Borchardt Fund

Please Note: Letters of inquiry are no longer being accepted.  Deadline for submitting letters of inquiry was September 30, 2009.

Introduction
The Borchardt Fund was established at Triangle Community Foundation in 2007 to support the advancement of education through international exchanges in the field of technology as it applies to education.  The Foundation is looking to partner with other organizations to create international travel opportunities for Triangle educators engaged with the practice and theory of technology as it applies to education.  Funds could be used in the following manner:

Funding will be provided for one year, renewable upon successful completion of the program as determined by the Foundation.  Funding will be available to one or more organizations.

Background
Frank Borchardt was born the son of a teacher who believed that the “teacher’s calling” went far beyond the transmission of knowledge.  Frank’s father Hermann Borchardt, university professor, author, survivor of the 20th-century affronts to freedom and liberty in both Germany and Russia, believed that teachers speaking truths and utilizing their creativity was possibly at the very core of the success of mankind.

Frank Borchardt became a university professor of German, first at Northwestern University, then Queens College and then Duke University in 1971.  He took his own love of learning and teaching beyond the traditional offerings in German language studies, German literature and German culture to the use of technology in language acquisition.  Frank Borchardt led a life of thought, challenging pursuits and travel.  He passed away in 2007.

In the words of Frank Borchardt, visiting, living and working in the countries of the world must count as one the most enriching of life’s experiences.  International travel builds solid foundations for genuine openness to other cultures and requires reflection on and reevaluation of one’s own culture.  People who teach benefit especially from experience of the world away from their homeland and have a platform from which to disseminate that benefit to others.

The world needs serious and intensive study of the impact, possibilities, and consequences of technology in the education enterprise.  Collaborative international exchange would seem one of the best routes by which to achieve the kind of humane, tolerant and culturally inclusive understanding that the world needs to apply to technology as it changes the very world.  Technology is defined as the application of scientific development which is new, complex and directly affects human welfare, particularly the element of communication among human beings and an evident impact of this on education itself.

Goal
To create a program or programs that will provide teachers and administrators from kindergarten through university with an international experience that focuses on the improvement of education through technology. 

Guidelines
Successful programs must facilitate participation of full time Triangle-based teachers or administrators in international activities to learn more about the theory and practice of technology as it applies to education by:

Program participants must be full time teachers or administrators working in a Durham, Orange, Wake or Chatham county school, college or university and must show commitment and excitement for the theory and practice of technology as it applies to education.

Programs should be designed to give preference to teachers or administrators with little experience abroad but will not penalize those with ample international experience.

Technology and how it applies to education must be a central component of the program.  Programs that only incorporate technology as a tool and not as a core component of the learning experience will not be considered.

Priority will be given to programs that work with countries that do not speak English as their primary language.

Program expenses may include administrative costs, instructors, travel, fees, lodging and meals.

Grant amount and application deadline
Funding through the Foundation will not exceed $80,000 per year.  The deadline for submitting letters of inquiry is September 30, 2009.  After review of letters of inquiry, organizations will be invited to submit a full proposal.

Application Documents
Organizations must submit a letter of inquiry (up to 2 pages) by email attachment to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).  The letter should give a synopsis of the project, the organization and the requested funding amount.  Please make sure you address all the items below in your letter:

1. Organization: briefly describe your organization’s mission and main programs
2. Project information:  the need and how you will address it.  Include the program/project’s duration (the start and completion dates) and amount requested.
3. Capacity:  strengths, talents and infrastructure of your organization that would make the project successful.
4. Target population: briefly describe your target population
5. Project objectives: Benefits to be gained from the project’s success.
6. Other funding: If other funding sources are in place, please include this information.

Who Can Apply
The Foundation accepts proposals from 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, private and public universities, government entities and faith-based groups based in Chatham, Durham, Orange and Wake counties.  Please note that if applying as a private or public school that only one application will be accepted per school.  The application must be signed by the principal.

For more information contact Sandra Rodríguez at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 919-474-8370.