Football Friday: Newnan vs Northside [Warner Robins]

The "Road to the Dome" makes one final stop at Drake Stadium home of the Newnan Cougars. They take on the Northside [Warner Robins] Eagles. Both teams competed in nail biting contests last week, both winning by less than a touchdown. Northside is looking to recapture the state title they won in 2006, but they must defeat the Cougars, a feat no team has accomplished all year.

Tune in to gpb.org/football to enjoy this thrilling showcase of the future of football.

Georgia Football Friday's

On this week's edition of "The Road to the Dome" The Lions of Peachtree Ridge HS clash with the undefeated Collins Hill HS Eagles. Peachtree Ridge hosts the matchup at "The Lions Den." Click here to find out more about the team and the school. You can also find out more about Collins Hill and their team here.

GA HS Sports: Avondale & Blessed Trinity HS

Avondale & Blessed Trinity HS

Beyond the Game

Friday night is Football night for most Georgia high schools. Georgia Public Broadcasting and Score Atlanta are collaborating to cover the 2009 high school football season from the first game to the season championships at the Georgia Dome. Check out the Football Fridays in Georgia website for stats, interviews and live streaming of the game. We are all proud of our student athletes and their accomplishments on the field each week. Here are some facts and programs you might not know about our featured schools.

Avondale High School

1192 Clarendon Road

Avondale Estates, GA 30002

www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/Avondalehs

The origins of Avondale High School predate its current community of Avondale Estates. Avondale High School began in 1906 as The Ingleside School, located near DeKalb County's Scottdale community. The faculty numbered 7. Today's 2009 high school is a DeKalb County school with a student body of over 1,000 and faculty and staff of 77.

The mission of Avondale High School posted on the school's website is to prepare all students for college by blending rigourous academic and vocational studies, providing numerous opportunities for Advanced Placement courses, and creating a culture of high expectations.

Avondale students can participate in a long list of clubs and afterschool activities including the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps (AFJROTC). Cadets in this program participate in Aerospace Science Instruction as well as Leadership and Fitness training.

The Avondale High School Touchdown Club, a 501 (c) (3) Private Foundation, has been form

ed to honor the rich history of excellence displayed by the Avondale High School football teams between 1951-1989 and to ensure that the legacy comes alive in today's teams and young football players at Avondale High School.

Bob Burgess, an Avondale alum and former Blue Devils football team member, recalls his grandfather's story of attending The Ingleside School and his father's experience of playing football before it was an 11-man team. Mr. Burgess got his start playing football in the Midway community. Students as young as the 5th grade could start learning the game and earn the experience that would ultimatley create a "feeder" system for AHS. With these deep community roots, Mr. Burgess remembers Avondale's state championship teams, 6,000 fans in the stands every Friday night, scholarships for the players and young student athletes who grew into successful

adults.

This is the legacy that he and the current leadership of the Touchdown Club (Billy Bourn, Bruce Brown, Rick Brown, Calvin Lott, Flemm Mitchell, John Plagman, Johnny Lawson, Perry Stringer and Stacy Burnette) wants to to make sure is available to this new generation of of Blue Devils football teams. Whether it is football socks and shoes, helmets and uniforms, pre-games meals, field equipment along with any other of the many items a team needs, or a cheering fan in the stands, these young players will know what it means to be part of this new community of supports.

Mr. Burgess describes the new Blue Devils team as young men who want to play football, become winners on the field and in the classroom, and who need community help to reach those goals. Visit the website for the Avondale High School Return to Excellence Campaign to learn more about the 2009-2010 team and the efforts of the Touchdown Club to support it.

Blessed Trinity Catholic High School

11320 Woodstock Road

Roswell, GA 30075

www.btcatholic.org

The Class of 2003 was the Charter Class for Blessed Trinity Catholic High School, a co-educational college preparatory institution of Catholic Education of North Georgia, Inc. In the 2007-2008 school year, 8 houses were created at Blessed Trinity to create smaller communities for and to foster a sense of belonging for students. The 40 elected student leaders from each of the 8 houses make up Blessed Trinity's Student Government.

Frank Moore, Blessed Trinity Principal and faculty member, Kathy Hoffman wanted to share the story of Blessed Trinity's Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter. Blessed Trinity's Campus Chapter was initiated 6 years ago through the efforts of a Blessed Trinity Junior and her dad. Now Chapter Advisor Kathy Hoffman reports that over 200 students sign up on Club Day each year to be eligible to participate in the organized "builds" that take place on 3 Saturdays throughout the school year.

A special building project was held on March 21, 2009 when the moms and students from Blessed Trinity and Marist came together for Habit for Humanity Women Build. The group of volunteers were asigned the task of begininng construction on TWO homes in South Atlanta. Beginning with bare slabs of concrete, their efforts by the end of the day had the structures ready for roof construction.

These are just two examples of why Blessed Trinity's Habitat for Humity Campus Chapter has been named one of the top 5 Campus Chapter in the country for 2009. Ms. Hoffman explained that the "Campus" designation refers to more than 400 college and high schools, increasing the competition but also increasing the prestiqe of the award. Criteria for the award include education, advocating, building and fundraising. Ms. Hoffman and Emily Hogan, Student Body President, will accept the award in Chicago at the Habitat for Humanity Annual Youth Conference.

Blessed Trinity has received a $5,000 Matching Grant from State Farm as well as a $2,000 Sta

te Grant towards the school's goalof participating in the Habitat for Humanity Global Village Program.

Visit the website for more information on Habitat for Humanity International.

Remember, visit GPB's Football Fridays in Georgia website as your source for half-time interviews in the Press Box and streaming of the game.

GA HS Sports: Carver-Columbus & Baldwin HS

Carver-Columbus & Baldwin HS
Beyond the Game

Friday night is Football night for most Georgia high schools. Georgia Public Broadcasting and Score Atlanta are collaborating to cover the 2009 high school football season from the first game to the season championships at the Georgia Dome. Check out the Football Fridays in Georgia website for stats, interviews and live streaming of the game. We are all proud of our student athletes and their accomplishments on the field each week. Here are some facts and programs you might not know about our featured schools.

Georgia Washington Carver High School

3100 8th Street
Columbus, GA 31906

http://www.carverhighschool.com/

On Fridays, the "on the field focus" is on the student athletes and the game they play. Mr. Christopher Lindsey, Carver Principal, asked Georgia Graduation Stories to focus on Carver's Math, Science, & Technology magnet program for our Beyond the Game feature. Thank you to Ms. Joyce Lee for providing information on the Integrated Math, Science & Technology Magnet Program (IMST).

Begun in 1991, Carver's IMST program was designed to serve students who exemplify a strong interest and aptitude in Math and in Science combined with an emphasis on Technology. Students with a strong interest in Math, Science and Technology move through a hands-on curriculum in those areas. In addition, the program offers a well rounded, individualized curriculum for all students. To qualify for the IMST program at Carver, students must successfully complete Advanced Math and maintain a cumulative average of 3.0 or higher in all Math and Science courses. In addition, prospective students must present a letter of recommendation from both a Science and a Math teacher, acceptable scores on standardized tests and an interview with the Principal or Lead Teacher. Magnet School students are required to balance accomplishments at the school with those in the community. For school, each student develops and completes an in-depth research project and a senior seminar. In addition, each student is required to volunteer a minimum of 20 hours annually toward Service Learning and must participate in various Math and Science competitions.

Listed below are just a few of the accomplishments and success stories of the students at Carver's Integrated Math, Science & Technology program:

* 100% pass rate on all portions of the Georgia High School Graduation Test on the first attempt

*Presidential scholarships to major universities

*Recruitment of graduations by such post secondary institutions as University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Auburn University, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame and Tuskegee

*Student appointment to the United States Military Academ at West Point and to the United States Naval Academy

*Winner of Sony Student Abroad Program in Japan

*Regional and state winners at Science Fair and at Math competions

Baldwin High School

110 North ABC Street

Milledgeville, GA 31061

http://baldwin.schooldesk.net/

Mr. Lyn Chandler, Principal, provided background information on Baldwin that describes a High School that is working hard to support and focus on the education needs of all the students in the school.

Educating Everyone Takes Everyone

Educate to Graduate

This philosophy describes the approach the faculty and staff use to educate the approximately 1,400 Baldwin students. Indications are that their approach is working. There has been an upward trajectory in Baldwin's graduation rate, including a marked increase in 2008 (69.3%) and 2009. These statistics are matched by a corresponding decrease in the student dropout rate.

Milestones for Baldwin High School include:

*Govenor's Challenge Cup Award for Gain on the SAT

*Georiga Work Ready Grant

*II-D ITEE Grants in Science & Math

*Enterprise Small Learning Communities Grant

*GLRS SPDG Project (Georgia Graduation / Dropout Prevention Project

Athletics, particularly Football and Basketball, are an outstanding feature at Baldwin High School. Another point of pride for the BHS community is the school's Visual and Performing Arts program. Baldwin High School is one of the few Georgia high schools with a program that students can follow to earn a Fine Arts Endorsement on their diploma. Students can participate in Band, Choral, Dance and Theater as well as Visual Arts and Gallery work. Fame, the Musical is scheduled to be the Theater Department's fall '09 production.

The big news is that Baldwin High School is renovating and building a new Fine Arts Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, complete with a 1,000 seat auditorium. Thank you to Mr. Lyn Chandler, Baldwin's Principal, for the images of the soon to be Fine Arts Center.

See more pictures in a slide show format.

Grady HS Art Students Create Dinosaur Feet for GPB

Grady HS Art Students & GPB Collaborate on Dinosaur Project

Is it a bad dream or have you been seeing dinosaur feet all over Metro Atlanta? You are not dreaming. The feet are as real as possible for being the appendages of creatures long gone from earth. The feet are 4' tall; one pair organge; one pair green. They have been spotted on top of cars, at soccer games, church parking lots, at a children's museum and at other dinosaur friendly locations. They were created to draw attention to Georgia Public Broadcasting's Dinosaur Week, September 13-18, 2009.

Students in both the set design and sculpture classes at Grady High School, under the leadership of Art Chair, John Brandhorst, crafted the feet. Sophomore Iris Schaer took a leading roll in the initial phases of the project. The feet were sketched out, carved and molded from styrofoam then painted and treated with two coats of urathene to create a resilient surface.


Mr. Brandhorst accepted the commission from Georgia Public Broadcasting in order to provide his students with a real and connected project that mirrors industrial design projects in the real world of work.

Check out the slide show to see complete process for making dinosaur feet.



The structures are modeled after the feet of characters Buddy and Tiny from Dinosaur Train, the new PBS pre-school program created by the Jim Henson Company. The show combines a child's love of trains and dinosaurs while encouraging basic scientific thinking and skills along with learning about natural science, history and paleontology.


Check out the great offerings from GPB Television, Radio and Education as we all celebrate Dinosaur Week!





Thank you to John Brandhorst for the photographs documenting the creation of the dinosaur feet by the Grady HS students.

GA HS Sports: McEachern HS & Woodstock HS

McEachern HS & Woodstock HS

Beyond the Game

Friday night is Football night for most Georgia high schools. Georgia Public Broadcasting and Score Atlanta are collaborating to cover the 2009 high school football season from the first game to the season championships at the Georgia Dome. Check out the Football Fridays in Georgia website for stats, interviews and live streaming of the game.
We are all proud of our student athletes and their accomplishments on the field each week. Here are some facts and programs you might not know about our featured schools.

McEachern High School

2400 New Macland Road

Powder Springs, Ga 30127

www.mceachernhigh.org

When asked about the historic setting for McEarchern High School, Principal Regina Montgomery talked about meeting folks who attend grades 1-12 at this school in its earlier days. She has also met families that go beyond that to enroll their children and even grandchildren in the current McEarchern. A statement from the website school website states that "our traditions are based on a quality education and high standards for all." A McEachern alum describes his experiences at the school as being the product of a top notch facility and outstanding teachers and providing him with all the tools he needed for success.

What is now McEachern High School began in 1908 as the Seventh District Argricultural and Mechanical (A & M) School. The donation of land and the financial support of John Newton McEachern and other community leaders made the original building project possible. In 1933, the A & M School closed and a consolidated Cobb Co. school was created, later named for John McEarchern. Visit the school website to learn more of the history and to see photographs from each era and school programs.

McEachern offers programs and services to students in grades 9-12 in academics, fine arts, athletics and organizations. Students in grade 9 meet most of their classes in the Freshman Center. In the spring of their 8th grade year, rising Freshman are registered for the Center. This program allows teachers and students to be in tune with educational needs and fosters habits of success at this critical juncture of high school education.

Woodstock High School

2010 Town Lake S Drive

Woodstock, GA 30189

www.cherokee.k12.ga.us/Schools/woodstock-hs

Woodstock High School opened in 1996 with freshman and sophore classes. Each year, a new class of freshman was added until the full 9-12 education program was implemented. Current students can select from tech-prep to advanced placement courses. The 1998-1999 school year marked the begining of varsity sports at Woodstock. Their teams are know as the Wolverines.

Freshman students and their success are still an important part of Woodstock High School today.The Wolverine Academy (Freshman Academy) was created in the 2008-2009 school year. It allows 9th grade students to make the transition to high school while offering the structure they need to perform well academically and socially through a supportive school environment. Wolverine Academy leadership is provided by an Assisstant Principal, Graduation Coach, Guidance Counselor and Careers Facilitator. Statistics provided by Woodstock High School indicate that the passing rate for freshman has increased from 72% to 84% after just one year of the program. Visit the Wolverine Academy website for more details on the program and to learn the names of the Outstanding Freshman for the Week.

GA Graduation and Collaboration Coaches Highlighted

SOLUTIONS TO THE DROPOUT CRISIS

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

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

Graduation & Collaboration Coaches: Working Effectively Together

presented by
Dr. Laura Brown and Ms. Fran Bay

*Learn how Graduation & Collaboration Coaches have contributed to an increase in Georgia's Graduation rate

*Learn about the roles of these Graduation & Collaboration Coaches

This webcast will address a framework for dropout prevention that has been effective in Georgia. The state's Graduation Coach program provides early intervention services to students at risk for dropping out of school. The state's graduation rate has increased from 72.3% in 2007 to 75.4% in 2008 - a record high. This 3.1% rate increase represents 8,277 additional graduates for the 2007-2008 school year. The State's dropout rate decreased from 4.1% to 3.7%. Georgia also funds Collaboration Coaches to assist middle and high schools in developing support for students with disabilities. Schools implement strategies for engaging students academically and behaviorally as well as focusing on affective needs.

On the day of the webcast, log on 10-30 minutes early to ensure you are connected to the broadcast @ www.dropoutprevention.org/webcast. You should just hear music until the program begins @ 3:30. If you have problems connecting, call Eric Rodgers @ 864.656.4550.

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. This webcast is produced with support from Penn Foster. If you have trouble with the link, copy and paste the entire address listed below into your web browser:

http://www.dropoutprevention.org/webcast

Student's Art for an Important Cause

Georgia Student Wins Contest to Prevent Youth Gambling Problems

Cedric Brown is the 1st place winner in a contest sponsored by The Pathelogical Gambling Project sponsored by the social research lab at Georgia State University. In a drawing using acrylics, Cedric spoke to the idea that gambling is a destructive influence. Because he is interested in a career in visual arts, Cedric felt it was best to take advantage of this opportunity. He also said that since he is now a high school graduate, he is no longer eligible for as many opportunities available for young people. Hearing about the opportunity to participate in billboard campaign, Cedric said he "would take my last shot". As a first place winner, Cedric received a cash prize and will see his artwork on display on four billboards located throughout Georgia.

Followers of the Georgia Graduation Stories blog will recognize Cedric as one of the seven young people who traveled to China in 2008 as part of the Metro Atlanta's Boys & Girls Clubs' (Youth Art Connection) Beijing Program. Check out the posts under the Beijing Program labels.
You can also see the online version of the recently released China Book.

Cedric is a 2009 graduate of DeKalb County's Redan High School, and he will be attending Georgia Perimeter College this fall.

THE CONTEST

The Billboard Campaign on Youth Gambling Prevention was one strategy of the Pathological Gambling Project at Georgia State to prevent early onset of gambling problems among Geogia's youth. The Project used social marketing networks to address the fact that young people are at high risk for this problem.

The Project has the support of Gov. Sonny Perdue through his annual proclamations issued the 1st week of March on gambling prevention. MARTA message boards in their train stations and college radio stations are other outlets for this important message.

For more information, contact
Ayana Perkins, MA
Intervention Coordinator
GSU Pathological Gambling Project
404.663.1506
asperkins7@student.gsu.edu


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Georgia Students Invited to Join State Advisory Council

Superintendent Cox Seeks Student Advisors

Are you able to describe the biggest issue confronting students in your school? Do you have ideas as to how to address the issue?
What do you think a world-class education for you and your peers should be?

If these are questions that matter to you, and you think you have something to contribute to this discussion, then consider applying for membership in Superintendent Cox's Student Advisory Council.

Georgia High School Students are invited to apply for a state level leadership opportunity. State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox is accepting applications for her 2009-2010 Student Advisory Council.

The members of the Student Advisory Council meet three times during the school year with Superintendent Cox to discuss how decisions made at the state level are affecting students throughout Georgia. Members are advisors and act as liaisons between the Department of Education and the students of Georgia.

All students in grades 9-12 are eligible to apply. Meeting dates are:
November 9, 2009
January 25, 2010
March 8, 2010
(dates are subject to change.)
Applicants should be able to attend all three meetings.

To be eligible for the Council, applications must be received by September
30, 2009.

Interested students should contact:
Courtney Burnett, External Affairs
(404) 657-1340
cburnett@gadoe.org

Follow Georgia Graduation Stories on Facebook.

See What's New

NEW FEATURES FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR!

GPB’s Georgia Graduation Stories blog is now on Facebook! Be one of the first to become a member of the group and share your support for all Georgia students making the incredible journey towards the goal of High School graduation.

Facebook is just one of the new features we are adding for the new school year. Stay in touch so you don’t miss out on any of the stories, pictures and resources.

"Jumpstart to Success" Summer Academy

Summer Academy for High School Freshman

Frederick Douglass High School

Some Atlanta Public School (APS) students will be ready for school even before the 2009-2010 school year officially begins. APS is offering a High School readiness program to incoming Freshman. "Jumpstart to Success" Summer Academy is being held July 20-31, 2009 at the district's high school and small learning communities.

Frederick Douglass HS Social Studies Teacher, Daryl Hardnett

Students who attend the Summer Academy get to preview the High School experience by meeting administrators and teachers, learning the physical layout of the campus, taking core courses and gaining tips on effective study habits. Students will also find information about extra-curricular activities, High School graduation requirements and career options.


View Atlanta Public Schools Press Release

Thank you to Kimberly Willis Green, APS Communications Officer, for providing story information and photographs for this blog post.

Champions at Work: Student Success Through SkillsUSA

Students Ready for the Workplace

Buses pull up in front of the building. Students unload and move to their classroom, ready for a day of learning and tests. Sounds familiar, but this day in mid-April, 2009, is designed to be a different kind of learning experience.

The ten buses are chartered, the buildings are not schools but businesses and convention centers in Metro Atlanta, and the students are there to show off their workplace skills in competition with their peers. This is Georgia's SkillsUSA state competition. Representing 130-140 Georgia schools, the students enter the real world work place environment designed by business and industry partners to be as true to life as possible. Students dress to industry standards on the day of competition whether it be automotive, construction, electrical or broadcast just to name a few careers represented. Winners in each category at this level move onto the national competition.

The Broadcast competition was held in the studios of Georgia Public Broadcasting. Six teams of high school students competed in the Television News category in team of four: 2 Anchors (red jackets), a Director and a Floor Director. Two teams made up the Radio News event. Both groups were responsible for researching, writing and producing their stories.




The Teams came from the following High Schools:
Grayson Technical High School
Rockdale Career Academy
Salem High School
Lovejoy High School
Miller Grove High School
Centennial High School

View the slide show to see all the students who competed at GPB.


For more information, contact:
Gayle Silvey, State Director
SkillsUSA Georgia
73 Price Quarters Road #129
McDonough, GA 30253
770.914.6288
gsilvey@skillsusageorgia.org

Thank you to Mike Nixon for the photograph taken at the Automotive Work Station.

A Guide to Engineering for Girls

Engineer Your Life

Engineer Your Life (ELY) is a message, a campaign and a web site designed to encourage high schools girls, along with their families, teachers and advisors, to learn more about what life and work are like for engineers. The ELY website features reasons to become an engineer, video of inspiring women engineers, descriptions of dream jobs and resources for further decision making.

Engineer Girl! is a website for girls in middle school who are exploring career options in engineering. This website also includes suggested high school classes to take to plan for an engineering career.

Jazz Residency for HS and MS Students

Atlanta Public School Students Participate in Julliard Summer Jazz Residency

The partnership between APS and Julliard, the performing arts school in New York City, is in its second year. In mid-June, Middle and High School Students attended master classes, private, ensemble and theory lessons along with viewing and listening sessions in a week long residency held at North Atlanta's Center for the Arts. The culminating activity of the week was a recital held at Jackson ES.

View the Atlanta Public Schools press release for complete details, pictures and student quotes.



ContactL David Lee Simmons
APS Print and Digital Writer
404.802.2849
dsimmons@atlantapublicschools.us

HS Students Intern in Area Law Firms

Atlanta Bar Association Offers Summer Internships to Area Students

The Foundation for the Atlanta Bar Association offers a range of programs, including the Summer Law Intern Program. This opportunity allows high school students to experience a 6-week internship in local law firms, government agencies or corporations.

Thirteen current and graduating students from the Therrell High School of Law, Government & Public Policy were joined by students from Southwest DeKalb HS, Pebblebrook HS, Druid Hills HS and Eagle's Landing Christian Academy for the 2009 Internship.

In an Atlanta Public Schools press release, goals for the interns were listed as:
* Provide a valuable work experience
* Further the students' understanding of the law
* Provide a mentor relationship for the students

Road Trip Rolls Out the Final Episodes in a Popular Series

New Episodes Available for Students & Educators from this Award Winning Series

The producers of Road Trip, the award winning program with the tag line “staying in school is worth the ride” have completed episodes #11 and #12 of the 12 episode series. It is now available on GPB broadcast schedules and on the web for streaming.

In this new episode (#11), All That Matters, Daniel encounters a female student's bubbly, self-confident aunt, who insists that since she dropped out as a teen, her niece should consider it too.

Featured Road Trips

Tour of Moultrie Technical College's HS Horticulture and Construction programs

Tour of Sandersville Technical College's Commercial Truck Driving and Welding programs

Tour of Bainbridge Technical College's Industrial Maintenance program

In the new episode (#12), Home Again, a teen, overwhelmed by choices, is troubled by what to do after his fast approaching graduation from high school.

Featured Road Trips
Tour of East Central Technical College's Telecommunications Technology and Recreation Vehicle Technology programs

Tour of West Georgia Technical College's Digital Video Production and Sports and Fitness Management programs


Created by the Technical College System of Georgia in partnership with Georgia Public Broadcasting and in association with the national Stay-in-School initiative, Road Trip is now an official hit in the world of educational programs and is among winners that represent the best work in the industry.

Resources for Science Education

ADDRESSING GEORGIA'S NEEDS IN THE STEM FIELDS

Ask a Georgia school administrator where they would like support in resources or staffing and the most likely reply will be Science or Math. It has been reported that Georgia will need to produce more than 2,000 middle and high school teachers of life sciences, chemistry, earth science and physics by 2010 to meet the demand in those fields. These subjects reflect the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields.According to the Board of Regents statistics for the 2008 academic year, only 90 teachers were prepared as Georgia teachers in these areas.

Here is information on programs and resources that address that need.

TRAINING FOR FUTURE SCIENCE TEACHERS
The National Sciences Foundation recently awarded a grant to Georgia State University to increase the number of science teachers in metro Atlanta schools. The almost $900,000 grant will be used to recruit, prepare and support 36 high quality science educators over the next five years under a program called Impacting Metro-Atlanta Science Teaching (I-MAST). Scholarships will be offered both to undergraduate majors studying in the STEM fields and to graduates who hold degrees in the STEM fields and want to go into teaching the sciences on the secondary level.
The I-MAST program is a collaboration between Georgia State's College of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, Georgia Tech and four Metro-Atlanta public school districts.

GRANT TARGETS STEM TEACHERS
NASA awarded a $3 million grant to Georgia Tech to support a program that will allow Georgia teachers to strengthen their teachings skills in the STEM fields. Georgia Tech's Distance Learning and Professional Education (DLPE) Center for Education Integrating Science, Math and Computing (CEISMC) will take the lead on The Electronic Professional Development Network Grant. The purpose of the program will be to prepare, produce, deliver and evaluate NASA-related online courses, workshops and experiences for the benefit of STEM educators in Georgia and across the nation.

GPB CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS COURSES FOR THE CLASSROOM

Chemistry & Physics consists of two series teaching high school college preparatory chemistry and physics. Chemistry: A Study of Matter and Physics Fundamentals provide instructional content delivered through thirty-minute episodes and integrated classroom materials. Episodes provide content while giving cues for the classroom teacher to pause the program and interact with students, engaging them in discussions, problem-solving, and laboratory activities. Chemistry: A Study of Matter and Physics Fundamentals can be streamed from this site or GPB Education Streaming.

For each unit, daily lesson plans will be provided to help teachers prepare for and pace the lessons. Classroom materials, including note-taking guides to accompany the episodes, worksheets, classroom activities, quizzes, and tests, are available in electronic format. Teachers should call GPB Education at 1.888.501.8960 or email education@gpb.org to request teacher materials.

Georgia's Early College Initiative

Early College Awareness Week

The first week in May was designated nationwide as Early College Awareness Week. The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia announced activities for Georgia students in a recent press release.

Year round, the Early College Program in Georgia provides students with an opportunity to earn a high school diploma along with one to two years of transferable credit towards a bachelor's degree. Begun in 2005, Georgia's Early College Program targets the student populations that are underrepresented in higher education in our state.

Georgia's Early College Program is a partnership between the Georgia Department of Education and the University System of Georgia. Visit the website for more information on this initiative.

MetLife 2009 Ambassador in Education Award for Arts Educator at North Atlanta High School

Georgia Art Educator Recognized for Community Service

MetLife's Ernest L. Foster and National Civic League President Gloria Rubio-Cortes present the 2009 MetLife Foundation Ambassadors in Education Award and a $5,000 check for the school to art educator Natalie Brandhorst (center).

Natalie Brandhorst was recently recognized in a ceremony at North Atlanta High School for the work she has done with her students to build bridges between the school and community. View the Georgia Graduation Stories blog for April 14th and the Atlanta Public Schools press release for May 13th for more details on the MetLife Ambassador in Education Award and the accomplishments of Ms. Brandhorst and her students.


Thank you to Joe Manguno, Media Relations Specialist for Atlanta Public Schools, for supplying the photograph.

NASA Offers Education Programs for Students

NASA Online Learning Community and Summer Studies Available to High School Students


High School students interested in careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) are encouraged to visit the NASA Education website. NASA is accepting applications for the Interdisciplinary National Science Program Incorporating Research Experience (INSPIRE) program. Eligible students will have the opportunity to participate in an online learning community that allows them to interact with their peers and with NASA scientists and engineers.

Students selected for the online learning community will then have the option to compete for placement in programs for the summer of 2010 held at NASA facilities and participating universities throughout the country.

Schedule for Application Process

Activity	Deadline
Applications for the INSPIRE Online Learning Community accepted:	May 1 to June 30, 2009
Students selected for the Online Learning Community will be notified:	Sept., 2009
Eligible Online Learning Community members provide additional documents to compete for optional 2010 summer experiences.	Fall, 2009
Online Learning Community members selected for summer experiences notified.	Spring, 2010