Under One Sun...

It's been a lucky few weeks around here. I had to share the news. I was awarded for a grant.

 Under One Sun...Celebrating Diversity For Everyone!

To say I was excited would have been an understatement. I share this story with you because I learned a few things along the way this time around.

This project has been near and dear to my heart for a couple of years now. From the year that I tested and tried out new activities and lessons with my Kindergarten class, and the following year that I retested and retried and reworked the lessons, the year I submitted the grant proposal and didn't win to this year and 26 edits that made me almost quit.

In print it looks easy.

You hear the story and it seems simple.

After about the 10th rejection email I was really beginning to wonder if this was even worth it to try. I had so many versions of the same grant proposal I was starting to assign letters to each version. I will admit I was a little stubborn and didn't want to change a few things that I felt was the foundation of the project. Every single time I thought I had it right, I got another email...REJECT! In the last hours I got a call from the grant office. Just when I thought it was finished... A phone call this time around. On my way home I was thinking about another night of countless edits and little sleep just to wake up and do it all over again. And I sat looking at my computer and thought what really would be the point in another edit and another submission just to be followed up with another reject? But I remembered the last thing that was said in that phone conversation.

I believe in your project...you can do this.

Simple words at just the right time. And those simple words made me think and then take action. Just as I sent the last version I thought about what she had said and how powerful words can be. It made me think of making sure I use those powerful words with the children in my class. It made me think of the strugglers. I felt like a struggler in this process. I wondered if powerful words could push them to do it just one more time even when it seems to feel hopeless. And it made me also think that it was in that last and final conversation that I had with the grant office that made something click. I FINALLY understood what they were asking me to change. It took me 26 times to get it right. It took someone 26 times to help me through the process. I guess the outcome would have been different if she had given up on me at edit 25.

Source: Uploaded by user via Nancy on Pinterest

So, thank you PL.
And a special thanks to the Education Foundation for believing in me SEVEN times over!