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.

Graduation Rate

Announcement on Graduation Rate Increase

The Georgia Department of Education announces an increase in Georgia's High School Graduation Rate. The announcement and specific details are available in a recent press release.

The Power of Story

Telling Stories

In telling and listening to stories, we discover the power of story comes in the sharing. We recognize something of ourselves in the story told by another. The gift is that stories can be told by anyone. Read on for some reflections on this topic.

On May 8, 2008, The Georgia Humanities Council, in partnership with the Office of the Governor, held the 23rd Annual Governor's Awards in Humanities. These awards go to individuals and citizens described by Gov. Perdue in the event's program as enriching "civic life at the local level" and building "character, a sense of community, and citizenship in Georgia".

Jamil Zainaldin, President of the Georgia Humanities Council(GHC) discusses the theme of story in his column for the organization's Spring, 2008 newsletter. In describing story as a core value of the organization's strategic plan, Dr. Zainaldin states that "stories and ideas help us understand ourselves and others". Elaborating, he says stories "help us know who we are, where we come from, and where we are going. It is also important for us to know the stories of others, as they set the context in which we interact."
Another core value statement in the strategic plan states that "thoughtful discussion and reflection enhance learning experiences". Dr. Zainaldin suggests that communication and community traditions have a role to play in this process.

Georgia Graduation Stories

The power of stories influenced the naming of this blog. The Georgia Graduation Stories blog is where stories can be shared about the journey students make from middle grade to high school. Success and challenges are both part of the story. Students, families, educators, community organizations can all tell their part of the story, and we will grow from what we hear from each other. Going digital in a blog format links the tradition of an art form with the world of new media and provides a familiar and accessible tool for students.

If you have a story to share, contact:
bobrien@gpb.org

Defying the Odds Featured at DeKalb Co. Public Library

Literacy Program Features Defying the Odds

The DeKalb County Library System featured Defying the Odds this fall with screenings of the documentary at branch libraries throughout the system. The culminating activity of the series was a presentation by Pamela Roberts, producer of the award winning documentary. Pam and Videographer, Wayne Baumgardner, talked about their experiences following five students who were part of a larger group promised a college education by Merrill Lynch if these students graduated from High School. The documentary begins when the students are in the 10th grade and follows them through to their senior year in High School. The students, families and student mentor, Dr. Barbara Whitaker, all contribute to the stories.

Laura Hauser, in the DeKalb County Public Library Literary Services program, organized the Defying the Odds series. She introduced the program, shared clips from the documentary then invited the audience to participate in an informal discussion of reactions to factors that that all students face as they journey towards a goal of high school graduation. Family support, parent-school relationships and access to technology were some of the main points of conversation.

Defying the Odds first aired in 2002 and was awarded the National CINE Golden Eagle, The Best of Television (Society of Professional Journalists and first place for documentaries in The Green Eye Shade award. Producer Roberts provided a 2008 update on the lives of the 5 students featured in the documentary.

GPB Education's Barbara O'Brien joined the discussion to share the Resource Guide for Educators. This companion document provides the Defying the Odds themes, risk factors for students, strategies for working with at-risk youth, models for making good decisions and much more.

Grants: Spend Money to Make Money

FUNDamentals!

The old saying, “You’ve got to spend money to make money.” is certainly true. However, you can still be frugal in your spending. For example, many grants request you to send the application package (or, in the case of some online applications, separate paper copies of specific pages) by next day air. That can get expensive! Most overnight services offer a selection of delivery times at varying cost—later in the day is cheaper. And, in general the cheapest service still gets it there overnight – just sometime in the afternoon.

But, is next-day air really necessary? Maybe not. Sometimes second-day air will suffice – if you just need to have it delivered by a specific date. Have it delivered late in the day and – well, you do the numbers. You may be able to save more than 60% of what it would cost to send your package by next-day air. You still get all of the same services, though, including package tracking and assured on-time delivery.

Think of this the next time you are putting together a timetable for writing a grant. Back it up another week and save big if you are using overnight delivery.

Sandy Spruill is the Grants Administrator for Georgia Public Broadcasting and a member of the American Association of Grants Professionals.