From The Foundation Center’s Philanthropy News Digest:
Created by the Lemelson-MIT Program, the InvenTeam initiative provides opportunities for high school students to cultivate their creativity, curiosity, and problem-solving abilities and apply lessons from science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects to invent technological solutions to real-world problems.
InvenTeams comprised of high school students, teachers, and mentors receive grants of up to $10,000 to invent technological solutions to a problem of their choice. Projects can range from assistive devices to environmental technologies and consumer goods. Applicants are encouraged to consider the needs of the world’s poorest people (those earning $2 or less a day) when brainstorming ideas.
STEM educators at high schools and nonprofit educational organizations who have not received an InvenTeam grant within the past three years are eligible to apply. Funds may be allocated for project-related research, materials, and learning experiences. Funds may not be used to purchase capital equipment or professional services.
Complete application and eligibility guidelines, including profiles of past InvenTeams, are available at the Lemelson-MIT Program Web site.
The Art of Science Learning, a new initiative made possible by funding from the National Science Foundation, promises to enhance STEM education in Worcester through the arts. Led by the 
Lincoln Financial Foundation has awarded Teach for America a one-million-dollar grant over three years to expand efforts to recruit teachers of STEM subjects. Teach For America is the national corps of recent college graduates who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. “We’re grateful to Lincoln Financial for their support of Teach For America corps members and alumni who are working alongside so many others to end the disparities that exist in math and science education,” said Wendy Kopp, founder and chief executive officer of Teach For America. “We are seeing an incredible moment of opportunity to enlist more top graduates with STEM degrees to bring their passion and commitment to our nation’s urban and rural classrooms. Lincoln’s partnership will help Teach For America seize this moment and inspire the next generation of leaders in math and science.”
Teachers: get your applications in now for the Siemens Teachers as Researchers (STARs) program! Run by The Siemens Foundation and Discovery Education, the program is an all-expense-paid experience aimed at improving STEM teaching. Over the summer, the 40 teachers selected will work in small groups with teams of scientists on projects ranging from biological systems to sustainable energy. “While reviewing applications for our STARs program, we look for a diverse group of educators with strong academic backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math who are truly passionate about advancing student achievement in those topic areas,” said Mary Rollins, vice president of Discovery Education. “We are positive that the candidates we choose will take the skills, contacts and resources we provide them during the program back to their classrooms across the country and use them to motivate their students to excel in STEM learning.” Applications are due February 9th, and may be submitted 
As part of Massachusetts’ 
Among the 23 grantees that secured funding through the second round of the US Department of Education’s i3 Development Grant program: the Turnaround Using Increased Learning Time (TILT) program of the Boston Public Schools. With i3 funding amounting to nearly $3 million, the program will, “… catalyze school turnaround and the rapid acceleration of achievement for 1000 students per year; further refine and develop alternative resource allocation and staffing strategies in order to sustain the expanded day at little or no additional cost after the i3 funding expires; and disseminate effective strategies for significantly increasing learning time to support large-scale replication.”