Gain Experience and Support our Experimental High School Program

The PEACE Project, at Freire Charter School, is an innovative educational program that offers new answers to the age-old question of how to best prepare high school students for their futures. Primarily working with Philadelphia?s under-served youth, PEACE is an exciting synthesis of effective and research-proven pedagogies. The core principles of PEACE form our acronym: Personalized, Entrepreneurial, Active, Collaborative, and Exploratory. We believe that learning is most effective when it is personalized, based in the real world, and derived from student interests. Each student is provided a laptop computer.

The primary purpose of The PEACE Project is to provide an exceptional education to the Freire Charter School students we directly serve. A secondary purpose of PEACE is to serve as an action-tank for stakeholder-driven school reform, based on the philosophy of personalized and real world learning, as well as that of our school?s namesake, Paulo Freire.

We seek to change policy and practice by proving what works.

PEACE is currently seeking Interns at our convenient downtown location!

This is an exciting opportunity for college students who have a passion for rethinking education and the high school experience, especially for traditionally under-served Philadelphia students. Each intern works with a group of 4 students to help them progress on their learning plans.

For more information, please contact:

Danielle Rosenblatt, Development and Outreach Coordinator
daniellerosenblatt@freirecharterschool.org

Expectations of interns:

* Be ?real,? honest, and compassionate with students
* Inspire students to pursue their passions, build relationships, and attain excellence
* Help students find relevance in essential skills that they might consider ?boring? or ?unnecessary?
* Seek to understand issues of importance to today?s young people
* Model exceptional skills in communication, self-discipline, and personal responsibility
* Treat students as young adults, and hold them to those high expectations
* Accept students? unique qualities and differences
* Guide students academically by supporting progress on their PEACE learning plans
* Keep an open mind and be willing to learn from students
* Bring your own talents to help us move our program closer to our vision
* Fulfill your commitment to the students by showing up for all scheduled tutoring sessions. In the case of a conflict, interns should call to cancel in advance

The PEACE vision:
All students will have the opportunity to explore their curiosities and passions while mastering society’s most valued skills. The real world will be the ?classroom? and education will happen everywhere in the community. Learning alongside experts trained in coaching, students will maximize their potential as they solve real problems and improve the lives of others. All students will be treated with the respect, resources, and relevance that are essential for cultivating new generations of decision makers and problem solvers. Education will be the lifelong pursuit that drives people toward sustainability, interdependence, and personal satisfaction.

Deadline: November 30, 2006

<a href="http://www.brynmawr.edu/neli">http://www.brynmawr.edu/neli</a>

Grant Writer Needed
JAE Enterprises, Inc. is currently seeking a full-time grant writer.

Required:
. Minimum two years experience in the nonprofit sector, including significant grant writing experience. Please note that this is a minimum requirement.
. Excellent writing skills.
. Proficiency with nonprofit budgeting.
. Proficiency in using PC computers and software including Windows, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word and ability to utilize the internet for research.
. Strong ability to organize and prioritize assignments independently. Must be organized, friendly and professional.

Responsibilities:
The Staff Consultant & Grant Writer will provide the following services to clients:
1. Funding Research
2. Proposal Preparation
3. Strategic Fund Raising Planning
4. Organize and Teach Some of the Firm’s Trainings
5. Other duties as assigned or needed

To Apply:
Interested individuals should email a writing sample, resume, and one-page cover letter to kewing@BizPlansPlus.com

Outreach Program Coordinator

CADCOM is currently seeking one person full-time or two people part-time totalling 40 hours per week. The position is temporary until March 31, 2007 with the possibility of renewal dependent on continued funding.

Required:
. Bachelor’s degree preferred, but will consider HS Graduate + experience
. Ability to work with Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2003
. Strong writing and speaking skills
. Valid PA driver’s license; a reliable car is helpful
. Knowledge of Montgomery Co.
. An interest in food, nutrition, and anti-poverty issues

Duties:
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
1. Increase participation in and promote public awareness of the Food Stamp program
2. Assist in compiling and computing statistical information
3. Prepare reports on goals and activities, monitoring program progress
4. Develop program information, promotional materials and newsletters to reach targeted markets
5. Other duties as necessary

To Apply:

Interested individuals should email a resume and cover letter to pdruhan@cadcom.org

COMMUNITY EDUCATION SPECIALIST
DREXEL UNIVERSITY
YOUNG MEN?S TOBACCO EDUCATION/CESSATION

Drexel University is seeking a qualified candidate who will be responsible for the coordination of the newly funded Young Men?s Tobacco Education/Cessation Project. This person will oversee grant requirements related to the implementation of focus groups and cessation interventions for 18-24 year old men. This position includes working closely with faculty from the School of Public Health on the evaluation component, establishing and maintaining necessary internal and external referral linkages, preparing and submitting monthly tracking reports and working within the program budget.

Qualified candidate will have the following skills:
&#61607; Proven experience in diverse community outreach and education
&#61607; Proven ability to reach and relate well with young adults
&#61607; Program planning and implementation
&#61607; Excellent oral and written skills
&#61607; Group facilitation experience
&#61607; Proficient use of PC and internet
&#61607; Ability to handle multiple, complex tasks with minimal supervision
&#61607; Ability to use sound and independent judgment and work within a budget
&#61607; Experience in tobacco control and/or men?s health is a plus

Bachelor?s degree required in social services, public health or health education, with 3-5 years of proven experience in community outreach and education and/or work with young adults (master?s degree preferred).

Please submit resumes to:

Cynthia M. Livingston, MSW
Assistant Vice President, Community Relations
Drexel University
Cynthia.Livingston@drexelmed.edu

Deadline: December 22, 2006

<a href="http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-NR-07-003.html">http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-NR-07-003.html</a>

Deadline: December 15, 2006

<a href="http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf06606">http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf06606</a>

Deadline: January 15, 2007

<a href="http://foundationcenter.org/grantmaker/abelardeast/">http://foundationcenter.org/grantmaker/abelardeast/</a>

Deadline: December 1, 2006

<a href="http://www.gerberfoundation.org/grantmaking_policies.htm">http://www.gerberfoundation.org/grantmaking_policies.htm</a>

Dear Community Service Colleague:

Please allow me to alert you to a national service grant opportunity, and encourage you to consider it for your organization. If for whatever reason you do not feel that this meets your needs at this time, please pass this information on to local community and/or faith-based organizations that you think may be interested in the operation of an AmeriCorps program.

PennSERVE: Governor Rendell’s Office of Citizen Service has issued a request for applications (RFA#-2007-ACS-01) for potential 2007-2008 AmeriCorps*State programs in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Consistent with PennSERVE’s mission, the funding is designed to help organizations strengthen Commonwealth communities by implementing innovative service programs that address a compelling community need through the use of volunteers.

To access the grant application information, please visit our website at <a href="http://www.pennserve.state.pa.us">http://www.pennserve.state.pa.us</a> and "Click Here for Grant Opportunities." The deadline for submission is December 8, 2006.

We hope that you will carefully consider the role that you can play in meeting the service needs in your community, and the role that PennSERVE can play in supporting your efforts. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can answer any questions or provide assistance.

A national conference sponsored by the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education at Santa Clara University

This conference and the Web-based conversation leading up to it will provide a space where academic and community colleagues can explore the impact community engagement can have on students? sense of what to do with their lives, and how they might encourage reflection on where their gifts and desires meet the world?s needs. Along with speakers and paper presentations, the conference will provide ample opportunity for workshops and informal conversation.

The Ignatian Center has supported community-based learning both locally and internationally for more than 20 years. In 2002, with a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., the Ignatian Center launched the DISCOVER project to encourage reflection on vocation across the campus.We have found that opportunities in the community provide students with rich experiences for reflecting on their place in the world and what the future may hold for them. We welcome the opportunity to bring together scholars and practitioners to explore these questions more deeply.

Join a public forum on how to educate students to respond constructively to society?s challenges, to dedicate themselves to the common good.

Phase One: Web-based Conversation
September 15, 2006 – March 15, 2007

Phase Two: Three-day Academic Conference
March 15-17, 2007

For information: Nikole Nichols (408) 551-1951 nnichols@scu.edu

http://www.scu.edu/ignatiancenter/cblconf/cblconf.cfm

From Cafeterias to Capitol Hill:
Growing Healthy Kids, Farms and Communities
March 16-19, 2007

Radisson Plaza Lord Baltimore
Baltimore, Maryland

Join hundreds of farm to cafeteria and food policy enthusiasts to share experiences, and get the latest, up-to-date info on institutional purchasing on both the organizing and policy perspectives. A major focus of the conference will be issues related to the Farm Bill, including farm to cafeteria and beyond. On Monday, attendees will have the opportunity to visit with their elected representatives on Capitol Hill.

More conference information will soon be available at http://www.foodsecurity.org. We look
forward to seeing you there!

Please join your colleagues April 12-14, 2007 at the Holiday Inn San Jose in San Jose, California.

Entitled Catching Waves: Using Engagement to Address Critical Issues, the conference will bring together 500 colleagues from the western region and beyond to explore multiple perspectives on leadership, service-learning, and civic engagement; share program models, research, and best practices; and network with diverse service-learning practitioners.

TIMELINE

? RFP distributed on Friday, October 27th, 2006
? Proposals due Friday, Dec. 15th, 2006
? Reviews due Friday, Dec. 29th, 2006
? Registration to open in January 2007

Choose to participate from one or more of the following opportunities:

* Submit a proposal to present at the conference. See below and visit http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/campcomp/participate.html for more information. The deadline to submit a proposal is Friday, December 15, 2006.
* Serve as a peer reviewer of concurrent session presentation proposals. Visit http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/campcomp/proposalreview.html for more information.
* Serve as a mentor for participants new to the field and/or conference. Visit http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/campcomp/passiton.html for more information.
* Attend the conference. Registration will open in January 2007.

THEME AND NARRATIVE

Communities across our region, nation and world face similar challenges: homelessness, immigration, economic disparity, crime/corrections, healthcare, and declining rates of educational achievement. How can higher education use engagement strategies and partnerships to tackle very complex social, economic, and ethical issues?

Does traditional instruction prepare our students to be agents of change in regard to these issues? Our institutions already face fundamental challenges about access, retention, learning, and student success. The traditional methods of teaching and learning may not sufficiently prepare students for a complex world or maximize higher education?s impact on critical issues. With this in mind, conference attendees will explore questions such as:

* How will successful service-learning models prepare students to address critical societal issues?
* What specific engagement strategies positively address specific education, community, and global issues?
* What partnerships are needed to achieve desired outcomes in specific issue areas?
* What internal and external resources are available (or need to be cultivated) to support this work?
* What research supports successful models of engagement and what new research do we need?

Engaging students in the community has been shown to be an effective strategy to help students learn, develop critical thinking skills, increase job preparation skills, and improve civic attitudes and behaviors. It has been an effective model to build capacities in communities and improve K-12 educational achievement. Through service-learning and civic engagement, students have the opportunity to experience working with others from different socioeconomic backgrounds, cultures, and sets of beliefs. Curricular and co-curricular service-learning projects, if done well, can transform students? learning and better prepare them for a changing world while also creating significant change in community capacity and conditions.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

We invite you to submit proposals that demonstrate how service-learning and civic engagement initiatives or projects address critical global, community, and education issues in the following areas:

* Educational Achievement/Attainment (pre-school ? 12th grade & higher-ed)
* Community Development
* Economic Opportunity Gap
* Immigration
* Health Disparities
* Environmental Sustainability
* Global Understanding

Before beginning the process of developing a proposal, please also review the following information:

1. Conference Goals and Audience at
http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/campcomp/theme.html

2. Concurrent Session Formats
ttp://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/campcomp/concurrentsessions.html

3. Proposal Guidelines at
http://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/campcomp/guidelines.html.

All proposals may be submitted on-line at https://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/campcomp/USER/Proposal/proposal.submission.form.I.asp beginning on Monday, November 20, 2006. The deadline for receipt of proposals is Friday, December 15, 2006.

Chairs and Discussants Still Needed!

Remind your best Undergraduate Students to Submit a Proposal (deadline 12/1)

Chairs & Discussants. The deadline to submit a paper proposal has come and gone, though it is up to each section head to decide if they will take late submissions. While we have received a record number of proposals this year, and the conference should be the largest ever, we are still in need of experienced scholars who are willing to serve as chairs or discussants at the conference. Please forward this to folks who may be interested.

http://www.indiana.edu/~mpsa/proposal/chair2007.html

Undergraduate Section. We added a section last year to showcase the research of undergraduate students and to allow them to get a taste of what an academic conference would be like. These poster sessions were very well received and we would encourage you to inform your best undergraduate students to submit a proposal to give a poster presentation.

http://www.indiana.edu/~mpsa/proposal/undergradproposal2007.html

About the Conference. In April of each year, the MPSA holds one of the largest political science conferences in the discipline, and we anticipate there will be more than 4,000 presenters from across the United States and around the world. The MPSA National Conference is currently held in Chicago at the historic Palmer House Hotel. In 2007, the Conference will be held from April 12-15, 2007.

http://www.indiana.edu/~mpsa/

One of the most important challenges facing social services agencies and service providers today is the need to implement performance-based contract and grant management to meet mission goals. Efforts to improve service provision now require a more results-oriented approach, which can unnecessarily stress the teams involved in the contract and grant process, deviate limited resources, and allow for clients to fall through the cracks. To improve contracting for your social services program, we invite you to attend the upcoming 2006 National Conference on Contracts and Grants for Social Services, December 4 ? 6 at The Performance Institute in Arlington, VA. Join leaders from federal, state and local social services agencies, and non-governmental organizations from across the nation as they share best practices, lessons learned and innovative strategies for the outcomeoriented management of performance-based contracts and grants for social services.

http://www.performanceweb.org/CENTERS/SP/Events/S189/S189.htm

Also on Saturday, we will also be offering FREE art classes from 10am to 1pm. They are led by members of Art & Soul, a new organization at Haverford College. Media will include painting, drawing, collage, and creative writing. All materials are provided, but feel free to bring your own if you prefer!

Please don?t hesitate to contact me with any questions or for more information. I look forward to hearing from you and to (I hope) seeing many of you this Saturday.

Emma Chubb
Special Projects & Volunteer Coordinator
Friends Neighborhood Guild
701 N. 8th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123
echubb@friendsneighborhoodguild.org
fngvolunteer@gmail.com
215.923.1544 ext. 120

For more information about the Barnes and Noble Book Fair Fundraiser Event, please contact Becky Heritage at (856) 225-6739.

Cultivate the next generation of leaders
Share your experience, skills, and support
Commit yourself to reforming urban education

The PEACE Project is an innovative and experimental educational program located in Center City, serving high school students from traditionally under-served backgrounds. We believe that all students deserve the opportunity to explore their curiosities alongside real people in the real world.

The main complaint of American high school students is boredom. And in a city where less than half of students graduate high school, it is imperative that these talented young men and women are provided an education that is exciting, challenging, and meaningful.

We believe that the real world should be the classroom and education should happen everywhere in the community. As such, we are actively seeking mentors of all types to work with one or two students for a few hours each week, guiding them on a project that is meaningful, exciting, and important. We believe that such an experience could be found in any workplace it Philadelphia!

Will you join our commitment to Philadelphia?s youth and partner with The PEACE Project as a mentor?

What is The PEACE Project?s Internship Program?

Each student is placed at a host agency based on his/her interests and compatibility with a mentor at the site. The student is expected to contribute a substantial work of real consequence to the host agency, ideally focusing on one particular project. The mentor guides and coaches the student intern at the work site, while the student receives additional project support from his/her advisor back at school.

What are a mentor?s responsibilities?
Plan project with student by identifying goals and interests of both the intern and your organization

Communicate with the intern and advisor about responsibilities, expectations, and progress

Collaborate with the student and staff and follow through with the project

What is the duration of the internship?
The internship begins around November and lasts for 13-26 weeks, as appropriate.

What is the weekly time commitment?
Weekly time commitment is flexible and can be adjusted as per your needs ? just once or twice a week for about 4 hours each visit.

What do I get out of it? What are the benefits to me? What are the rewards?
Personal gratification * Perspective * Developing the next generation * Getting young people interested in your field * Impacting a young person?s life * Affecting societal change on the individual level * Providing opportunity and holding youth to high expectations * Public acknowledgement * Networking

What?s the next step?
Let us know you?re interested! Please contact us at your earliest convenience:

Danielle Rosenblatt, Development and Outreach Coordinator
daniellerosenblatt@freirecharterschool.org
215-557-8555 x214

Brett Shiel, Leader and Facilitator
brett@freirecharterschool.org
215-557-8555 x214

IMPROVING LOW-PERFORMING HIGH SCHOOLS

Recent research on three high school reform models from MDRC offers hope that programs can improve low-performing high schools. Together, these three interventions are being implemented in more than 2,500 high schools across the country, and various components of these models are being used in thousands more schools. Each model has been the subject of rigorous evaluation by MDRC, and each has been shown to improve some measures of student success. The new report offers lessons from across these three studies on: (1) Creating personalized and orderly learning environments; (2) Assisting students who enter high school with poor academic skills; (3) Improving instructional content and practice; (4) Preparing students for the world beyond high school; and (5) Stimulating change in overstressed high schools. The report asserts that structural changes and instructional improvement are the twin pillars of high school reform. MDRC?s research suggests that transforming schools into small learning communities and assigning students to faculty advisors can increase students? feelings of connectedness to their teachers. Extended class periods, special catch-up courses, high-quality curricula, and training on these curricula for teachers can improve student achievement. Furthermore, school-employer partnerships that involve career awareness activities and work internships can help students attain higher earnings after high school.

http://www.mdrc.org/press_releases/17/press_release_17.html

SCHOOL COMMERCIALISM: FROM DEMOCRATIC IDEAL TO MARKET COMMODITY

In a new book on school commercialism, Alex Molnar examines how various commercial initiatives — from the advertising-driven Channel One, to exclusive vending machine contracts in school districts, to for-profit schools run by companies like the Edison Project and other market-centered charter schools — threaten the future of American education. Schools are an ideal and hugely desirous location for targeting kids. In one institution, an otherwise disparate market segment is captive and organized by age. Even more, because children experience school-based advertising in what is otherwise thought to be a public institution, legitimacy is conferred on marketers? actions. By participating in schools, in other words, corporate America is able to buy a degree of community good will while selling directly to kids in a focused environment. School commercialism also serves two other functions: it provides a podium to disseminate corporate ideas and values; and, most significantly, it provides an essential venue for spreading the notion that consumption itself is the most important framework within which personal and social happiness, meaning and fulfillment can be found. This latter function is really where corporate activity poses a significant challenge to the integrity of schools. As Molnar explains, through the increased presence of corporate culture the work of schools shifts from a site that develops young people as engaged learners and active citizens to a site that produces consumers who are brand conscious and brand loyal, and at an increasingly younger age. “The more corporate special interests are allowed to influence what schools teach — and, by extension, limit what they cannot teach — the less students are seen as active citizens-to-be, and the more they are seen as passive consumers-to-be-sold.”

http://edrev.asu.edu/reviews/rev488.htm