
- 2009 Bob Costas Grant Application (.pdf/234K)
- Student or Student Group Testimonial form (.pdf/210K)
- Reference Form (.pdf/204K)
Winners will be announced in January 2009 and awards will be presented at each College Board regional forum meeting.
Recipients of the 2008 Bob Costas Grants for the Teaching of Writing
Middle States Region
Beth Breau and Richard Lorenzo of St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, N.J., teach a 10th-grade course called Newark Studies, in which students investigate topics important to their city, including AIDS, race relations, downtown development and Newark's 1967 civil disorders.
Western Region
Art Rzasa of Corvallis High School in Corvallis, Mont., founded "Classroom Without Walls," where students engage in experiential learning. After embarking on educational backpacking trips, students then research, write, and produce short documentaries for classroom use.
Southwest Region
Nancy Sladky teaches literature and writing at John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, an inner-city public school in Augusta, Ga. Here she sponsors an active poetry and fiction writing club, publishes a literary journal, holds events to showcase student writing and has collaborated with the library to establish a creative writing blog for students.
Midwest Region
Katherine Plager of Thornton Township High School in Harvey, Ill., teaches her students how to write formal laboratory reports following the scientific method. This rubric and step-by-step procedure for constructing laboratory reports has made writing accessible to students previously uncomfortable with writing.
New England Region
B. Lynn Frazier, a reading and language arts consultant at Windham High School in Willimantic, Conn., began a poetry unit focusing on memoirs a few years ago. Her group of students, the self-named Young Poets, responded with passion and skill, performing their work in a local café and publishing it online. Frazier was also chosen as one of 150 Freedom Writer Teachers by Erin Gruwell.
Southern Region
Mary Grace Bagaoisan and Roseo T. Caburian Jr. of Lakeview Centennial High School in Garland, Texas, teaches English as a second language and helps build writing skills and academic confidence among students whose limited English proficiency threaten to keep them from staying in school or considering college.
Recipients of the 2007 Bob Costas Grants for the Teaching of Writing
Middle States Region
Timothy Adams is a teacher at W.E.B. DuBois Academic High School, a transfer alternative high school in Brooklyn, where he uses hip-hop music in his writing workshops to teach students about literary techniques.
Western Region
Mary L. Richards, an English teacher at Eagle River High School in Eagle River, Alaska, uses her e-zine, Northern Lit, to help students celebrate and preserve the indigenous Native Alaskan way of shaping stories.
Southwest Region
Pamela B. Cordova teaches seventh- and eighth graders at Mescalero Apache School, a Bureau of Indian Affairs grant school in New Mexico. She will use her grant to help students write, edit, and publish the biographies of the elder members of the Mescalero tribe.
Midwest Region
Melissa Handler of Scott Highlands Middle School in Apple Valley, Minnesota encourages students' creative writing efforts by displaying their work on a "Wall of Words," a prominent wall in the school dedicated to showcasing students' writing and artwork.
New England Region
Kate Gardoqui teaches AP® English Language Composition and AP English Literature and Composition at Noble High School in North Berwick, Maine. She will use her grant to help students research and write "Beyond Graduation," a collection of articles on what it takes to succeed in college.
Southern Region
Joseph W. Underwood has been teacher for 21 years at Miami Senior High School, where he built a television production studio by raising funds from the community. He oversees students as they produce a daily live newscast for the school's 3,200 students and staff.
Honorable Mention—Western Region
D'Anza Rene Smith of Roosevelt Middle School in Compton, California engages students in writing by asking them to chronicle their experiences in relation to characters from novels.
Read full biographies of the 2007 recipients (.pdf/55K).
Best Practices
Learn best practices from first-year recipients.