Lawrence training scholarships, Bluth field trip grant available

ALBANY, N.Y. — The National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) has released details on a scholarship that benefits school bus driver trainers, and a grant that will enable NAPT members to help bring learning to life for students in their community and enhance their classroom studies.

Peter Lawrence, director of transportation at Fairport (N.Y.) Central School District, and his wife, Linda, an art teacher at Greece (N.Y.) Central School District, created the Peter and Linda Lawrence Training Scholarships. The Lawrences have again endowed four scholarships that will help four bus driver trainers or front line supervisors who work for a school district or bus company attend the NAPT Summit this year in Grand Rapids, Mich., from Oct. 19 to 24. The scholarships cover the registration fees for the Summit.

“We have created this endowment to give back to an industry that does noble work for students across our great nation,” Peter Lawrence said.  “We hope driver trainers take advantage of the opportunity, and we are looking forward to reviewing their applications.”

Candidates must have held an industry position for at least three years, and applicants must submit a cover letter that contains a brief statement of financial need and two letters of recommendation. The letters of recommendation must be from the applicant’s immediate supervisor and/or school district or company administrator.   

The letter should detail how the candidate’s professional capabilities and personal integrity justify receiving the scholarship. A description of why he or she would like to receive the scholarship, what the applicant hopes to achieve by attending and how the training will further enhance the candidate’s effectiveness as a trainer is also required.  

A downloadable application is available here. The deadline to submit an application to NAPT is Sept. 13, and officials said a formal announcement declaring the winners will be made on Sept. 20.

In other news, NAPT Past President Dr. Linda F. Bluth and her partner, Betsy Eisman, a nurse, have endowed their annual grant to help NAPT members provide an enhanced learning experience for students.

In 2009, Bluth and Eisman committed $500 a year for 10 years to cover the cost of transportation, entry fees, supplies and classroom resource materials so that teachers may continue using the experiential learning gained from math and science, language, social studies and arts-focused field trips.

“We intend for this grant to provide children who might not otherwise have the opportunity with a special field trip experience,” Bluth and Eisman said. “We are also pleased to acknowledge the importance of the yellow school bus as a means of accessing invaluable learning opportunities.”

Bluth-Eisman Field Trip Grant recipients will be selected based on the following criteria: the description of the field trip and its objectives; benefits to students; tie-in to the school curriculum; the number of students who would be impacted; and proposed use of funds.  

In 2013, preference for one field trip will be given to children with disabilities in the Baltimore Public School System in honor of Dr. Caselia Scott Burgess. Field trips for preschool children attending Head Start and Infants and Toddlers Programs will receive the highest priority. The applicant must be an NAPT member and employed by an accredited K-12 public, private or charter school in the U.S., having a 501(c)(3) or 509(a)(1) tax-exempt status.  

Officials said a downloadable application for the Bluth-Eisman Field Trip Grant will be available on the NAPT website on or before Aug. 30, 2013. NAPT members can apply for the 2013-14 Bluth-Eisman Field Trip Grant from Aug. 30 to Oct. 1. A formal announcement declaring the winner will be made during this year’s NAPT Summit in Grand Rapids.