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Dawn Odum
 My name is Dawn Odum and I am the newest addition to the Kagan team. My job is to help you find and apply for grants allowing you to bring Kagan Professional Development to your school or area. In this article, I’ll briefly point out some areas for which grants are available and how Kagan qualifies.
If you would like to apply for a grant, I will help you develop the rationale and provide research that shows why Kagan should be in every school.
Most of these grants have a November 15th application deadline. That means we will have to work quickly for you to qualify. For more grant information or to download a grant application visit www.grants.gov. To contact me directly, or to inquire about applying for a grant, e-mail me at grants@kaganonline.com.
Available Grants
Drop Out Prevention
Much of dropout is a result of alienation and classroom structure that fails to actively engage students. Many students in traditional classrooms feel that it would make no difference to their fellow students if they failed to come to school. In cooperative learning classrooms, students create positive bonds with teammates and classmates beyond their team. They know they are liked, have a sense of belonging, and feel they make important contributions. If they fail to attend school it makes a difference to those about whom they care most—their peers.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Kagan Structures are being used to dramatically increase the language acquisition among language minority students at all levels of language proficiency. Students acquire language more easily as they practice using language when they interact with classmates on a frequent basis. Kagan Structures increase the amount of language production in a supportive, anxiety-reduced environment.
Science & Mathematics
Kagan Structures are designed to improve science and mathematics instruction. Structures such as RallyCoach and Sage-N-Scribe are terrific for learning the skills of math and science. Plus, the Kagan approach offers wonderful strategies to move beyond basic skills and to teach for deeper understanding as advocated by the National Teachers of Mathematics Standards. The structures allow efficient delivery of math and science curriculum at every level.
 Reading & Writing
Kagan Structures are being used at all levels of education to increase reading fluency, comprehension, and writing skills. Basic Kagan Structures such as Numbered Heads Together, Showdown, and RallyRead are perfect to accompany any reading program. Kagan’s range of writing instructional strategies are specifically geared toward improving writing skills by promoting cooperation, peer feedback, and active engagement over students’ work at each stage of the writing process. Kagan Structures take an integrated approach to writing by combining listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Comprehensive School Reform
Cooperative Learning is being used to successfully restructure schools at all levels. Kagan Structures are used successfully in classrooms to bolster curriculum mastery, but also deliver a rich embedded curriculum of social skills—essential skills for success in the real world. Schools are using Kagan Structures to close the achievement gap between the high and low achievers by bringing up students at the bottom, while still promoting excellence at the top. Administrators are creating more successful learning communities and greater staff cooperation through the use of Kagan Structures at staff meetings.
Let’s work together to bring Kagan to your school or district. I look forward to hearing from you.
Dawn Odum
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