YouthLearn to Present at CTCNet Conference 2003
The 12th Annual Community Technology Centers' Network Conference,
Creating Our Future: Shaping the Agenda of Community Technology, takes
place June 27-29 in Washington, DC. Early bird registration ends June 2.
http://www2.ctcnet.org/conf/2003/
YouthLearn will facilitate a session during the Conference called "Youth
Leadership & Community Engagement," and will also lead a full-day Pre-
Conference workshop on June 26. This workshop is available to anyone
without
charge. Hurry! Register by May 23.
http://www2.ctcnet.org/conf/2003/preconf.htm#youthlearn
Evaluations Show Community Schools Improve Outcomes
The Coalition for Community Schools has just released a new report
summarizing the evaluations of 20 community school initiatives around the
country. Making the Difference: Research and Practice in Community
Schools documents the impact of these particular programs, and confirms
the potential of the community school model. With salient points pulled
together in the Executive Summary and lots of specifics, this should make
compelling reading for members of the YouthLearn community.
http://www.communityschools.org/mtdhomepage.html
Two Different Takes on Computer
and Internet Use
"Connected to the Future: A Report on Children's
Internet Use from the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting" finds that Internet use among children,
especially under-served populations, surged between 2000 and 2002.
According to a nationwide study, 65 percent of American children use the
Internet, though disparities between disadvantaged and more privileged
children persist. [wwwedu]
http://www.cpb.org/ed/resources/connected
On the other hand, in his OpEd piece "Computers Idle in Public Schools,"
Professor James Guthrie asserts that "Electronic technology has
revolutionized 21st-century work, but not 21st-century learning." During
numerous site visits in selected states, he found very little evidence of the
meaningful integration of technology, despite plentiful computers and
Internet connections in the schools.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2003-03-17-guthrie_x.htm
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Grants and Awards
National Geographic Society Teacher Grants
The National Geographic Society's Education Foundation will award grants of
up to $5,000 to K-12 teachers or administrators in the U.S. for projects that
"promote geographic knowledge" or "promote stewardship of natural and
cultural resources." Deadline: June 12. [Foundation Center]
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/foundation/
Jordan Fundamentals Grants to Teachers
Rewarding instructional creativity, these grants may be used for resources,
equipment, field trip expenses, etc., associated with an original lesson plan
or unit. 400 grants of $2,500 are available to teachers or paraprofessionals,
working with 6th-12th graders in a U.S. public school. Applications are due
June 15. [eSchool News]
http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/nikebiz.jhtml?page=26&item=jordan
Grants for Environmental Projects
and Programs
The Captain Planet Foundation invites applications
for projects that foster
awareness of environmental issues, give school-age children hands-on
experiences, and promote collaborative learning. Grants range from $250
to $2,500. Deadlines: June 30, September 30. [Foundation Center]
http://www.captainplanetfdn.org/appProcess.html
The Nature of Learning Start-Up Grants are offered by the National Wildlife
Refuge System and partners. Awards range up to $5,000 and support start-
up costs for community-based environmental education programs that use
"natural areas as outdoor classrooms." Apply by June 30. [eSchool News]
http://www.nfwf.org/programs/tnol.htm
Braitmayer Foundation Grants to Enhance K-12 Education
Awards ranging up to $35,000 are available for education reform initiatives,
staff development, and community programs. Funds are expected to serve
as seed money, matching or challenge grants. Deadline is June 30.
[eSchool News]
http://www.braitmayerfoundation.org/guid.htm
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Info
Guide to Starting Science Clubs for Girls
If you're looking to get youth excited about science, especially girls, check
out this new how-to manual from the Gender and Diversities Institute at
Education Development Center. This readable, 24-page brochure chronicles
the experience of stakeholders with afterschool Science Clubs for Girls, and
identifies key steps to create and sustain a program that works.
http://www.edc.org/GDI/publications/sciclub.pdf
Resource Center for the Education of Homeless Youth
The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) at SERVE shares tools
and information for families, educators, and service providers. Among the
resources of note is the new Local Homeless Education Agency Liaison
Toolkit, with up-to-date information on increasing educational opportunities
and success for young people. NCHE also offers publications, a listserv, a
helpline, and annotated links to further resources.
http://www.serve.org/nche/
Grantwriting Pointers from a Grantmaker
Is it that time again? The Corporation of Public Broadcasting has published
a user-friendly guide to the "Basic Elements of Grant Writing"-a helpful
reference for your ongoing fundraising efforts. With the key steps to
preparation, writing the proposal, and follow-up all explained, this guide
should be relevant to a range of grantseekers.
http://www.cpb.org/grants/grantwriting.html
TechSoup CTC Curriculum Resources
CompuMentor's TechSoup service to nonprofits
recently published this
collection of resources addressing the unique needs of community
technology center staff designing educational programs. Among the
selected Web resources are publications and models in categories including
afterschool programs, project-based learning, information and computer
literacy, math, language arts, pre-school, girls, and more. [CTC]
http://www.techsoup.org/articles.cfm?topicid=12&topic=CTC's
Tips for Implementing the "Active Learning" Approach
The Champions of Active Learning (CAL) program supports teaching
practices that will sound very familiar to the YouthLearn community:
student-driven learning; hands-on, interdisciplinary experiences; problem-
solving; and application to real-world situations. Public Education Network,
CAL evaluator, has released two helpful tipsheets so far this year on getting
results with active learning and using the principles of active learning in
student assessment.
http://www.publiceducation.org/focalpoints.asp
Practical Advice for New Teachers
A community of educators, the Beginning Teachers' Toolbox provides
information and resources to support those new to the profession. The
articles and tips sections, especially, are worth a look, if you want to know
how other teachers approach certain issues. For example, "Journaling
Across the Curriculum" and "Tips to prepare for the end of the school year"
are the latest pieces. [NEON]
http://www.inspiringteachers.com/home/newteachers.html
National Educational Computing Conference 2003
This year the big event in educational technology, NECC, will be held June
29-July 2 in Seattle. Presented by the International Society for Technology
in Education, the conference program features different strands oriented to
the various players in the ed tech arena. Online registration closes June 18.
http://www.neccsite.org/
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Ideas
Create a School or Program
Website
There's nothing like the promise of the World
Wide Web-with all the design
options, the currency of the medium, and the authentic audience-to
generate creative, focused efforts by young people. If your group wants
to
get started on a website, see these instructive "Design Tenets for Web Pages"
(from "Net Profit in a Post Modem World", by Jamie McKenzie). [NEON]
http://www.bham.wednet.edu/technology/webtenets.htm
As you know, resources for designing dynamic web pages abound on the
Internet. For example, this kid-created, kid-friendly website features a
variety of free clipart, such as animals, sports, education, backgrounds,
fonts, and more. [EduHound]
http://www.awesomeclipartforkids.com
Capture Excitement with Final Products
Guiding youth in the creation of a tangible finished product helps them apply
what they've learned and tops off their experience with a unit or project.
This collection of creative activities includes interdisciplinary lesson plans for
making posters, story quilts, edible models, puzzles, etc.
http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-
5855.html?wtlAC=gs040302,email-h
We welcome your feedback!
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YouthLearn
http://www.youthlearn.org
This newsletter is produced by the YouthLearn Initiative at EDC especially for
members of the YouthLearn discussion group.
YouthLearn is a project of the nonprofit Education
Development Center, Inc.
Designed for youth-development professionals, teachers, educators, and other
caring adults, YouthLearn provides resources and tools for developing effective
learning programs enhanced with technology, particularly in out-of-school settings.
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Copyright 2003 Education Development
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YouthLearn was created by the Morino
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