Educator Alert from the Texas A&M University Floating Classroom Program

Homeport – Matagorda, TX

Our group scholarship fund is rapidly shrinking…and it requires an extra-ordinary commitment of time and energy to constantly replenish it! Therefore, we would ask you to graciously consider working with us in locating the funds needed to provide your students (or youth group members) the exciting opportunity to attend our self-supported Floating Classroom Program.

We can readily supply you with a custom-tailored one-page funding request for you to give to prospective “local” supporters of youth education in your home community. To initiate this process you need only:

1. Project how many days your group would like to book the Floating Classroom Program (54 persons per day is our reservation limit);

2. Use this to calculate the total amount needed (i.e., $1,000/day multiplied by the number of days);

3. Provide us a list of 3 or more potential “local” donors (i.e., area businesses or community/trade organizations with youth education interests);

4. Take each specifically-tailored proposal to the manager or owner of the business, or the key officer in a community-minded organization, and spend a maximum of 10 to 15 minutes using this tool to entice them to support your request for funds; and

5. Report back to us the outcome of your effort(s) and, if successful, confirm a visitation date (or dates) with us so we can put your group on the Floating Classroom booking calendar.
   

A sample one-page proposal is attached so you may enjoy a fuller understanding of this cooperative approach to fundraising that facilitates youth/student participation in the coastal learning adventure. As you should readily see, we can put the name of any prospective donor you identify into an exclusive proposal for your use in approaching the supporter(s) identified by you. The same applies to the total amount of funding your group wishes to request. You could ask for all or part of the amount needed.

NOTE: This easy-going approach has been field tested by practicing classroom teachers…and IT WORKS!