More Free Grant Writing Workshops for Educators

FUNDamentals!

Free Grant Writing Workshops

Available in November and December

The Foundation Center, a regional library located in Atlanta, GA, offers excellent training. Many basic classes are free. Some of these classes also are available in Spanish.

Online training is also available.

Webinars, again, many are free, are available for those who cannot get to the Foundation Center.

Multiple languages, too! A Proposal Writing Short Course describes how to prepare a funding proposal, including the planning, research, and cultivation of foundation and corporate donors. (Available in English, French, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.)

For other training opportunities, ask your congressional representatives (House and Senate) to put you on the mailing list whenever grant writing training is offered in Georgia, especially in your area. This training is almost always free, and it is always helpful, but registration is required and seats are usually limited.

Also, be sure to check out Foundations for the Future (F3). Subscribe (free) to the F3 Funding Forecast.

Sandy Spruill is the GPB Grants Administrator and Member, American Association of Grants Professionals. The current post was written in response to a Georgia Graduation Stories reader's question.

Webcast: Middle College High School: A Meaningful Option

SOLUTIONS TO THE DROPOUT CRISIS

Middle College High School:

A Meaningful Option

presented by

Dr. Terry B. Grier

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

3:30-4:30 p.m. Eastern Time

*Learn about the history and purpose of the middle college high school concept.

*Find out about the important components of middle college high schools.

*Learn more about the process of implementing this particular kind of alternative school.

Middle college high schools are small high schools for students with academic potential who are not succeeding in traditional high schools or who have already dropped out. These students , located on college campuses, limit enrollment to 140 students or less, and operate on a different structure, location, and schedule. The challenges in this innovative idea will be shred, and implementation strategies will be discussed.

Dr. Terry Grier is Superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District. Prior to this position, Dr. Grier was Superintendent of Guilford County Schools in Greensboro, North Carolina., where he introduced middle college high schools and implemented them on six different college campuses there. He has published over 45 articles in educational journals, presented at numerous educational conferences, and consulted nationally and internationally. Among his accomplishements include receiving the American Association of School Administrators' Effie H. Jones Award for his support of women and minorities in education.

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
Supplementary materials are now available online. All necessary information about participating fully in this professional development opportunity is found on the website. For further questions, contact the National Dropout Prevention Center or call 864.656.2580.

PARTICIPATION IN THE WEBCAST
Participation in this webcast is free and no registration is required. The program will be archived in its entirety on the website. On the day of the webcast, link to the broadcast. If you have trouble with the link, copy and paste the entire address listed below into your web browser:

http://guest.cvent.com/i.aspx?1Q,P1,F063CEFD-2B16-4933-9440-BC7ACFDCF044

Story from Stockbridge Middle School

HEAR FROM THE GRADUATION COACH

First of all, this is truly the best job in the world, and I work with some of the most articulate young people I’ve ever met. Last year was the first year that Graduation Coaches were in the Middle School. Here at Stockbridge Middle, we began the Liberty Club in October 2007; it was formed for those students who needed extra care and needed to focus on behavior, academics, and/or attendance.

We are called the Liberty Club because of something I heard while visiting the Statue of Liberty in New York. This enthusiastic guide from Tennessee told us this story: When the French designer wanted to make a gift to the United States, he wanted to find a symbol of freedom. While searching, he found a saying in mythology which he thought was appropriate. Liberte said it and it went like this, “I can control myself so no one else has to.” To the designer of the Statue of Liberty, these were the words of freedom and Liberte holding the torch was the perfect symbol of freedom. He designed the Statue of Liberty and made a gift of it to the people of the U.S. for the 100^th anniversary of the founding of our country.

In the SMS Liberty Club, we’ve adopted Liberte’s motto, and the students know and recite it. They fill out membership forms which are signed by the student and his or her parents. There are about 50 students in the Liberty Club now but I see our numbers growing. This is a work-in-progress; however, we see improvements. As in anything, we are asking students to change behavior and some days it does feel like two steps forward and four back. As a Graduation Coach we model those words “Never give Up.” I wanted to share with you one of the things I’m doing in my school. My hope is that we will always have Graduation Coaches in our schools.

Thank you to Ronda Bowe Kustick, Middle School Graduation Coach at Stockbridge Middle School for submitting this article to the Georgia Graduation Stories blog.

Georgia Work Ready Certificate

Did you know you can get certified “Work Ready” – and it’s Free!

www.gaworkready.org

Job seekers of all ages, what can you do with what you know? How “trainable” are you? Hundreds of employers across Georgia want to know, and if you take the four Georgia Work Ready Certificate Assessments, you will find out!

This valuable credential not only shows your skill level (Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum), but actually explains what you can do on the job with the skills you have. What a great supplement to your education and previous work experience!

Check out sample assessment questions in the areas of Applied Mathematics, Locating Information, and Reading for Information. Read about the Talent Assessment. When you are ready to earn your certificate, contact your local Technical College. Check out assessment schedules and locations.


Thank you to Kary Gilkeson, Director, Georgia Work Ready/Workforce Training Manager at Chattahoochee Technical College for providing this information on Georgia's Work Ready Initiative. The initiative, a program of the Governor's Office of Workforce Development, provides assessment, certificate and skills gap training for job seekers and Work Ready Certificates to profile job tasks and skills for potential employers.

Webcast: Teen Parent Program

SOLUTIONS TO THE DROPOUT CRISIS

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Pasco (Washington) School District Teen Parent Program:
Our Children Are Our Legacy

presented by

Christy Challender

*Learn how a Teen Parent Program can both prepare young parents for self-sufficiency while reducing subsequent pregnancies.
*Find out how a Teen Parent Program assures success by partnering with other community agencies.

Christy Challender will discuss the Pasco School district's model for addressing the needs of teen parents in the community so they can make their destination graduation. The program was established in 1997 to remove many of the obstacles faced by teen parents therefore reducing their risk of dropping out. Topics to be specifically discussed will include: Program Goals, Program Benefits, Curriculum, The Work Experience Component and Program Highlights. This program holds valuable insights and recommendationd for school districts and communities looking to support their teen parents.

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

Supplementary materials are now available online. All necessary information about participating fully in this professional development opportunity is found on the website. For further questions, contact the National Dropout Prevention Center or call 864.656.2580.

PARTICIPATION IN THE WEBCAST

Participation in this webcast is free and no registration is required. The program will be archived in its entirety on the website. On the day of the webcast, link to the broadcast.

If you have trouble with the link, copy and paste the entire address listed below into your web browser:

http://guest.cvent.com/i.aspx?1Q,P1,F063CEFD-2B16-4933-9440-BC7ACFDCF044

Latino Youth Leadership Conference

The Latin American Association’s

9^th Annual Latino Youth Leadership Conference

INSPIRE, PREPARE & MOTIVATE

WHAT: The southeast’s premier Latino Youth Leadership Conference in its ninth edition.

WHEN: October 18, 2008; 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: Georgia State University, Atlanta GA

Creating YOUR Masterpiece! ¡Creando TU Obra Maestra!

Over 1,300 students along with 190 parents and about 80 teachers will attend the southeast’s premier conference on Latino Youth Leadership this coming October. In its ninth year, this conference deals with a wide variety of topics for students, teachers and parents, including education, leadership, diversity and challenges facing youth today.

Students will interact with peers from all over the state of Georgia and work on topics ranging from college preparation to gang prevention. Since its inception in 2000, the conference’s attendance has been growing annually, with last year’s attendance exceeding six times the attendance at the first conference. The day is filled with opportunities for students, parents and teachers to interact with all of the major universities in the metro Atlanta area who attend the event as exhibitors. The attendees also have the chance to hear success stories from world renowned keynote speakers. This event has become the catalyst for Latino youth in Georgia to pursue their educational goals and improve their chances of success.

Sponsors for the event include: Turner Broadcasting, Comcast, WalMart, The Coca Cola Company, State Farm and Wachovia.

Questions? Please Contact:

Massiel Silva

Youth Coordinator, Annual Latino Youth Leadership Conference

Latin American Association – 2750 Buford Highway – Atlanta GA 30324

Email: msilva@thelaa.org.

The Latin American Association helps Latino families achieve their aspirations for their academic, social and economic development. We accomplish this through direct programs and integrated community partnerships that focus on youth academic achievement, education and prevention, and services to families with urgent needs. The LAA offers employment, immigration and translation services, as well as programs for youth, computer classes, parenting classes, and English and Spanish language classes.

Grants for Educators

GRANT SUGGESTIONS

Teaching Tolerance Grants for Teachers and Classrooms,
Since 1997, they have awarded more than $1 million in funding to support classroom teachers' efforts to reduce prejudice, improve intergroup relations or support professional development in these areas.

The Best Buy Teach Award program recognizes creative uses of interactive technology in K-12 classrooms. Winning programs focus on kids using technology to learn standards-based curriculum, rather than on teaching students to use technology or educators using technology that children aren't able to use hands-on. The purpose of the Best Buy Teach Award program is to reward schools for the successful interactive programs they have launched using available technology. Please do not be discouraged from applying if your school does not have the most current equipment. Applications must be completed and submitted online by 11:59 p.m. Eastern DST on October 12, 2008. Awards will be announced on March 2, 2009.

The Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy is a one-week all-expense-paid intensive professional development program for third- through fifth-grade teachers. The Academy offers a five-day program designed to provide third- through fifth-grade teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to motivate students to pursue careers in science and math. Application for the 2009 Academy are due by October 31, 2008.

Target will award 5,000 Field Trip Grants of up to $800 each during the 2008-2009 school year. That adds up to 5,000 more opportunities for students to explore more of the world outside the classroom.Visit the zoo. Go backstage at a local theater. Tour a museum. Explore more with a Field Trip Grant from Target. online anytime between now and Nov. 1, 2008.

For years Wild Ones® members and chapters have worked with schools and nature centers to plant and maintain natural landscapes in these centers of learning. In 1996, the Wild Ones Board of Directors started the Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education (SFE) Fund to further foster such projects.

Classrooms throughout the U.S. are invited to enter the PFK “Play with Your Produce Healthy Challenge” contest for Fall 2008. All entering classrooms will receive coupons and discounts for fresh produce, sample lesson plans with fun fruit & veggie activities, discounts on nutrition books and curricula, and Produce for Kids goodies for the classroom.

A partnership between Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. , Inc. and the National Science Teachers Association, the Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Science Teachers program offers grants to K–12 science teachers for innovative projects that enhance science education in the school and/or school district. 50 large grants and a minimum of 20 mini-grants, totaling $550,000 in all, will be awarded this year.

Captain Planet Foundation ALL PROJECTS MUST: Promote understanding of environmental issues. Focus on hands-on involvement .Involve children and young adults 6-18 (elementary through high school) .Promote interaction and cooperation within the group .Help young people develop planning and problem solving skills .Include adult supervision

Website for more grant information. I suggest this website:
http://www.grantsalert.com/

Cynthia Rutledge is School Improvement Specialist at the Oconee RESA. This article was originally published in the T.I.E. Network blog.