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YouthLearn Updates

Webcast - Infusing IT/STEM Skill Standards in Informal ITEST Learning
Thursday, October 5, 2006 2:00-3:00 ET
The YouthLearn team continues its work as a partner in the NSF ITEST Learning
Resource Center (LRC). Joyce-Malyn Smith, LRC PI, and Haejung Chung from
YouthLearn are organizing the first of two webcasts in October 2006. Please
join us for the first event, "Infusing IT/STEM Skill Standards in Informal ITEST
Learning," which is designed to answer the following questions: How do
educators guide young people's development of IT/STEM skills outside the
classroom? How do they articulate the skills and knowledge that ITEST students
are developing in such flexible, informal learning environments? During this first
webcast, principal investigators from three ITEST projects will share model
practices that integrate IT/STEM skill standards into dynamic, informal learning
environments, and reveal how ITEST experiences support advanced IT skills
and knowledge beyond the standards.
To register for the webcast: http://home.learningtimes.net/itest?go=1375981
To find out more about the event and background information, go to
http://www2.edc.org/itestlrc/webcastITskills1_Oct5.htm

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News

Experts Tell Congress Afterschool is Key for Math, Science
At a special Capitol Hill briefing on September 13, experts discussed how
afterschool programs teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)
skills through fun, engaging activities such as computer programming, robotics,
and 3-D digital animation.... The congressional briefing was sponsored by the
Coalition for Science After School, the Afterschool Alliance, the National
Science Teachers Association and the National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics in conjunction with the Senate and House Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math (STEM) Education Caucuses and the Senate and House
Afterschool Caucuses. For more information on STEM and afterschool, view the
Afterschool Alliance's Issue Brief: "Afterschool programs: At the STEM of learning."
URL: http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/issue_br /iefs/issue_STEM_26.pdf
Referred by: Afterschool Alliance

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Funding

NEH Announces Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants Program
"Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants is the first new program under the National
Endowment for the Humanities' new Digital Humanities Initiative. NEH's Digital
Humanities Start-Up Grants are designed to encourage scholars with bright
new ideas and provide the funds to get their projects off the ground. All
projects will incorporate new ways of studying the humanities... Eligible
applicants are U.S. nonprofit organizations or institutions; state and local
governmental agencies and Native American tribal organizations;" and
individuals. Deadline: November 15, 2006 and April 3, 2007
URL: http://www.neh.gov/grants/digitalhumanities.html
Referred by: Foundation Center

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Resources

New Youth Policy Resource Center
"Policy makers, administrators and advocates across the country are responding
to the research and increasing public awareness of what is necessary to change
the odds for youth. They recognize that, too often, society has reacted with
fragmented and disjointed responses to youth problems and that no real plan
exists to address promotion of youth strengths. Although no one method may
be perfect to address the challenges in creating effective youth policies, states,
cities and counties are taking steps to find the best among a wide range of
possible solutions. This Youth Policy Resource Center shares examples from
states, cities and counties that are aligning and coordinating youth policies to
ensure young people are Ready by 21: Ready for work, college and life."
URL: http://www.forumforyouthinvestment.org/_catdisp_page.cfm?LID=E2E78973-C960-42E7-A097F48C27D118AA

Educating All Students to be Conceptual Thinkers
"Studies have shown that many of our high schools, even those that boast of
high graduation and college-attendance rates, rarely demand that students
use information, skills, and technologies to construct new knowledge and to
solve complex problems, integrate concepts and ideas across disciplines,
communicate effectively orally and in writing, and work in diverse groups. Yet
this is precisely the kind of learning students need for a Conceptual Age....
Are we requiring all students to use their minds well to construct knowledge,
to inquire, to invent, to make meaning and relevance out of their learning? Hardly,
writes Gerry House in the most recent issue of America School Board Journal."
URL: http://www.asbj.com/specialreports/0406SpecialReports/S4.html
Referred by: PEN Weekly NewsBlast

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Activities

Essay Contest for 8 to 12 year olds
"In 100 words or less, your child can write a poem, essay or short story about
what he or she would do to make our world a better place to live. Children 8 to
12 years old are encouraged to submit their own words of inspiration for a
chance to win one of three great prizes," including educational savings bonds
and gifts. This contest is inspired by the Akeelah and the Bee feature film.
Entries must be submitted by November 29.
URL: http://www.hearmusic.com/essaycontest

Writing Stories - A YouthLearn Activity Using Patterns to Master
More Complex Structures
What is a story? Nothing more than an orderly telling of a tale in a way that
the audience understands and appreciates enough to want to see how it ends.
We're used to thinking about stories in terms of fables, novels or movies, but
when children write a report about an inquiry-based project, they're really
telling a story about their discoveries. A poem is a story, even if it's just a
story about an emotion felt for only a minute. When you have kids create
multimedia presentations, animation, a video or a Web page, they need
storytelling skills to keep the viewer engaged and interested.... The heart of
writing a story is identifying the main ideas behind it and the order in which
they'll be presented. If kids can learn to do that, they are more then halfway
to becoming good writers and communicators. You can use many tools to
organize stories, including graphic organizers.
URL: http://www.youthlearn.org/learning/activities/language/stories.asp

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
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