Google RISE Awards are designed to support organizations that promote access to Computer Science education and give students aged 7-18 the opportunity to become creators - and not just consumers - of tomorrow’s technological innovations. They award funding to, and partner with, organizations running programs that inspire, engage, and retain students on a long-term path in the field of computing. Organizations are chosen based on their focus on underrepresented minorities in the field and position as changemakers in their respective countries for Computer Science at the K-12/Pre-University level. Google is especially focused on partnering with organizations that specifically target girls and currently have the potential to scale their efforts and reach more girls around the world.

Eligibility criteria:  An institution is currently allowed to submit one application per RISE cycle. However, if you have multiple organizations within the University, they can apply separately for the award should their strategies and goals vary.

Applicants are eligible to apply if they are either:

• Running a successful program in CS that they want to expand in terms of reach and depth of impact.
• Currently running a successful wide-reaching program in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) that they want to grow to include CS.
• At a minimum, programs should have regional reach (city, county or state) with the potential to scale nationally and collaborate internationally with similar organizations.
• Programs must target girls and/or underrepresented minority students up to the age of 18. This is not open to programs targeting students already enrolled in University.
• Previous RISE awardees may apply if adding a new dimension to former programs.

Schedule: Interested parties who meet the program criteria (listed below) should submit an application (see required questions below) to David Harrison at david.harrison@rit.edu  no later than 5 pm on September 6, 2013.  

Applications close Mon., Sept. 30, 2013 6pm (Pacific Time). Awards will be announced in July 2014.

An overview of the program and application process is at http://www.google.com/edu/programs/google-rise-awards/

Application Questions:

Please include answers to the following questions in your internal application:

• Project Name
• Project Location(s)
• One paragraph (100 words max) description of the proposed project
• Up to 5 program goals (100 words max)
• Collaborating organizations (if any)
• Proposed dates of activities in 2014
• Proposed program format (workshop, club, course, etc.)
• Targeted demographics (i.e., girls, boys, ethnic minorities, lower socioeconomic areas, etc.)
• Total number of students involved in the program to date
• Number of students involved in the program in 2013
• Proposed number of students involved in the program in 2014
• If you could expand your efforts to reach 10 times more students, what would you need to make this happen (thinking beyond just funding and staffing)?
• How will a Google RISE award impact your program?
• What is your pre- and post-engagement strategy to keep students engaged with CS/STEM?
• How do you measure program success/impact/outcomes?
• Proposed budget (between $15,000 to $50,0000)
• Name(s) of any Googler(s) currently involved with your program