What would YOU create with a $100,000 Investment in your Physical Education Program?

During the spring of 2014, an email announcement arrived in my inbox. When I saw the Farmers Insurance $100,000 Dream Big Teacher Challenge I knew immediately what I’d want to accomplish if I could win the grant. For 17 years, the desire to build a paved fitness trail has been brewing inside of me. Today, it’s a reality.

When I started teaching in 1997, Rockingham County did not have a single bike lane or biking trail in the city limits and only a couple of trails for pedestrians in several parks. Many people in our community are scared to ride bikes on the public roads. Sadly, in 2000 we even lost one of our Turner Ashby High School teaching colleagues when a driver ran off the right side of the road and hit him.

As a physical educator I want to educate my students in as many ways as possible and creating safe places for them to be physically active has been a long-term goal of mine. I had a vision of starting a biking program at our high school, building a trail, adding a cycling curriculum to the four high schools in our division, and changing the entire culture of our community toward physical activity. I started with only a dream and vision but believed that eventually, with a lot of hard work and determination we could succeed.

I became certified to teach a biking unit, rode my bicycle across the USA in 42 days and following that felt like I had the credibility to create a new biking program. I started writing and receiving small $500 and $1000 grants over the years. Ten years later, we had 42 mountain bikes each equipped with a cycling computer to record mileage, riding time, and average miles per hour. The timing was perfect to add a trail and to expand the dimensions of our physical education program.

As of March 2014, all four high schools now have bikes and they are modeling their driver education program after the one I started at TAHS. This was another dream fulfilled and leaves me feeling that I am making an impact on physical education in our community. I encourage all physical educators to set targets so that they have a clear vision of what they are shooting for together with the determination to overcome the hurdles and roadblocks they will inevitably face. While biking across the US, I realized the only way I would reach my goal each day was to keep pedaling. Writing small grants required me to “keep pedaling” and pressing on in order to conquer the bigger opportunities ahead.

And so when the opportunity arose, I applied for the Farmers Insurance $100,000 Dream Big Teacher Challenge. The grant represented Farmers Insurance’s commitment to investing in schools across the country. Applying took a huge amount of work both writing the proposal and getting people to vote. When Turner Ashby High School was selected as a national finalist in September 2014, I had no idea I would need to take on a new role. I became a politician campaigning for voters to support our school. Maybe you were one of them? The two-month voting window showcased the commitment and passion people had for our project. More people than I could ever have hoped for together with local organizations voted daily in support of our proposal. SHAPE America members across the country joined in to vote their support and help us win this grant. During this time, a parent saw me at a basketball game and said, “It’s been many years since I’ve seen our community get behind something like they have for this trail!” Then in December the announcement came. We had won, and in 2015 our students and community can look forward to getting a one-mile paved multi purpose trail.

For me personally there was even more. In addition to being awarded the grant I was invited to ride on the Farmers Insurance Rose Bowl float then attend the Rose Bowl football game featuring Oregon and Florida State. These are memories that will last a lifetime. My husband Tony got to travel with me to Pasadena, CA and everything was provided for us. What a blessing and a gift! Walking into the warehouse where ten of the parade floats were being constructed on December 31st was a sensory overload experience. The aroma in the room hit you at the door and the wonderful smell of roses, various flowers, fruits, vegetables, and all natural materials filled me with excitement. The floats are up to three stories tall and the detail on the floats can only be appreciated when you see them up close. It’s remarkable and quite an artistic undertaking.

The morning of the parade we got to meet actor Jack Black and his middle school teacher Debbie Devine who had such an influence on his life. Seeing all the floats and the people lined along the parade route was exhilarating. I’m sure I had a smile and a look of wonder on my face the entire morning. I chose to stand on the float because I knew that sitting still for three hours was not an option for me! My husband had a grandstand seat and got to see the entire parade while I experienced the day on top of the Farmers Insurance Dream Big Float. After the parade, we were taken by bus to the Rose Bowl game and entered the stadium with over 100,000 fans. There was a sea of green and yellow from all the Oregon fans and being fifteen seats from the field allowed us to see and hear the action up close. The B2 flyover was also special to me because I am a private pilot working on my instrument rating. There were so many first experiences during this trip, and I’m sure I will treasure the memories and relationships I built with the other teachers from across the country who also won $100,000 for their schools.

Back at school, the technology folks helped me to launch a website and a blog so that others can follow the trail development. Photos allow everyone to see the progress. You can see more if you go to www.cindyferek.weebly.com and click the 2 Wheels Squared blog link in the top left hand corner.

Succeeding in this vision could not have been possible without the support of many. I’m especially thankful for the support I received from my principal and the administrators who allowed me to submit the proposal. Over the years they have allowed and encouraged me to spread my wings, trusted my decisions and showed confidence in my ability to secure funding such as the Farmers Insurance grant. Trust takes time to develop but it is worth the effort. Without the support of my school administrators a grant like this would be a huge and perhaps impossible challenge. Before submitting the proposal I sent drafts to my principal, supervisor, and the school division maintenance supervisor so that there was total transparency for the project up front. Communication is key and you have to have people who know your program and have confidence in what to expect from you as a teacher. Doing this earns you the freedom to go after a seemingly impossible project and make it happen!

But less of me and what about you? Grant money is available to all of us but it requires patience, diligence, perseverance, vision, and a determination to get the funds we need to make our dreams come alive.

Here are some suggestions that I found work and will maximize your time and effort:

1. Know what you want to accomplish first and then look for a grant that will match your idea. It is difficult and very time consuming to find a promising grant and then create your idea afterwards.
2. Read the quick FAQs about the grant and see if there are immediate disqualifiers for your idea or program. For example, the grant may only be for the elementary level and you are a secondary teacher, or funds may not permit building or construction of facilities, etc. If you do not qualify, regroup and start searching for other grants.
3. If you meet all the qualifications, find the grant application deadline and ask yourself if you have adequate time to prepare for the grant. For time-consuming grants you must note the deadline and start preparing for the grant deadline the following year if that is more realistic.
4. Read through the application criteria and see what requirements are necessary and determine if are you able to meet all of them.
5. Complete the proposal application and walk away for at least a week and then proofread your work. You will have a fresh set of eyes and be able to evaluate your writing and see if you have met all the critical criteria.

The journey you follow in pursuing your professional dreams can be exciting, arduous, and frustrating but also extremely rewarding. The unknown scares some people away while others are exhilarated by the pursuit. In college we write papers for a grade or to pass a class. Writing a grant is a paper and the reward is money that can purchase equipment to enhance our classrooms and expand our curriculums. New equipment and a willingness to explore new ideas can make a classroom come alive for everyone involved. A grant provides funding and opportunities that can inspire a hunger for learning and empower students to take ownership of their health and wellbeing. And as I learned, grant funding can even unite a community in ways beyond your wildest dreams.

So this year, I encourage you to be a detective who is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to grow your program. Farmers Insurance may even offer the program again and if they do be sure to send in your application in July 2015!

Note: for more information about Cindy’s PE program see her recent article in the March 2014 edition of JOPERD entitled, “Two wheels squared: Taking students on a journey via experiential learning.” This is available free to all SHAPE America members.