SRI and Palm are seeking innovative, but feasible, projects that will help evaluate how Palms can be used in educational settings. Classrooms must be prepared to allow occasional visits from researchers, and teachers may be asked to attend a workshop at SRI International. The first round of grants already have been made to classrooms with existing programs using Palms. This deadline is for schools that would be incorporating Palms for the first time. Approximately 80 of the grants will be made in this phase.
Applications are online only.
Grants can be used for up to 70 percent of the cost of equipment, but USDA states that ongoing maintenance of equipment is the responsibility of the program initiators. USDA suggest that a strong potential project might use rural libraries and other community facilities as distance learning centers, linking them with online resources or regional institutions. Applicants must be local education agencies serving rural or inner-city communities. Through a wide array of programs, the foundation tries to promote computer literacy and computer access for all. Sponsors of the organization include such prestigious groups of MIT's Center for Information Technology and Society, the Detwiler Foundation, and the East West Foundation, as well as lesser-known organizations that have recycled and repaired thousands of used computers and distributed them in underserved communities.