The National Collaboration for Youth and Search Institute in partnership with American Camp Association has recently released a study titled, “Is There Common Ground: An Exploratory Study of the Interests and Needs of Community-Based and Faith-Based Youth Worker.” The study examined the core competencies of youth workers in both sectors as well as their interests in and concerns about working together. The resulting report provides insights regarding priorities, professional development needs, perspectives on collaboration as well as recommendations for next steps in building common ground. To download the report, visit http://www.nydic.org/nydic/staffing/workforce/istherecommonground.html

FALL FOCUS WEBINARS ON TOPICS RELATED TO VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT

Hands On Network is pleased to announce our annual Fall Focus, a series of FREE webinars on topics related to volunteer management for national service programs. The 90-minute sessions are at 2:00 (EDT) all through the month of September. You can attend as many sessions as you?d like, but space is limited, so sign up today at <a href="https://handsonnetwork.webex.com/">https://handsonnetwork.webex.com/</a>

September 14: Volunteer Motivation: The Key To Successful Recruitment, Retention and Recognition

Learning to determine motivational styles and create a more motivating climate will help attendees learn how to place volunteers in jobs they want to do and where they will be successful. Participants will learn the best way to supervise and support volunteers based on their particular motivational style. Understanding what people want and what people expect are keys to a successful volunteer program or experience.

September 20: Building Volunteer Leadership to Increase Capacity

What are the strategies used by successful volunteer leaders to lead other volunteer leaders? Explore six steps to volunteer leadership. These techniques can be used to better engage volunteer leaders and learn a framework for volunteer leader success. After participating, you will be able to engage and motivate volunteers, discuss what motivates people to volunteer, match talents to skills and develop a plan for increasing active volunteer leader participation.

September 24: Moving Volunteers from Service to Civic Engagement

How do you define civic involvement? In this session, participants will spend time crafting personal definitions of civic involvement and discussing the implications of defining civic involvement. You’ll be introduced to the concept of reflection and how intentionally combining reflection and meaningful service can deepen the civic commitment of your volunteers. We will also explore a variety of reflection ideas that you will be able to apply to your volunteer program.

Sign up today at <a href="https://handsonnetwork.webex.com/">https://handsonnetwork.webex.com/</a>

For further information, please e-mail: training@handsonnetwork.org

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honor young people in grades 5 through 12 who have demonstrated exemplary voluntary service to their communities. Students in grades 5-12 who have conducted a volunteer service activity within the past year are eligible to apply. The deadline is October 31. To learn more, visit <a href="http://www.prudential.com/view/page/public/12846">http://www.prudential.com/view/page/public/12846</a>

Position Title: Youth Horticulture Assistant

County: Philadelphia

Office Location: Penn State Philadelphia Outreach Center
111 N. 49th Street, Suite KN3-100
Philadelphia, PA 19139-2718

Brief Summary of Duties:
The Youth Horticulture Assistant is responsible for implementing youth, classroom and after school horticulture programs. The purpose of this program is to teach urban youth the skills to grow plants and the knowledge of where food comes from. The Assistant will work part time Monday to Friday, during school and after school hours. The Assistant will function as a member of the Philadelphia County Extension team under the guidance and direction of the Philadelphia County Extension directors.

Specific Program Responsibilities:

1. Maintain established working relationships with a variety of ongoing community partners

2. Conduct educational programs as directed by the Extension staff

3. Evaluate program progress, success and requirements and provide impact data for programs delivered.

4. Develop working relationships with new partners within the targeted neighborhoods of Germantown and Overbrook.

5. Insure compliance with the Affirmative Action Plan. Through public notice and ?all reasonable efforts? make programs accessible to clientele without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age or handicap.

Qualifications:
At least one year of college education
Must be a self starter and be able to work independently as well as collaboratively.
Must have horticulture knowledge and the ability to teach growing concepts in a way that is appropriate for youth.
Must have ability to manage supplies and deal with group dynamics.
Must have good quality written and verbal communication skills.
Must have interest in and the ability to work with diverse youth audiences.

Rank/Salary: Salary and educator rank commensurate with education, training and experience.

To apply, contact:
Leona Joseph, M.A., CHES
Extension co-Director
Penn State Philadelphia Outreach Center
111 N. 49th Street, Suite KN3-100
Philadelphia, PA 19139
215-471-2200, ext. 108
fax: 215-471-2231

With the generous support of the State Farm Companies Foundation, Youth Service America is offering the annual State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grant for youth across the United States and Canada (select provinces). These grants of up to $1,000 support youth (ages 5-25), teachers, or school-based service-learning coordinators in implementing service-learning projects for Global Youth Service Day 2008. To learn more, download an application and grant guidelines at <a href="http://www.YSA.org/awards">http://www.YSA.org/awards</a> or email Goodneighbor@ysa.org. The deadline to apply is October 16.

Grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 are being offered by the State Farm Youth Advisory Board. Applicants may request any amount within this range based on a required budget which outlines project expenses. The Youth Advisory Board will grant funds for student-led service-learning projects in the United States and in the Alberta, New Brunswick, and Ontario provinces of Canada. Grant requests must focus on disaster preparedness, driver safety, accessing higher education/closing the achievement gap, or financial education. Request for Proposals must be submitted online by October 12. To learn more, visit <a href="http://www.statefarmyab.com">http://www.statefarmyab.com</a>

Guided by the conviction that participation in the arts is vital to individual fulfillment and community life, the Conference for Community Arts Education provides essential networking and professional development opportunities for community arts education leaders.

Workshops are led by nationally renowned experts in the fields of advocacy, arts integration, student assessment, board development, evaluation, finance, fund raising, marketing, partnerships, technology and more. Roundtable sessions bring expert practitioners together to share information and ideas. And our showcases highlight successful programs that you can replicate back home.

For more information please visit the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts site at http://www.communityartsed.org/

About the theme: Teachers and parents often rank “discipline” as their primary concern in school opinion polls and studies. Discipline can be referred to as both prevention and remediation of behavior. It is about order, and control in schools. In the post-9/11 atmosphere of fear and the aftermath of recent school massacres such as at Virginia Tech, this topic also concerns safety and surveillance.

About submissions: Submissions for this issue can address a wide range of issues, from the rise of “zero tolerance” policies, to classroom practices, to “school safety,” to student and teacher relationships. We look forward to presenting perspectives from across the spectrum on this issue to create a critical and engaging dialog on the topic. Submission Deadline: Monday, November 5th, 2007 for more information visit our website http://www.urbanedjournal.org or email journal@urbanedjournal.org

Entitled ?Leadership for Change: A Nation without Dropouts,? the Communities in Schools (CIS) National Conference will bring together more than 1,200 leaders engaged in youth development, education reform, and community-strengthening efforts. Educators, practitioners, policy makers, community leaders, and business and media representatives will join members of the CIS movement from across the United States to discuss the current dropout crisis. To learn more, visit http://www.cisnationalconference.com/

The grant identification and writing course provides the participant with the fundamental skills needed to research and identify funding sources and prepare your organization for the grant process. Participants will also learn to develop, write, and submit grant proposals. Some of the topics covered are:

Elements of success
Preparing for Grant Writing
Grant terminology
Elements of a good proposal
Budgeting
Key components needed in the grant
Responding to a turn down
Getting your organization on board

Target Audiences:
Municipalities and other Units of Government
Nonprofit Organizations
Law Enforcement
Public Safety Organizations (EMS, Fire Departments, etc.)
Faith-based initiatives
Causes and community projects in need of funding

Recent Quotes from workshop participants:

“Denise is so wealthy in knowledge in this field that she has helped us in all aspects of our business!” Director, Fayette Lions Den

“The workshop far exceeded my expectations. Denise took the process of grant writing from a learned skill to an art form. She translated the language of grant writing into user friendly terms and provided countless examples of practical applications. The best adult education experience I have had!” Supervisor, Northumberland County Family Center

“The entire workshop was so educational. Step by step you are shown the most effective way to write a grant proposal.” Development Associate, Home Nursing Agency

“The workshop provided a good deal of useful information. I would recommend to others!” Assistant Administrator, Marie Joseph Continuing Care Community

Denise S. Schlegel is a national trainer, consultant, facilitator and grant writer. Denise has more than 25 years of experience in non-profit management and development, grant writing and community capacity building. She is the author of “Grant Writing-Show me the Money”? grant writing training curriculum.

Penn State University Continuing Education Units (CEU?s) available.

HURRY ? Space is limited. Registration will be prioritized by date payment is received. Payment is required before the workshop begins.

For further information please contact:
Community Partnerships RC&D
23 North Main St.
Lewistown, PA 17044
717.248.4901 phone
717.513.1031 fax
midstatercd@yahoo.com

This one week workshop is only $550* and will be held in Historic Lewisburg, PA at the Union County Government Center.

For your convenience, the Best Western Country Cupboard in Lewisburg is holding a block of rooms at a great rate of $89 + tax. Please call early to get a reservation. Call (570).524.5500 and ask for a room under ?Community Partnerships room block? to get the special rate. Dining is available on the premises, and at the many restaurants in the area. A continental breakfast is included in the room rate.

Youth service allows young people to take action on very real and very serious social issues, transforming themselves and their communities. The youth service field is at a position of strength, and this maturity combined with better positioning in the public?s eye, on the candidates? platforms, and with record participation by youth allows us to think bigger and more boldly about breadth and depth. To help continue this great momentum, Youth Service America invites you to attend the Youth Service Institute. The Institute will unite colleagues from the service, service-learning, and youth development fields for three days of skill-building and innovation. Participants will gain tools and strategies to expand their organizations? impact and scale by engaging in workshops that illustrate the strength and power of the youth service movement. The Institute is the ideal environment for individuals and organizations to further develop their programs while learning inventive ways to engage young people as assets and resources on Global Youth Service Day and throughout the year. To register or learn more about the Youth Service Institute, please visit http://www.ysa.org/institute or contact Andra?a LaVant at alavant@ysa.org.

For the last five years, the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger has worked with service-learning students and faculty as part of the Food Stamp Enrollment Campaign. Students serve primarily as “pre-screeners” at various sites around the city (e.g. public health centers and CareerLinks), determining households’ eligibility for the Food Stamp Program and assisting them in the application process. These service-learning students have been a vital part of the Campaign’s efforts to increase participation in the Food Stamp Program, and students’ involvement in the Campaign has allowed them to better connect their work in the classroom with the realities of low-income households in Philadelphia.

In the past, service-learning students from the following schools have participated in the Campaign: Arcadia University, Bryn Mawr College, Cabrini College, Haverford College, St. Joseph’s University, Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, and Villanova University. They have been enrolled in courses in a variety of disciplines, including economics, political science, religion, biology, social work and sociology.

Once again, the Coalition Against Hunger is looking for faculty and students interested in joining the Food Stamp Enrollment Campaign. If you or your students still need to find a service-learning placement for the fall, please contact us. We are conducting trainings as several college campuses (including University of Pennsylvania, La Salle University, and Eastern University) throughout the month of September and are open to adding more sites.

If you or your colleagues have started planning for the spring semester, please consider the Food Stamp Enrollment Campaign as a placement for your student. In addition to continuing our regular pre-screenings this spring, we hope to expand our submission of on-line food stamp applications and to involve students in advocacy work with Philadelphia?s County Assistance Offices.

I can be reached by e-mail at rmeeks@hungercoalition.org or at 215-430-0555. I would be happy to discuss the specifics of the Campaign in greater detail and answer any questions. Thanks!

Rachel Meeks
Volunteer Coordinator
Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger
2901 W. Hunting Park Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19129
215-430-0555
rmeeks@hungercoalition.org

[ed note: PHENND was an official partner of the Food Stamp Enrollment Campaign in its early days. For more information about our involvement, visit http://www.upenn.edu/ccp/PHENND/initiatives/foodstamps.html. In addition, I and three faculty involved with the program are finishing on a paper about the particular benefits of this project for service-learning courses.]

Saturday, October 13, 8am-3:30pm, 42nd and Stiles Street (near Memorial Hall and the Philadelphia Zoo). Drinks and snacks provided. RSVP to Linda@cdesignc.org by September 21. Space limited!

Join the work crew for Habitat?s Stiles Street Housing, Philadelphia?s first low-income LEED-certified homes. Lunchtime talk by Maarten Pesch, AIA, of Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC.

Volunteer opportunities will include: planting in Baobab Park and Magical Garden, working in Lions Park, and sprucing up our Community Garden.

Baobab Park at 11th and York Streets
The Village of Arts and Humanities
DATE: Friday, September 14th
TIME: 8 am to 2 pm

MORE: To reserve your time please call Corinne at 215 225 7830
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

The Village of Arts and Humanities
2544 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19133
215 225 7830
http://www.villagearts.org

Feature Articles for this issue include:
* Special Feature: Identity and Education – Kwame Anthony Appiah
* Supporting New Visions for Social Justice Teaching: The Potential for Professional Development Networks – Anne Burns Thomas
* Fostering Gender Equity in Schools through Reflective Professional Development – Ila Deshmukh Towery
* Supporting New Educators to Teach for Social Justice – Bree Picower
* Examining the Embedded Assumptions of Teaching for Social Justice in a Secondary Urban School – David Lee Carlson

Also in the issue:
Notes from the Field: Homophobia in pre-service fieldwork, supporting new teachers, and one teacher’s story. Commentaries: Disability and deaf experience, environmental justice education, and pre-service work in urban schools. And Reviews on books and teaching publications.
Visit this issue ? http://www.urbanedjournal.org

The Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center staff of educators is posting its most popular lessons online. The first lesson, ?Drinking Water Mystery: A Simple Test,? is a hands-on experiment using environmental science, math and chemistry for grades 4 to 12. For more information, click here.

http://www.fairmountwaterworks.org/Lesson.php

Architect Muscoe Martin will talk about the Cusano Center of the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge and other green buildings he’s designed.

Pat McBee of the the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting will talk about the Quakers’ new green building at 15th/Cherry Sts.

Rob Diemer, President of the Delaware Valley Green Building Council, will talk about the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system.

The United Nations Population Fund recently released a report titled “Growing up Urban” that calls attention to the upcoming largest wave of urbanization globally and highlights the multiple ways in which urban growth affects young people?s transition to adulthood. As the report outlines, the projected unprecedented urban growth in developing countries presents an opportunity to enhance development and promote sustainability or an opportunity to deepen poverty and accelerate environmental degradation. The report was launched together with UNFPA?s State of World Population Report in 120 cities around the world, where young people participated in the launch of the report. To learn more, visit http://www.unfpa.org/swp/

?Urban Agriculture for Sustainable Health and Economic Development?

Agenda:
1. Opening remarks
2. S.P.I.N. – What it is and what it means for us
(Speaker: Roxanne Christensen, Institute for Innovations in Local Farming)
3. Vertical Agriculture, thinking future and possibilities
(Speaker: Dickson Despommier, Mailman School of Public Health)
4. Urban Farming and the Green Plan Philadelphia, an update.
(Reporting from the City of Philadelphia?s Managing Directors Office)
5. The Kellogg Initiative:
(Speaker: Kenneth Smith, City Department of Public Health)
6. Questions, Hopefully some answers, and active discussion.
7. Social hour. Building the next steps

Lunch will be provided during the social hour

The forum will be held at

The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
15 South 22nd Street
Philadelphia, PA.
215-563-3737
http://www.collphyphil.org

Friday, September 14, from 11 AM to 2 PM
(The lecture is free and open to the public.)

Please RSVP by Wednesday, September 12 to Calvin.James@phila.gov or 215-685-5489

Find out more at the

Adult Learning & Workforce Development
Information Session

Wednesday, September 12th, 6pm

Learn more about the following programs and services:
Job Training Programs
Computer Training & Certification
GED, Adult Diploma, & Tutoring
Career Development Workshops
Workforce Development Seminars
Financial Education & Credit Counseling
The Benefit Bank
College Access Counseling
GrandFamily Resource Center
Parenting Workshops

Project H.O.M.E.
Honickman Learning Center & Comcast Technology Labs
1936 North Judson Street
215-235-2900