“Early Reading First Program”

The Department of Education is now inviting applications under the Early Reading First (ERF) program. Part of President Bush’s “Good Start, Grow Smart” initiative, ERF is designed to transform existing early education programs into centers of excellence that provide high-quality, early education to young children, especially those from low-income homes. Specifically, the program strives to prepare young children to enter kindergarten with the necessary language, cognitive, and early reading skills to prevent reading difficulties and ensure school success. Pre-applications, from eligible school districts and community organizations, are due by April 11.

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/earlyreading/

Authors: Lynn Leavitt, Director, Center for Service and Leadership, and Karen Kashmanian Oates, Professor of Biochemistry, both of George Mason University

This book offers ideas and practices on service-learning and learning communities, including resources and advice on starting and sustaining programs, tips for effective assessment, and tools for campus planning. Check http://www.aacu.org/publications for more information on this and other AAC&U publications. (2003/72pp/$15)

For more information or to place an order, visit http://www.aacu.org or call 800.297.3775.

Christ Lutheran Community Church in Upper Darby has several community service programs, including an after-school program, a Summer Day Camp, and a community healthcare outreach. We are always in need of volunteers. We have an opportunity for several students to contribute to our non-profit through capacity building projects. I was hired part-time as the Development Director to handle the increasing fund raising needs.

One student opportunity would be to assist me in researching funding sources. Another student opportunity would be to develop a web site for our recently formed Christ Lutheran Community Outreach Corporation. Would you please let me know if either of these opportunities match interests of your students.

Looking forward to working with you.

Jeanne Lee
Director of Development
Christ Lutheran Community Outreach Corporation
7240 Walnut Street
Upper Darby, PA 19086
clcuddfd@libertynet.org

A number of organizations including PCCY, The School District of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Home and School Council, The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, The League of Women Voters, The Philadelphia Voter Mobilization Coalition, The Philadelphia Student Union, Power 99 FM, and the Annenberg Public Policy Center Student Voices Project are undertaking a voter registration drive in area high schools. VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED TO SPEAK WITH STUDENTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING AND TO REGISTER ELIGIBLE STUDENTS!!! If you would like to serve as a volunteer, please respond to this e-mail or contact PCCY @ 215-563-5848 x12.

Spring Clean/Health Fair Combo.
MAY 17th, 2003
Spring Clean – 10am-late afternoon
Health Fair- 10am-2pm

We will be having a community wide clean up in a lot of our parks, gardening, mural painting perhaps, and other fun environmental programs for both youth (6-18) and adults in the community. starting at 10am.

We will also be having a huge community health fair as well where kids can get health screenings done by nurse practioners/doctors, camp forms filled out and resources/information for a variety of health issues. Please see attachment for list of organizations attending and more are pending. set up starts at 9am.

We are looking for help in staffing this event, working in our parks, and helping make the day a huge success.

If you are interested in bringing a group, think you will be attending, have resources to offer, or would like more information please contact me!

I look forward to hearing from you!
SMILES and thanks in advance.

Casey Buckley
Volunteer/Internship Coordinator
215-225-0615
casey@villagearts.org

Renewing Our Commitment to Community Building
NCBN’s 2003 Annual Conference and 10th Anniversary Celebration
April 30 – May 3, 2003 – Chicago, Illinois

Registration & Hotel Reservation Deadline: Friday, March 28th

NCBN’s 2003 Annual Conference and 10th Anniversary Celebration promises great opportunities for education, peer learning and networking. Confirmed speakers and presenters include:

* Jody Kretzmann, Asset-Based Community Development Institute
* Angela Glover Blackwell, PolicyLink
* The Safer Foundation (national leaders on prisoner re-entry programs)
* The National Center for Community Education (leaders in the Community Schools movement)
* The National Funding Collaborative on Violence Prevention (an innovative effort building safer communities)
* Fund for an OPEN Society (a capacity-building organization devoted to supporting racially inclusive communities)
* The Institute of Cultural Affairs (nationally-renowned trainers in community engagement and planning)
* And many more.

You can register for the conference online at http://www.ncbn.org/goto/annual_conference. Or, contact NCBN staff by e-mail (network@ncbn.org), phone (510-663-6226) or fax (510-663-6222) and we will be happy to send you conference registration materials.

Also, be sure to reserve your room at the conference hotel, the Hyatt Regency Chicago, by March 28 to secure the discounted rate of only $170 per night for a single or double room plus 14.9% room tax. After March 28 we cannot guarantee rooms will be available at this rate. To reserve a room at the Hyatt Regency, call 1-800-233-1234. Please mention the National Community Building Network when making your reservation to get the guaranteed rate.

The conference will bring together over 600 community builders from around the country to network, share strategies and celebrate the work of community building. Make sure you are a part of this exciting 10th anniversary event. Register today!

Sincerely,

The Board and Staff of the National Community Building Network

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Date: 13-15 June 2003
Location: San Francisco Airport Marriott Hotel, California, U.S.A.
Deadline for Early Registration: 1 May 2003
Website: http://antioppressiveeducation.org

DESCRIPTION
This small, collegial event will explore the innovations as well as the tensions that characterize current movements toward social justice in teacher education. By gathering a diverse group of educators who share commitments and priorities, this conference will offer rare opportunities to exchange ideas, develop resources, build networks, and explore possibilities for new directions in teacher education. Dozens of workshops with presenters from around the world will model and examine innovative ways to teach, learn, and learn to teach. Topics include innovations in teacher education; curriculum revision in various content
areas; perspectives on difference, oppression, justice, resistance; teaching in times of war; and much more. The tentative program is now online.

Featured Panels Include:

“Preparing Teachers for Anti-Oppressive Education: International Movements” Argentina * Australia * Brasil * Canada * England * Pakistan

“Reforming Teacher Certification in California: Problems, Paradoxes, and Possibilities” Linda Darling-Hammond * Jeannie Oakes * Eric Rofes

“Teacher Education in Times of War: Why Our Work Matters” Herbert Kohl * Margo Okazawa-Rey * Richard Ruiz * Mara Sapon-Shevin

Saturday Evening Spokenword Performance by A Mic and Dim Lights Alumni Poets

REGISTRATION
All educators, researchers, and educational leaders and advocates throughout the United States and the world and from all levels and disciplines are invited to register. A special invitation is extended to teacher educators, school teachers, and teachers in training. The Early Registration Fee is U.S.$100.00 and needs to be received by May 1st. Please go online to register.

Participants are responsible for their own transportation, lodging, and meals. The conference hotel is offering a generously reduced rate for participants. After preregistering, participants will receive a letter that confirms their registration and provides more information on travel and lodging.

The conference hotel is located five minutes south of the San Francisco International Airport and is easily accessible to destinations throughout the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area. In addition to the many local cultural and historical resources, participants are encouraged to take advantage of two events taking place before, during, and after the conference weekend: The San Francisco Black Film Festival and the San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

ORGANIZER
The International Conference on Education and Social Justice is organized by the Center for Anti-Oppressive Education (CAOE). For more information on the Conference and the Center, please visit our website at http://antioppressiveeducation.org or contact the Director of CAOE, Dr. Kevin Kumashiro, via e-mail at
kumashiro@antioppressiveeducation.org.

Submissions are currently being accepted for a new American Sociological Association Teaching Resources Guide on community-based research as a pedagogical strategy in sociology. Community-based research (CBR) is a form of service-learning that involves students collaborating with community partners on research projects that address a community-identified need. The editors seek syllabi of CBR-centered courses, assignment guidelines, project descriptions, and any other material that might be useful to instructors who wish to incorporate CBR into their teaching in different courses and at different levels, including both undergraduate and graduate students.

Please send materials electronically to Sam Marullo at marullos@georgetown.edu by April 30.

>> The Neighborhood Reinvestment Training Institute will be April 22-26 in Chicago. The Training Institute offers educational opportunities in community development, including a variety of courses, networking, authors luncheons, and a multifamily symposium sponsored by the National Equity Fund (NEF). NEF is also sponsoring the Neighborhood Capital Corporation reception on April 23. For more information and a registration form, visit the Neighborhood Reinvestment web site.

http://www.nw.org/network/HomeMAC.asp

GROWING POSSIBILITIES: AGRICULTURE IN THE CITY: A one-day conference sponsored by The Food Project

Urban Agriculture builds communities, improves urban environments, benefits the local economy, and can be a sustainable method of achieving greater food security for city residents. Some of the speakers will include: Frances Moore Lappe, author of Diet for a Small Planet, Didi Emmons, Chef/Owner of Veggie Planet, Lois Adams, EPA New England, Will Allen, Director of Growing Power in Milwaukee, Eero Ruuttila, Farm Manager, Nesenkeag Farm, NH, Hugh Joseph, Community Food Security Coalition, Molly Anderson, Tufts Institute for the Environment, Rufus Chaney, USDA, The Food Project Urban Education and BLAST Interns…and many others! The cost for the day-long conference will be $35 and will include muffins, a locally-produced lunch, and all conference materials. Limited Scholarships available if needed. For information, contact Kristin Brennan at 617-442-1322 x 12; kbrennan@thefoodproject.org. The Food Project, 555 Dudley St, Dorchester, MA 02125 (617) 442-1322 http://www.thefoodproject.org.

April 19, 2003
(Register by April 14th)
Seattle University School of Law-Sullivan Hall
9 am – 5:30 pm
2ND ANNUAL COMMUNITY-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & JUSTICE CONFERENCE

The 1 day conference features grassroots indigenous peoples and people of color organizers who are addressing issues of environmental racism and economic justice. Workshops Include: Urban Environmental Justice, Globalization, Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Justice, Militarism, Youth Organizing and Environmental Justice, Rural & Economic Justice, International Environmental Justice Issues Coordinators: The Community Coalition for Environmental Justice & Northwest Environmental Justice Alliance. To register and for more info: call Matt or Yalonda: 206 720-0285 or email justice@ccej.org Print registration form online at: http://www.ccej.org Registration: Conference Fee: $0-$25 Sliding Scale Childcare Available.

June 4-7, 2003
Trenton, New Jersey
2003 MID-ATLANTIC SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCE
The Mid-Atlantic Sustainability Conference brings together professionals in the areas of high-performance building, clean energy, and sustainable business. Take his opportunity to learn from the best and brightest leaders working in these fields today. The conference will be part of Clean Energy Week in New Jersey. Conference details are available at http://www.nesea.org or by calling (413) 774-6051.

The 2003 AmeriCorps Guidance recommends that applicants incorporate citizenship training into their member development plan in order to provide members with a better understanding of American democracy and the vital role they play in preserving it. This toolkit, developed by the Constitutional Rights Foundation, is designed to help applicants incorporate civic knowledge, skills, and attitudes into their member development plan.

The toolkit includes citizenship goals, member development strategies, a curriculum organized around five thematic areas (Rule of Law, Consent of the Governed, Rights and Responsibilities, Equality and Liberty, and Social Capital and Democracy), and a resource directory of lesson plans, historic documents, research, and training support.

Please feel free to contact us if we can assist you or if you have any questions (1-800-860-2684).

The Staff of the National Service Resource Center

The American Cities Foundation (ACF) is a 501 (C) 3 non-profit corporation founded to promote the development of a national urban agenda leading to the revitalization of our nation’s core cities.

Our strategy is to promote the revitalization of Philadelphia through the development of common sense grass-roots solutions to urban problems by focusing on the pivotal problems of neighborhood economic development and community empowerment.

I. POSITION
Neighborhood Program Coordinator (NPC) is responsible for working to educate homeowners and help low and moderate income homeowners, in targeted areas, maintain their homes, improve their neighborhoods and strengthen their community in addition to strengthening existing Community Based Organizations.

II. SALARY $29,000 (minimum) plus benefits

III. SKILLS REQUIRED
<li>Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in human services, economics related field, urban studies or equivalent experience or AA degree in same fields plus equivalent experience
<li>Good organizing skills and interpersonal skills
<li>Excellent written and oral communications
<li>Experience in labor or community organizing
<li>Specialized knowledge desirable in the areas of: housing or community development; consumer credit; city planning; home repair.

IV. OTHER REQUIREMENTS
<li>Valid driver’s license and an appropriately insured car.
<li>Available for night and weekend hours
<li>Voice mail on home phone, field pager and/or cell phone required.

V. SCOPE OF DUTIES

<li>Identify and establish working relationships with Project Helping HAND target area residents, community leaders, stakeholders, private, public and nonprofit institutions.

<li>Organize and schedule regular meetings, workshops, and seminars with Project Helping HAND target area residents. Create and implement, through various means, regular communications with Helping HAND target area residents and stakeholders.

<li>Identify, review and assess various public and non-profit programs and resources and or services that will support or expand comprehensive neighborhood revitalization, preservation and home improvement.

<li>Other program activities as assigned by Project Helping HAND Director.

Please send resume to:
Donald A. Redmond
American Cities Foundation
1800 JFK Boulevard
Suite 502
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Start Date: mid to late summer

Job Summary: Will oversee management of day-to-day operations of technology infrastructure. Work with staff and start-up incubation businesses on technology planning and implementation and supporting Windows web, email, and data servers. Assist in programmatic development of adult and youth entrepreneurship and e-business technology training. Assist in the development of e-philanthropy, online branding and marketing strategy

Experience: 1-2yrs experience in network and desktop support, web design, preference given to those candidates experienced in Windows 2000 and Exchange Server, and Linux firewall administration; other critical skills include excellent communication, interpersonal and problem-solving skills, the ability to handle many competing priorities

Education: BS/BA in computer science, information systems, marketing, business, or related field

How to apply: Send resume and cover letter to David Park via email (attached Word document) at davidp@theenterprisecenter.com or fax at 215-895-4001.

Consultant wanted immediately to provide support, including:
A. Establish legislative contact network of PAACE members/providers which covers each of the 19 federal House Districts and key state legislators.
B. Draft and distribute PAACE network requests for letters, calls, and meetings with state and federal legislators.
C. Provide technical assistance for legislative visits, press events, and advocacy skills sharing
D. Convene regularly with legislative committee chair (JoAnn Weinberger from the Center for Literacy in Philadelphia)
Please provide resume, hourly consultant wage, and availability to:
JoAnn Weinberger
Jawcfl@aol.com

Summer Touring Schedule
June 16th ? August 15th
Monday ? Friday
9am ? 3pm
Touring Original Comedic Improvisational Musical

CONFLICT RESOLUTION THEATRE: Summer Musical

This award winning touring interactive theatre helps children and adults move from conflict to ?creative resolution? in a fun, safe, and nurturing environment.? Actors create and perform for youth in and around Philadelphia. The cast will be multicultural. Improvisation and voice background a plus, but not required.

Group Audition:
Tuesday, May 20th @ 4pm
Or
Wednesday, May 21st @ 7:30pm
Hawthorne Recreation, 12th & Carpenter
Call (215) 685-0703 to register