Grants for Academic Decathlon
Every year thousands of students participate in Academic Decathlon programs to test their knowledge and compete with students from other schools. As the name suggests, Academic Decathlon includes 10 scholarly events based on a single topic that Decathlon officials reveal at the beginning of a school year. To pay for their participation, students and schools rely on funding from several sources, including grants.
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State Decathlon Grants
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While the Academic Decathlon is a national program, each state has its own administration to run Decathlon competitions throughout the state before a state champion moves on to the national competition. State Academic Decathlon organizations are one source of grant funding for schools new to the program or haven't participated recently. For example, the Wisconsin Academic Decathlon offers startup grants to schools that haven't participated in at least five years.
Local Grants
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Local education groups are another major source of grant funding for Academic Decathlon programs. These include school district education foundations, parent teacher organizations, extracurricular activity funds and nonprofit community organizations that focus on education or activities for young people. The amount of money these local organizations have for grants varies greatly from one school district to another based on the economic circumstances of district residents and the affluence of the community.
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Uses
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Regardless of the source of grants, schools that receive Academic Decathlon grants can use them for many of the same basic expenditures. Except for schools that receive grants directly from their state Academic Decathlon to cover entry fees, schools that wish to participate must pay fees to help fund the state organization and cover the cost of holding competitions. Schools with Academic Decathlon programs also need to purchase study guides for students to prepare for competition. Some schools may invest additional money for teachers who coach Academic Decathlon teams, computers, books and travel to and from meets.
Outcome
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Academic Decathlon programs may be targeted when school districts seek places to make budget cuts. Schools that are able to allocate budget money or use grants to continue an Academic Decathlon provide their students with another entry point into learning, both during the school day and beyond. Students who participate in Academic Decathlon often earn college scholarships, either through the program or from colleges and other organizations that value participation in Academic Decathlon and other extracurricular academic programs.
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