CALLING ALL TEACHERS
U.S. Cellular granting wish lists
U.S. Cellular is helping teachers fund classroom supplies and projects through its Calling All Teachers campaign. All teachers have to do is tell the company what they need. Teachers may visit www.donorschoose.org and register as a "U.S. Cellular Teacher" by the end of August. Teachers can then revisit the site and post their classroom needs when the new school year kicks off in August. U.S. Cellular will fund $1 million in selected projects during September and October in the areas where the company does business. During last year's campaign, the company funded every teacher in Lake County that posted a request to DonorsChoose, with teachers receiving more than $4,600 worth of classroom material. Across Indiana, the company funded 54 classroom projects benefiting 37 schools. For more information, visit www.uscellular.com/callingallteachers . 

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MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Deadline: Oct. 1, 2010
The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation donates both new and refurbished instruments to school and after-school music programs in the U.S. that lack the resources to keep up with equipment loss due to attrition, depreciation, and wear over time, and to accommodate students on waiting lists or who have to share instruments. The foundation funds instrument repair and the acquisition of new instruments. It does not provide cash grants. Priority is given to music programs serving low-income communities, programs with little or no budget for musical instruments, and music programs that serve the most students out of the school population. The foundation offers three programs of support. See foundation link for complete details.

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BREAKFAST GRANT PROGRAMS
National Dairy Council/General Mills Foodservice
Deadline: Aug. 15, 2010
General Mills Foodservice has committed a total of $100,000 to help K-12 schools build their breakfast programs through the National Dairy Council's Child Nutrition and Fitness Initiative Breakfast Grant program. Schools currently participating in the National Dairy Council's Fuel Up to Play 60 program, an initiative designed to improve nutrition and physical activity in schools, and seeking to expand their breakfast programs can apply to receive up to $3,000 each. Fuel Up to Play is a partnership between the National Dairy Council and the National Football League to empower youth to take action to improve nutrition and physical activity at their school and for their own health. Visit the Fuel Up to Play 60 Web site for information.

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GARDENING SUPPLIES
National Gardening Association Healthy Sprouts Awards
Deadline: Oct. 1, 2010
The Healthy Sprouts Award, administered by the National Gardening Association and sponsored by Subaru of America, recognizes and supports youth gardening programs that provide education about the environment, nutrition, and hunger issues in the U.S. To be eligible, a school or organization must plan to garden in 2011 with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18. Selection of winners is based on the demonstrated relationship between the garden program and education related to environmental, nutrition, and hunger issues. Thirty schools or organizations will be selected to receive a $500 gift certificate to the Gardening with Kids catalog and online store for youth gardening supplies as well as supporting educational materials, NGA's Eat a Rainbow Kit, and an NGA literature package. Visit the NGA Kidsgardening Web site for information.
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FIELD TRIP GRANTS
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation/Winnick Family Foundation
Deadline: Sept. 1, 2010
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, has a field trip grant opportunity for grades 4-12 teachers in U.S.-based public and nonpublic schools that have a low-income student enrollment greater than 30 percent. The program's purpose is to offset the transportation cost of visiting the museum. Grant funding is provided by the Winnick Family Foundation through the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation. Low-income students are defined by the Illinois State Board of Education as students who come from families receiving public aid, live in institutions that serve neglected or delinquent children, are supported in foster homes with public funds, or are eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunches. Grants provide funding for students to visit the ALPLM at no or greatly reduced cost to the school district by covering or supplementing transportation costs. (There is currently no museum admission fee for school groups.) Funds are awarded for transportation costs only. The grant's goal is to bring as many students to the ALPLM as funds will allow; therefore, judges have the option of granting partial awards. Visit the Lincoln Presidential Library Web site for information and to download grant guidelines and an application form.

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Buy from Amazon; help your Hammond Public Library:
If you purchase books, CDs, DVDs or downloads from Amazon, please consider accessing Amazon through the library's home page. Click the Amazon link on our home page, and Amazon rebates a percentage of your purchase to HPL with which we can buy books, music and movies. It's a win-win: you receive the same Amazon products and services you usually purchase; we can add items that we could not otherwise afford to purchase.