In the years and months leading up to the 2008 US Presidential election, many Americans became politically active for the first time. What now?

Learn more about this event and RSVP ›

http://www.alumni.upenn.edu/diversityalliance/dass/index.html#toy

The Penn Alumni Diversity Alliance Speaker Series is designed to expose the Penn community to the rich and varied accomplishments of our graduates. Alumni representing one or more of the Diversity Alliance member organizations return to campus for an interview-style discussion of their career paths since graduating from Penn. Each topic will cover a different area of professional expertise.

For more information, visit the Penn Alumni Diversity Alliance Speaker Series.
FEBRUARY + APRIL
Speakers to be announced

Tuesday, January 13, 2009
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Strategic Planning to Improve the Graduation Rate

presented by

Ms. Deb Dillon

* Do you want to raise your school’s graduation rate but don’t know where to start?

* Systemic Renewal is one of the NDPC 15 Effective Strategies. Learn how one school system has used this process of planning and continuous review of results to help keep students in school.

The Fargo Public Schools, Fargo, ND, never suffered from the severely low graduation rates experienced in some areas of the country. However, in the upper Midwest, with an exceptional work ethic and high value placed on education, an 83%graduation rate was considered unacceptable. In 2003, the Fargo Schools contracted with the National Dropout Prevention Center at Clemson University to conduct a Program Assessment and Review (PAR). PAR is a systemic assessment and planning process to assist schools and school districts to plan solutions for keeping students in school and improving graduation rates. The PAR provided the school district with ten recommendations, and the district has been building on those suggestions, bringing the graduation rate up to 90%. Deb Dillon, Fargo Public Schools Director of Alternative Programs, has been coordinating these efforts, and she will share the process the district has used.

Supplementary materials are now available online at http://www.dropoutprevention.org/webcast for this radio webcast. All necessary information about participating fully in this professional development opportunity is found on the Web site at http://www.dropoutprevention.org/webcast. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact the National Dropout Prevention Center at ndpc@clemson.edu or 864-656-2580.

Participation in this call-in radio webcast is free and no registration is required. The program will be archived in its entirety on the Web site. On the day of the webcast, link to the broadcast at http://www.dropoutprevention.org/webcast.

This webcast is produced with support from Penn Foster.

America’s communities are being drastically affected by the economic downturn. Institutions of higher education are an important part of their local communities, with many resources, including students, faculty, and staff, research and expertise. Effective partnerships with other local organizations can help communities come together to provide needed services and build capacity in the nonprofit sector. Learn and Serve America encourages applicants to propose programs that will leverage these resources to assist in economic recovery through service and service-learning.

Key agency priorities for the 2009 Higher Education grant competition include:

·         Creating and/or expanding initiatives engaging campuses and the communities they serve. Activities should focus on assisting with economic recovery and strengthening the vitality of the nonprofit and social service sectors

·         Promoting student leadership through program models incorporating student-initiated and student-led service and service-learning activities addressing critical social needs, particularly those resulting from the economic downturn.

The Corporation’s mission is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering. The purpose of Learn and Serve America Higher Education grants is to expand participation in community service and service-learning programs in colleges and universities serving as civic institutions to meet the human, educational, environmental or public safety needs of their local communities.

For the Notice of Funding Opportunity and more information on 2009 Learn and Serve America Grant Competitions please visit:

http://www.servicelearning.org/lsa/lsa_page/2009_nofos/index.php

http://www.learnandserve.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp

Updates will be posted when available.  Applications are due on Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. EDT. Awards are expected to be announced by the end of August 2009.

Nu Sigma Youth Services
is now issuing an
Open Call for applications for the following programs:

JAMES MILLS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
(Ages 8-12)

&

SIGMA BETA CLUBS OF PHILADELPHIA
(Ages 13-18)

Come and learn about….
•    Benefits of Memberships
•    Opportunities, Services and Supports for members

Interested families can choose one of the following orientation dates:
1.    Thursday, January 22, 2009 at the Nu Sigma Beacon Center at Benjamin Franklin High School (Broad & Spring Garden Streets) from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. OR
2.    Friday, January 23, 2009 at the Community College of Philadelphia – West Philadelphia Branch (48th & Chestnut Streets) 6-7 p.m.

There are no membership fees for either program.

To RSVP or more information, please contact Brandon R. Brown, Director of Youth & Family Services at (215) 851-1755 or bbrown@nusigma.org.

Guest speaker: Mark L. Chien
State-wide Viticulture Extension Educator

Penn State Cooperative Extension
When: Tuesday, February 3, 2009
4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Where: The Enterprise Center
4548 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19139

RSVP: Theresa Lorentson
215-471-2200 X100
tdl11@psu.edu

Empowering youth and families to achieve sustainable urban communities

Making Life Better
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the Philadelphia Extension office in advance of your participation or visit.

Young Scholars receive funding to participate in academic summer programs, extracurricular lessons, distance learning courses, and other enrichment opportunities. Throughout their time in the program, Scholars work closely with an educational adviser who helps them plan an academic and talent development path to prepare them to enter top universities.  Most Young Scholars receive a college scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.

Here is what our Scholars are saying about the Young Scholars Program:

– The Young Scholars Program gives me opportunities to explore a larger scale of possibilities.

– The Young Scholars Program has given me the confidence to strive for a better education and has shown me that I can succeed when I take risks.

– I have been given access to the Internet and can now print my papers from home. Most importantly, I have obtained better insight on life after being given the opportunity to travel.

We are looking for 7th graders who value academic excellence, determination, leadership, and public service to apply for the Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program.  Applicants must have demonstrated financial need– typically, a family income below $60,000.  Up to 75 students will be selected across the nation in 2009. Applications become available on the Foundation Web site in January 2009 and are due the last Monday in April (April 27, 2009).  For more information about the Young Scholars Program and to see our video, please visit http://www.jkcf.org/ . If you have any questions, please contact us at 410-735-6270 or mgriffin@jhu.edu.

Thank you for your help in this important effort on behalf of exceptional students with financial need.

The Legacy Project Listen to A Life Contest connects generations through oral history. To enter, a young person must interview an older person about his or her hopes and goals throughout life, how he/she achieved goals and overcame obstacles, or how his/her dreams may have changed along the way. The young person then writes a 300-word essay based on the interview. Maximum award: a Lenovo ThinkCentre, iPod Classic, and $800 worth of Orchard Software; young person’s school receives $25,000 worth of Orchard Software. Eligibility: each team must consist of a young person 8-18 years and a grandparent or grandfriend 50 years or over (co-entrant cannot be a parent; he or she can be a grandparent, older friend, mentor, neighbor, nursing home resident, etc.) Deadline: March 30, 2009.

http://www.legacyproject.org/contests/ltal.html

The National Association of Biology Teachers Vernier Software & Technology Ecology/Environmental Teaching Award honors a teacher who has successfully developed and demonstrated an innovative approach in the teaching of ecology/environmental science and has carried his/her commitment to the environment into the community. Maximum award: $1,000 toward travel to the NABT Professional Development Conference, and $500 of Vernier equipment. Eligibility: secondary school teachers. Deadline: March 15, 2009.

http://www.nabt.org/sites/S1/index.php?p=290

The Intel Foundation Schools of Distinction Program honors U.S. schools that have demonstrated excellence in math and science education. In order to be considered as an Intel School of Distinction, schools must develop an environment and curriculum that represents the intersection of benchmarks laid out by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills in their ICT literacy maps for math and science and national content standards for that content area. Maximum award: $25,000 cash grant and $100,000 in products and services from sponsors. Eligibility: K-12 public, private, charter, parochial schools in the United States, Department of Defense Dependents Schools, and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. Deadline: February 17, 2009.

http://www.intel.com/education/schoolsofdistinction/application.htm#Categories

The Excellence in Summer Learning Award recognizes an outstanding summer program that demonstrates excellence in accelerating academic achievement and promoting positive development for young people between kindergarten and 12th grade. Award: national recognition, increased press opportunities, conference presentations and complimentary registrations, professional development opportunities for staff, and increased publishing opportunities. Eligibility: public or private organizations or agencies (schools, community-based organizations, libraries, universities, faith-based organizations, etc.) serving young people between the ages of kindergarten and 12th grade over the summer months. Deadline: January 21, 2009.

http://www.summerlearning.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=100&Itemid=422

Learning to read and write opens doors to progress and prosperity across a lifetime. The years before kindergarten are a particularly fertile and profitable time to prepare young children to read and learn by teaching them essential literacy skills. The challenge of helping all children become successful readers requires early teaching, using home and school instruction built upon proven research and effective practices. This is the message being delivered as the National Institute for Literacy releases findings from, “Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel, A Scientific Synthesis of Early Literacy Development and Implications for Intervention.” The National Early Literacy Panel’s (NELP) report serves as the basis of several powerful, research-based recommendations to the early childhood community –educators, caregivers, Head Start providers, and parents — on promoting the foundational skills of life-long literacy. Some of the key findings of the report reveal the best early predictors of literacy, which include alphabet knowledge, phonemic awareness, rapid naming skills, writing (such as writing one’s name), and short-term memory for words said aloud. Instruction on these skills may be especially helpful for children at risk for developing reading difficulties. More complex oral language skills also appear to be important.

Read the report: http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/NELP/NELPreport.html
See also: http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0109/p02s01-ussc.html
See also: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/01/08/18read.h28.html

Food Sovereignty and Cultural Studies – a special issue of Politics and Culture

In a moment of acute historical potential, food and sovereignty each name a grave global crisis and a horizon of political hope. Together, they name the rallying cry for increasingly global diversity of social movements (both radical and reformist) prioritizing the “right” of local communities to manage their agriculture against global neoliberalism and neocolonialism.

This issue of Politics and Culture seeks to mobilize scholars invested in cultural studies-related approaches (defined very broadly) to bring together new research both on sovereignty and on food to deepen and enhance our understanding of both terms and to contribute to ongoing academic and activist debates around the concept of food sovereignty.

* How are food and sovereignty connected in theory and practice, in power and resistance?
* How do the demands for food sovereignty, which have characterized social movements around the world, represent, mobilize and/or call forth new forms of politics, democracy, rights, commons and community?
* How is food sovereignty or the tension between food and sovereignty represented or articulated in different cultural milieus and media?
* What can struggles grounded in the base materiality of food teach us about the nature of sovereignty today? How can recent scholarship on sovereignty provide tools for understanding food politics and help us
imagine responses?
* How is food sovereignty a part of or a response to ongoing and transformation of colonialism, racism, patriarchy and capitalism?
* How do the questions provoked by food sovereignty challenge us to retool our theoretical approaches including theories of the body, the subject, biopolitics, gender, capital, rights, (neo)colonialism, neoliberalism, biopolitics, Empire and imperialism, globalization, hegemony, agency and post-coloniality.

The editors anticipate brief (1000-4000 words) submissions from a wide range of disciplinary and critical approaches. Submissions may take a variety of forms including:
* Critical book (fiction or non-fiction) , film or other media reviews of new or established work, mainstream or underground
* Synopses and/or analyses of social movements, current or past
* Brief theoretical interventions
* Historical excurses
* Discursive analyses of non-fictive, fictive or policy texts
* Creative engagements (Politics and Culture is an online journal – please get in touch with regards to technical questions).

Please do not hesitate to contact the editors should you have any questions. Please forward submissions (in RTF or DOC format) along with a brief bio and contact information to both haivenmf@mcmaster. ca and
stonemsr@mcmaster. ca by March 1st, 2009.

authors:
J. Larry Brown, William H. Beardslee, Deborah Prothrow-Stith

published in:
Commissioned by the Sodexo Foundation

description:
“The body of evidence, drawn from more than 100 published research articles, provides the scientific basis for concluding that the School Breakfast Program (SBP) is highly effective in terms of providing children with a stronger basis to learn in school, eat more nutritious diets, and lead more healthy lives both emotionally and physically. Participation in the SBP is also economically desirable for our nation, the research shows. While no single study necessarily provides a uniquely definitive assessment of the SBP’s benefits, and while some studies occasionally reach differing conclusions, the combined and quite consistent message of this body of research is that serving breakfast to those schoolchildren who don’t get it elsewhere significantly improves their cognitive or mental abilities, enabling them to be more alert, pay better attention, and to do better in terms of reading, math and other standardized test scores. Children who eat breakfast also are sick less often, have fewer problems associated with hunger, such as dizziness, lethargy, stomachaches and earaches, and do significantly better than their non-breakfasted peers in terms of cooperation, discipline and inter-personal behaviors.”

http://www.sodexofoundation.org/hunger_us/Images/Impact%20of%20School%20Breakfast%20Study_tcm150-212606.pdf

College Access Center of Delaware County
Open House

January 27, 2009
11:00am – 6:00pm
Widener University Campus
400 E. 21st Street
Chester, Pennsylvania

WELCOME!
The center will provide free services to residents of Delaware County in search of help with postsecondary education goals.

SERVICES PROVIDED AT THE CENTER:
College and Career Awareness
Study Skills Help
Tutoring and Mentoring
Assistance with the College Financial Aid Process

FOR MORE INFORMATION
CONTACT: Cynthia Jetter – 610‐690‐2068

The Chester Higher Education Council is a nonprofit organization formed by the presidents of:
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Delaware County Community College, Neumann College, Penn
State Brandywine, Swarthmore College, Widener University

Through 50-minute thematic sessions and poster displays, presenters are asked to share their programs, projects, research or best practices in improving student success of K-16 students by increasing the graduation rate.

Special showcase sessions will highlight programs in the state that reach out and make a difference in the lives of K-16 students and provide services or support to assist those students to reach or obtain higher education. Those special showcase sessions will be part of a competitive grant opportunity to provide monetary support to assist with the creation and operation of a theme-related conference/workshop in their community.

Conference/Workshop Grants
Each Mind-Trust Delegate receives:
* $5,000 seed grant to assist with the creation and operation of a theme-related conference/workshop (one time grant) within two years of receiving the funding or all funds must be returned at the end of the two year period
Each Mind-Trust Delegate must submit:
* Follow-up year – report on progress, report on conference/workshop, expenditures – presentation on conference/workshop
* Digital photos and/or video of conference/workshop events and speakers to be used at the annual conference or for promotional purposes

For more information please contact Deborah Kephart at 843-349-2665 or BiddleCenter@coastal.edu.

Pre Conference Session – March 13, 2009
The opening conference session is for representatives across the state (Mind-Trust Delegates) who have been identified as leaders in civic engagement efforts or have programs that impact student success in K-16 from a societal and/or higher education perspective. Delegates are identified by various statewide groups, organizations, and/or agencies (i.e. Campus Compact, State department, State higher education agency, U.S. Department of Education, etc.).

PROPOSAL FORM:  http://www.coastal.edu/cec/conference/proposals.html

The Center for Loss and Bereavement is a non-profit organization located in Skippack, Pa. and has been providing professional counseling since 2000 to individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of grief and loss.  In addition to our counseling services, the Center offers both an on-going group support program and a summer bereavement camp for children who have experienced the death of parent or sibling.

Our children’s group support program, Nello’s Corner, is a high quality program modeled after the nationally successful Dougy Center for Grieving Children in Oregon.  The children at Nello’s Corner meet in age specific groups twice a month in the evenings from September through June sharing activities, discussion, or simply enjoying the company of other children who have also experience the death of an immediate family member.  Nello’s Corner is led by professional staff as well as trained Volunteer Facilitators.  The Center provides a three-day mandatory training for individuals interested in becoming Volunteer Facilitators (see attached flyer for upcoming training dates).

Our summer bereavement camp, Camp Millie, is holding its 5th annual 4-day camp from 9:00-1:30, June 22 – June 25, at the variety club in Worcester.  Camp Millie is a fun-filled, fast-paced day camp in which children participate in circle time, exciting games and crafts presented in a camp theme.  This year’s theme is “Road Trip Adventures” and promises exciting Adventures as children “travel” to different destinations each day, exploring and sharing their journeys of grief.

We are actively looking for energetic volunteers to assist with our camp.  There are several volunteer camp positions which require a one to three-day training provided by the Center at no cost.  Please use the attached flyer to copy, post or give to interested students.  Thank you for your time and consideration in helping the Center recruit individuals for Camp Millie.  Please feel free to call us at (610) 222-4115, visit our website at http://www.bereavmentcenter.org or e-mail us for further information.

Sincerely yours,

Lois Harris                                                         Mary Flenders
Program Director                                              Nello’s Corner Coordinator
lh@bereavementcenter.org                             mf@bereavementcenter.org

• Career Self-Assessment tools to determine careers that fit your personality!
• National college search engine to research thousands of colleges/universities/trade schools!
• Access to free practice tests (and test taking strategies) for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, GED and more!
• Tips on how to upgrade study skills, time management and organizational skills!
• Access to one of the world’s largest scholarship search engines: over 1 million scholarships, totaling over $7 billion!
• English to Spanish translation of website’s content information!
• Timeline instructions and deadline information regarding the college admissions and financial aid process!
• A criteria list to help youth and adults select their ideal choice of college – and much more…all FREE!

PRESENTER:
Michael Robinson, M.S. Counseling
Assistant Regional Director
Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA)
• Award Winning Business Leader (1994)
• Award Winning Educator (2004)
• Award Winning Community Leader (2006)

WHERE?
Foundations Community Education Initiatives
7161 Ogontz Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19138

WHEN?
Monday, January 26th, 2009
5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

RSVP
Foundations Community Education Initiatives
215-424-5810
gdeekle@foundationsinc.org

Do you want to build capacity in your community to implement the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) lead-safe renovation, repair, and painting (RRP) rule? Are you looking for an income stream for your organization?  If so, please consider becoming an accredited trainer to teach contractors how to use lead-safe work practices required by the new RRP rule!

In order to comply with the RRP rule, most contractors will need to take an 8-hour class from an accredited trainer by April 2010, and there will be a huge demand for local deliveries of the class. The Alliance for Healthy Homes firmly believes that we need local housing organizations, tenants’ organizations, advocacy groups, health departments, and others to step up and help meet the training demand. The RRP classes can be offered for a fee, providing organizations and agencies with a new income stream and complementing existing training efforts.

To help increase the number of trainers, the Alliance, in partnership with Isles’ Center for Energy and Environmental Training (an arm of Isles, Inc., a Trenton-based housing and environmental non-profit, http://www.isles.org), will offer a “train-the-trainer” program in Trenton on Jan. 21-22 for organizations interested in becoming accredited trainers under the EPA rule.

This program will cover: the requirements established by the EPA to become an accredited trainer and how to meet them, how to market the training and recruit participants, and a review of the model curriculum, along with hints on how to best deliver it, with a special emphasis on hands-on materials. The program draws upon the Alliance’s experience in helping organizations across the country develop lead-safe work practice training programs.

The fee for the course is $225.  Limited discounts are available, so please enquire.  More details about the course are available at http://afhh.org/res/res_training_RRP_train_the_trainer_flyer.pdf.

If you would like to register for the scheduled classes, or have any other questions, contact Patrick MacRoy, the Alliance’s Executive Director, at pmacroy@afhh.org or 202-347-7610 ext. 14.

No experience is necessary; training will be provided! Opportunities for further involvement in our education and advocacy efforts may be available.

Specifically, volunteers’ tasks will include:
– Provide information to low-income families about the Food Stamp Program through outreach at one of the Coalition’s outreach sites
– Screen low-income families to assess eligibility for food stamps and estimate benefit level
– Assist interested clients in applying either with a paper application or using the online application
– Advise clients about required documentation and provide additional assistance to those without this documentation
– Advocate for clients who encounter problems in the application process by working with Department of Public Welfare staff to identify and resolve issues
– Optional work with other Coalition events and activities, including the Walk Against Hunger
– Work at least two hours each week, during business hours (Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm)

Training provided:
– Volunteers must attend two two-hour training sessions.
– Part 1 of the training will cover a background of the Food Stamp Enrollment Campaign; Rules and Regulations of the Food Stamp Program; and How to Conduct Outreach and Screenings. Part 2 of the training will cover How to Help a Client Apply for Food Stamps using COMPASS, the online application system.

Qualifications:
– Strong communication skills and interpersonal skills are necessary
– Spanish and other language abilities are a plus

Training dates are as follows:

PART I: Tuesday, January 27th from 7 to 9pm

PART II: Thursday, January 29th from 7 to 9pm

OR

PART I: Monday, February 2nd from 4:30 to 6:30pm

PART II: Wednesday, February 4th from 4:30 to 6:30pm

If you have any questions or are interested in volunteering, please contact Anna Kastner (akastner@hungercoalition.org) for more information.