The John and Mary Neff Foundation has provided funding to support projects designed to encourage middle school students to study and persist in their interest in mathematics. The Foundation is particularly interested in projects that directly support students from underserved communities, rural communities, and/or indigenous communities.

Each year, we invite proposals from higher education institutions, school districts, or nonprofit organizations establishing projects that actively engage elementary, middle, or high school students beyond the standard curriculum.

Funding Details

• Grants will be up to $6,000 and will be awarded to the organization of the project director for a one-year project.
• In-kind institutional support is expected as an indication of commitment to the project. No indirect costs or fringe benefits are supported.

Types of Projects

All projects should:

• Provide enrichment and extension activities for students which lead to heightened interest in and appreciation of mathematics.
• Encourage students to continue studies of mathematics in high school and college and should better prepare them for those studies
• Be fun and designed to provide active enrichment activities, beyond classroom coursework.

Project Timeline:

• Projects should be conducted over a sufficient period of time to engage student participants in learning and applying new and interesting mathematics that they will not otherwise encounter in their classes.
• Projects may be conducted during summer, during the school year, on weekends, or after school.