Youthlearn News Archive 2009

"The name may have changed, but it’s still the same great contest!  The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest begins January 1, 2010, and will carry on the tradition that began over 15 years ago with the READING RAINBOW Young Writers and Illustrators Contest.

"With support from the State Farm Insurance Companies Foundation, the National Service-Learning Partnership (NSLP) at the Academy for Educational Development is helping us shine a bold spotlight on the many ways in which we as young people are changing the world.

Edutopia recenlty released this free resource to help you make the most of the latest technologies and innovative ways to use them.  Full of succinct and practical ways to prepare our students for 21st-century success, this guide will help you deliver the relevant and meaningful education all students deserve.

"Do videos and interactive games help kids better prepare for kindergarten? According to a new study, low-income children in preschool classrooms improved their literacy skills when their teachers incorporated videos and online technology into the curriculum.

"Growing up in the ’70s, John Halamka was a bookish child with a penchant for science and electronics. He wore black horn-rimmed glasses and buttoned his shirts up to the collar.

Dr. Halamka grew up to be something of a cool nerd, with a career that combines his deep interests in medicine and computing, and downtime that involves rock climbing and kayaking.

Now 47, Dr. Halamka is the chief information officer at the Harvard Medical School, a practicing emergency-ward physician and an adviser to the Obama administration on electronic health records.

"Thanks to those who have already registered for the 2010 Convention and Afterschool for All Challenge, NAA has achieved record attendance to date.

In celebration of this accomplishment, NAA would like to pay it forward by offering an additional week at the early registration rate to ensure that every afterschool professional has the opportunity to be a part of this momentous event.

Register for the NAA Convention and the Afterschool for All Challenge before THIS Friday, December 18, to receive the reduced registration rate and save almost 10%."

"How to Develop a Logic Model for Districtwide Family Engagement Strategies is a step-by-step guide to help you understand and develop a logic model for districtwide family engagement efforts. It is designed to accompany Seeing is Believing: Promising Practices for How School Districts Promote Family Engagement, a policy brief created by Harvard Family Research Project and the National PTA.

"The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) is inviting nominations for the 2010 Coming Up Taller Awards. In partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), we are embarking on the thirteenth year of the Coming Up Taller Awards, which recognizes the accomplishments of exceptional arts and humanities after-school and out-of-school programs.

As a partner of President Obama's recently launched "Educate to Innovate" initiative, National Lab Day will bring hands-on learning to 10 million students by upgrading science labs, supporting project-based learning, and building communities of support for STEM teachers. The effort is a partnership between science and engineering societies representing more than 2.5 million STEM professionals and almost 4 million educators, supported by the Hidary Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and industry partners.

Edutopia finds examples of how technology enhances learning and then spreads the news. Looking back at 2009, they have compliled ten of their staff's favorite features, including magazine articles, videos, polls, and blogs.