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YouthLearn Updates

YouthLearn Seeks Input on Curriculum
The team at YouthLearn has been working for some time to explore the best
ways to integrate technology and media into afterschool learning. Last year
we launched a new section of the website as part of our work with SEDL and
the Mott Foundation that showcased a number of model afterschool programs:
http://www.youthlearn.org/afterschool
Now we're specifically exploring how afterschool programs are using and/or
adapting curricula to serve their programmatic needs. We're looking for ways
that list members have used and/or adapted the curricular materials on the
YouthLearn website: http://www.youthlearn.org/learning/activities
Have you ever incorporated YouthLearn lesson plans into your work (i.e. the
Soil Around Us project)? Have you had to adapt them, and, if so, how? We're
also more broadly interested in examples of curricula you've found valuable to
address a number of key programmatic elements, such as: Fun & Games;
Online Learning; Communication Skills; Self-Expression; Problem Solving;
Careers. If you know of any examples of curricula in these areas, especially if
you've had success developing or adapting materials for your own needs,
please let us know by sending an email to tstreit@edc.org with your thoughts
and recommendations. We'll be sharing what we glean from all of you as we
further develop our training materials and the website.
URL: http://mailman.edc.org/pipermail/youthlearn/2006/002481.html

YouthLearn Contributes to EDC Report on Afterschool Time
MOSAIC: Afterschool Time: Choices, Challenges, and New Directions
- An EDC Report Series, Winter 2006 - "EDC recently convened a panel
of leaders in the afterschool movement to discuss the challenges facing the
field, including three EDC staff members and one of our key partners... The
four panelists engaged in a wide-ranging discussion on a variety of topics,
including staffing and professional development, research and evaluation,
the role of afterschool programs, and directions for the future." Tony Streit,
YouthLearn director, participated in this roundtable discussion to share
YouthLearn's insight about the afterschool movement.
URL: http://main.edc.org/Mosaic/Mosaic11/toc.asp

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News

Seventh-Grader Discovers Fast Food Ice Is Dirtier Than Toilet Water
"Jasmine Roberts never expected her award-winning middle school science
project to get so much attention. But the project produced some disturbing
results: 70 percent of the time, ice from fast food restaurants was dirtier
than toilet water. The 12-year-old collected ice samples from five restaurants
in South Florida -- from both self-serve machines inside the restaurant and
from drive-thru windows. She then collected toilet water samples from the
same restaurants and tested all of them for bacteria at the University of
South Florida. In several cases, the ice tested positive for E. coli bacteria,
which comes from human waste and has been linked to several illness
outbreaks across the country."
URL: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=consumer&id=3925577
Referred by: PEN Weekly NewsBlast

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Funding

Be the Change! Programme - Small Scale grants for Youth-led Projects
"Peace Child International has created the 'Be the Change!' Programme (BTC!)
to support young people to get involved in local community action and
development projects. Peace Child encourages young people to BE THE CHANGE
they want to see in their communities and to make it possible we created a
small scale grant programme for youth-led projects... If you are below 25 years
old and have a project that concentrates on the development of your
community at a local level, take a deep look in the requirements for the grant
programme and submit your proposal to Peace Child International... The deadline
for applications to the Be the Change! Grants is Friday, March 31st."
URL: http://www.peacechild.org
Referred by: Young People's Media Network

Nominations of Young Volunteers Invited for Kohl's Program
"A philanthropic program of the Kohl's Corporation, the Kohl's Kids Who Care
program provides Kohl's an annual opportunity to recognize and reward young
volunteers who transform their communities for the better. Any individual
21 years of age and older may nominate children and youth who are 6 to 18
years old and have not yet graduated from high school by March 15, 2006.
Nominators will be asked to describe a young community volunteer's actions
in detail and document efforts that are above and beyond what is normally
expected. The volunteer's efforts should have resulted in a positive community
outcome and must have occurred within the last twelve months." Deadline:
March 15.
URL: http://www.kohlscorporation.com/CommunityRelations/Community02.htm
Referred by: Foundation Center

Funding Exchange's Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media
"Named to honor singer, actor, and civil rights activist Paul Robeson, the
Funding Exchange's Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media supports media
activism and grassroots organizing by funding the pre-production and
distribution of social issue film and video projects, as well as the production
and distribution of radio projects made by local, state, national, or international
organizations and individual media producers... The maximum award is $20,000,
and most grants will range between $5,000 and $15,000." Deadline: May 15.
URL: http://www.fex.org/grantmaking.shtml#robeson
Referred by: Foundation Center

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Research

High-Performing After-School Programs Share 5 Common Characteristics
"Recent research echoes what the after-school field has found over the course
of the past decade, that after-school programs can contribute to increased
student achievement. But, perhaps most interesting, the study found that
after-school programs that helped lead to improved achievement don't
necessarily focus on academics. According to the study, successful after-school
programs do not replicate the school day. Instead, these after-school programs
are safety zones where students received homework help and were able to
explore new ideas and interests. And students were able to develop long-term
supportive relationships with adults and peers."
URL: http://www.sedl.org/pubs/fam107/fam107.pdf
Referred by: PEN Weekly Newsblast

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Activities

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. Every two weeks, the newsletter is
compiled from the entries in the YouthLearn News Blog, including summaries
from various sources that YouthLearn staff periodically review.

Past newsletters are archived at http://www.youthlearn.org/resources/newsletter/index.html.

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 2006 Education Development Center, Inc. All rights reserved.
YouthLearn was created by the Morino Institute.