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American School Counselor Association: School Counselor of the Year
   The Award is granted to school counselors who are running a top-notch, comprehensive school counseling program at the elementary, middle, or high school level. Maximum award: expenses to attend the award ceremony. Deadline: July 17, 2009. Eligibility Requirements for further details.

The National Association of Independent Schools: Challenge 20/20 Partnership
   Participate in Challenge 20/20, a program that brings together two schools: one from the United States and one from outside of the United States. Teacher-student teams from both schools work together throughout the fall 2009 school semester to come up with a solution to a global problem. Maximum award: program participation. Eligibility: all U.S. schools, elementary and secondary, public or private. Deadline: August 17, 2009. Guidelines.

AASA/Aramark Education/ING: National Superintendent of the Year
   The program pays tribute to the talent and vision of the men and women who lead the nation's public schools. Maximum award: $10,000. Eligibility: U.S. public school superintendents and superintendents of American schools abroad who plan to continue in the profession. Deadline: September 30, 2009. Guidelines.

Wild Ones: Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Grants
The Grant Program gives small monetary grants to schools, nature centers, or other non-profit educational organizations for the purpose of establishing outdoor learning centers. Funds will be provided only for the purchase of native plants and seed. Maximum award: varies. Deadline: November 15, 2009. Eligibility and details.

Character Education Partnership: National Schools of Character
The award identifies exemplary schools and districts to serve as models for others, and helps schools and districts improve their efforts in effective character education. Maximum award: $2,000. Eligibility and more information.

Safe and Vital Communities
   The Allstate Foundation supports national and local programs in three focus areas. Safe and Vital Communities programs address catastrophe response, youth anti-violence, neighborhood revitalization, or teen safe driving. Economic Empowerment programs address financial and economic literacy, insurance education, or empowerment for victims of domestic violence. Tolerance, Inclusion, and Diversity programs address teaching tolerance to youth, ending hate crimes, or alleviating discrimination. Maximum award: varies. Eligibility: 501(c)(3) organizations. Deadline: rolling. To learn more visit Allstate Foundation

Live Monarch Educator Outreach Program
   The Live Monarch Foundation Educator Outreach Program provides funding for teachers throughout the United States to enroll in the National Campaign to bring monarch butterflies into the classroom. This program provides education and materials to strengthen the monarch's 3,000-mile migratory route within North America by creating self-sustaining butterfly gardens and refuges. Materials will be provided for each participant to raise a virtual butterfly and start a real butterfly garden with professional instruction on each level for its maintenance and care. Maximum Award: n/a. Eligibility: teachers and classrooms in areas on the monarch migratory route. Deadline: rolling. Apply

Orbis Pictus Awards
   The Orbis Pictus Award, begun almost 20 years ago by NCTE to honor the best in nonfiction written for young people from kindergarten to the eighth grade, is named to commemorate Johannes Amos Comenius’ (1657) work Orbis Sensualium Pictus (The Visible World), considered to be the first book published for children. Visit Orbis Pictus for the winner and full list.

Free Teaching Resource
   Recently the U.S. Department of Education launched a new and improved version of the much acclaimed web site, Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE). FREE provides educators with lesson plans, primary documents, science visualizations, math challenges, literary works, paintings, music manuscripts and many other vital classroom resources. The tool also combines important educational elements culled from the Library of Congress, Smithsonian, National Science Foundation, NASA, National Archives, and other federal agencies. Free Teaching Resources