The Center for Academic Excellence at Fairfield University is hosting its 12th Annual Conference on Innovative Pedagogy and Course Redesign (May 29 – 31, 2013).  We celebrate and showcase excellence and innovations in all areas of teaching, faculty support and development, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and community-engaged teaching and scholarship. Our theme this year is Collaborations for Empowerment and Learning.   To this end, we have invited wonderful featured presenters to work with the attendees on areas of deep resonance for higher education teaching and learning (mentoring networks, peer review and publication of engaged scholarship, SoTL and collaboration as a tool for teaching).   Our Keynote Presenter is Dr. Mary Deane Sorcinelli, who plans a highly interactive session on mutual mentoring.  Drs. Kathy Jordan and Cathy Burack will address peer review and scholarly aspects of community-engaged work, and Dr. Katie Linder will focus on collaborations as tools for learning and teaching.

We see this annual conference as an opportunity to learn from each other, to build connections and collaborations and to reflect upon the meaningfulness and impact of our work as educators and scholars.

Welcome to our beautiful campus, and to our time together as colleagues and friends.

Please share this information with your colleagues, and suggest that they, in turn, feel welcome to extend our invitation to their relevant networks.

Conference information:
Conference website: http://fairfield.edu/cae/cae_conference13.html
Conference brochure: http://fairfield.edu/documents/academic/cae_conf_brochure13.pdf

Just 1 in 2 Philadelphia students will graduate high school in four years.  We know that all Philadelphia students can achieve at high levels if there is an effective teacher in every classroom. Apply to the Philadelphia Teaching Fellows program.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TEACHING FELLOW PROGRAMS

Upcoming Webinars:

Thursday, February 28th  @ 8pm EST https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/755548393

Monday, March 11th @ 8pm EST  https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/623254960

Thursday, April 4th @  8pm EST https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/716598928

For more information and to apply please go to: http://philadelphiateachingfellows.ttrack.org/Home.aspx

Deadline is March 4, 2013.

WHEN: MARCH 7TH, 12P – 3P (COMPLIMENTARY LUNCH)

WHERE: ESPERANZA COLLEGE

College Results Online (CRO) is a free interactive web tool that provides facts on college graduation rates to students, parents, school counselors, and college advisers.  You can select nearly any college or university and compare its graduation rate with that of similar institutions serving similar groups of students. CRO lets you view graduation rates by students’ race, ethnicity, and gender. If you’re considering colleges, this feature can help you pick one that will boost your chances of success ( http://www.collegeresults.org).  Training will be facilitated by the Education Trust (http://www.edtrust.org).

The audience best suited for this professional development: College Access and Success professionals, College Advisers, and High School Guidance Counselor.  School teams of counselors and college access and success advisers are encouraged to attend.

Coaches/Support personnel will be available for schools and college access programs who agree to implement CRO  immediately following the training.

View more information and register at collegepreproundtable.org

SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA PERSONNEL SHOULD REGISTER FOR THIS PD ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA’S PD WEBSITE.

The title of the workshop is Advancing Community-Engaged Scholarship: Knowledge, Tools, Resources & Relationships. The workshop will be followed by a Community Campus Partnerships for Health educational networking meeting.
Increasingly, universities are addressing the complex issues we face here in Canada and around the world by engaging with key stakeholders outside of the academy. This engagement often takes the form of mutually beneficial partnerships that produce and apply knowledge. For the faculty involved, this means applying their expertise to real-world problems and collaborating with peers in other sectors who also bring their knowledge and wisdom to the table — a practice known as community-engaged scholarship (CES). For most universities, however, the incentives and supports needed for faculty to engage in this way are not in place across the campus. In particular, the system in place at most universities for faculty career advancement (promotion, tenure and faculty development) has not kept pace with changing faculty roles.
The goal of this workshop is to connect scholars, professional staff and academic administrators with knowledge, tools, resources and relationships that can help them to advance community-engaged scholarship in their work and in their institutions by both leveraging existing systems and working toward transformational change. We encourage the participation of institutional teams as well as individuals attending on their own.
Participants will learn about strategies and resources for:

• Communicating about community-engaged scholarship in ways that resonate with key stakeholder groups and engenders their support

• Documenting community-engaged scholarship and making a compelling case for it in the promotion and tenure process

• Revising promotion and tenure policies and practices to recognize and reward community-engaged scholarship

• Publishing and disseminating “conventional” scholarly products (e.g., journal manuscripts) and innovative products (e.g., videos, digital stories, policy reports)

• Supporting the development of community-engaged scholars through formal and informal mechanisms (e.g., courses, communities of practice, mentoring programs)

• Creating a campus culture that fosters community engagement and community-engaged scholarship, including strategic practices and institutional structures

For more information about this pre-conference workshop go to
http://bit.ly/12lGqBf or email ces@uoguelph.ca

This College Fair is about YOU – This is not about your resume, your grades or your course loads. This is about YOU, and the next four years of your academic life. It’s about what your mind and heart most need to prepare you for life.
It’s fun – You will make people to people connections; have time for questions; and get good answers.
No Lines, no tours, no driving from place to place –  Three hours – 14 Colleges– this Fair gives you access to the historically Quaker institutions of higher learning.  AND… you will not need to spend ten hours in a car driving from one College campus to another.
Access to experts – on what to expect in college, gap years, housing, financial aid, and on the college process.

For more information and to register, please go to http://www.pym.org/calendar/events/quaker-college-fair-2013/

Check out what’s new this Spring: www.sp2.upenn.edu/ostrc/resources

Field Trips Directory
http://www.sp2.upenn.edu/ostrc/resources/documents/Spring2013FieldTripDirectory.pdf

Traveling Services Directory
http://www.sp2.upenn.edu/ostrc/resources/documents/Spring2013TravelingServicesDirectory.pdf

Peer Mentor Directory
For access to this Directory, which lists dozens of professionals who can offer you their advice and support, please contact us directly!

Philadelphia OST PD Calendar http://www.phillyostpd.org/
Find the latest public and OST-relevant trainings and professional development opportunities from dozens of PD organizations in our region!
Sign up here to receive training updates via email: http://www.phillyostpd.org/user/register

For details, or to update your existing profile/account, contact John Price III at johnep@sp2.upenn.edu or 215.898.0793.

When: March 9th, 8:30Am – 4:00PM
Where: Eastern University, 1330 Eagle Road, St Davids, PA 19087

Social entrepreneurship is a movement that helps corporations focus not just on profits, but also on the needs of the people in the communities they serve. In the past decade, such ventures have started using sports as the doorway into these communities. Join us on March 9th to learn how the power of sports is used to redeem communities and launch microenterprises, education programs, and other development initiatives in impoverished communities in American cities and around the world.

Some of our featured speakers and panelists include Mr. Robert Brown, VP and CFO of the New York Yankees; Dr. Sarah HIllyer, University of Tennessee, Sports for Peace; Dr. Howard Stephenson, University of Pennsylvania School of Education; Dr. Ed Hastings, Neumann University; Mr. Jim Brit, COO Ed Snyder Youth Hockey Foundation; Prof, JoAnn Flett, Eastern University; Ms. Seren Fryatt, founder of L.A.C.E.S.

This event is free but requires registration. Please register at www.eastern.edu/sportssymposium

Attend An Open House For NELI’s Executive Leadership Certificate Program!

Tuesday, March 5

5:30 – 7:00 at United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey, 1709 Ben Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA

The Nonprofit Executive Leadership Certificate is designed to meet the professional needs of
executive directors and senior staff of nonprofit and public organizations, such as vice presidents, deputy directors, COOs, CFOs, directors of strategic initiatives, and department or division heads.

To learn more about our program, please visit:
www.brynmawr.edu/neli/executive_leadership

Register here for our Open House on March 5th to learn more about the way in which our curriculum challenges both seasoned and new leaders to advance their skills and put the information learned into immediate practice. https://brynmawr.wufoo.com/login/

Or, contact Margie DuBrow, Director, at mdubrow@brynmawr.edu or at 610/520-2650.

Application deadline is March 18th.

Requirements for Board service:

1.  Demonstrated interest in SEAMAAC’s mission and goals (see Work and Values Statement, and please complete Board Member application)

2.  Willingness to be a SEAMAAC ambassador in your community and at SEAMAAC events.

3.  Participate in Board fundraising activities and to make a financial contribution to SEAMAAC to the best of one’s ability.

4.  Commit to a 3-year term and willingness to serve on at least one board committee

5.  Attend Board meetings that occur every other month, usually on a weekday and can be expected to contribute between 4-6 hours a month (meeting preparation and attendance; conference calls for committees; and occasional special events)

About SEAMAAC:  For over 28 years, SEAMAAC brings issues affecting immigrants/refugees to the forefront of policy makers, as well as being a leading service provider for immigrants from around the world.  SEAMAAC is also the creator of the immensely popular Hip Hop Heritage after school and summer programs in South Philadelphia.  SEAMAAC has an operating budget of $1.2 million and 25 talented and dedicated staff who believe deeply in what they do.  The Board is responsible for the overall governance and financial oversight of the organization; promotes SEAMAAC’s mission; provides fundraising support and works closely with SEAMAAC’s Executive Director.

Check out our website www.seamaac.org or find us on Facebook.

How to apply:  Interested persons should contact Elaine Leigh, SEAMAAC Board Member and chair of Board Nominating Committee at leigh.elaine@gmail.com for more information and a Board Member interest form.

Join us for a “Community Meeting” to discuss community needs and the Family Center’s role in meeting them.

TUESDAY
APRIL 9, 2013
6:00PM TO 8:00PM
More details to follow!

1515 Lansdowne Avenue
Campus of Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital
St. Bernard Hall – 2nd Floor
Darby, PA 19023
Phone: 610-532-2811
Fax: 610-532-3266
Email:  Dcenter@dciu.org

Join us as we bring together national and local experts to share research-based strategies designed to meet the complex educational needs of our diverse student populations. The workshops at our second annual conference will focus on how best to increase the number of high school graduates and improve outcomes for all students regardless of race, gender, or national origin. Educators, administrators, and policymakers will gain valuable information on dropout prevention strategies and methods to address the varied challenges faced by English Language Learners. We look forward to working together to boost achievement for all students!

For more information and to register please go to http://www.maec.org/conference/

For more information please go to:

http://www.communitygarden.org/conference/index.html

Submission deadline: March 1, 2013

Miley’s friends at YSA are awarding Get Ur Good On Grants of $500 each to support youth-led service projects around the world that address a demonstrated community need or issue. With $500 Get Ur Good On Grants, you’ll have the inspiration, project support, and necessary funding to turn your idea into a reality on Global Youth Service Day- the largest service event in the world, April 26-28, 2013.

We are excited to hear about your creative, youth-inspired idea to help your community.
Need help finding that perfect idea?
Get inspired by examples of Get Ur Good On grantees and their projects at http://www.ysa.org/grants/list/Get%20Ur%20Good%20On/2012

Visit the Global Youth Service Day website to access the online application form: http://www.gysd.org/gysd_grants

The application deadline is March 10, 2013.

Join us for an enriching conversation at this month’s PNM featuring the topic, “Staff: Obtaining, Training, Retaining, and Motivating.” We look forward to constructive discussion about effective ways to build a strong workforce at your organization. Featured panelists include:

Anne Marie Dunne, Program Manager, Philadelphia Department of Parks & Recreation
Stephanie Sylvain, Former OST Group Supervisor, Women’s Christian Alliance

Date/Time: Tuesday, February 26, 9:30 – 11:30AM

Location: United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern NJ,
1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia PA 19103

Please register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Feb26PNM?utm_source=Feb+26+PNM+%26amp%3B+FY2013+PNM+Schedule&utm_campaign=FY13+PNM+Schedule&utm_medium=email

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) established a federal Farm to School Program in order to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is charged with implementing the Farm to School program.

Amount Available
In this funding cycle, FNS anticipates awarding up to $5 million in grant funding to support efforts that improve access to local foods in eligible schools.

Three Types of Grants
Grant funds will be made available on a competitive basis, subject to availability of federal funds. In this funding round, USDA will solicit applications for three types of grants:

1. Planning grants are for schools or school districts just getting started on farm to school activities and are intended to help these entities organize and structure their efforts for maximum impact by embedding known best practices into early design considerations.

Who can apply:

· K-12 School Food Authorities, nonprofit private schools, charter schools, Indian tribal schools, and others that participate in the National School Lunch or Breakfast Programs.

2. Implementation grants are intended to help schools or school districts scale or further develop existing farm to school initiatives.

Who can apply:

· K-12 School Food Authorities, nonprofit private schools, charter schools, Indian tribal schools, and others that participate in the National School Lunch or Breakfast Programs,

3. Support Service grants are intended for eligible entities working with schools or school districts to further develop and provide broad reaching support services to farm to school initiatives.
Who can apply:
· State and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, Indian tribal organizations, and agricultural producers or groups of agricultural producers.

Funding Amounts and Expected Distribution of Awards
Planning grants are expected to range from $20,000 – $45,000 and represent approximately 25 percent of the total awards. Implementation and Support Service grants are expected to range from $65,000 – $100,000 and represent approximately 75 percent of the total awards.

A Match is Required, Evaluation Too
For all three types of grants, the applicant must provide at least 25 percent of the total project cost as the federal share of costs for this grant cannot exceed 75 percent of the total cost of the project, as required by the HHFKA. Authorizing language also states that as a condition of receiving a farm to school grant, each grant recipient shall cooperate in an evaluation of the program carried out using grant funds.

Pick One, Then Think about Partnering
School applicants must choose between submitting a Planning grant or an Implementation grant. Only one application per eligible school is permitted. As appropriate, USDA encourages school districts to work together and submit multi-school applications where a USDA investment in, for example, one school district working with several districts, might benefit a wider geographic area than funding to any one district alone.

Schools are encouraged to partner with eligible entities as part of a support service grant proposal.

Important Dates:

February 6, 2013: Request for Applications Released
April 24, 2013 (Midnight EST): Proposals Due
October 2013: Awards Announced and Funds Available (Pending the Availability of Federal Funds)

How to Access the Request for Applications (RFA):
The RFA will be posted on USDA’s Farm to School website http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/f2s/ and available at www.grants.gov

Webinars to Learn More:
Three webinars will be offered so that grant applicants can learn more about this grant opportunity. To receive additional information about webinars, please be sure to sign up for the Farm to School E-Letter.

March 5, 2013, 1:00 p.m. EST – Planning Grants
March 6, 2013, 1:00 p.m. EST – Implementation Grants
March 7, 2013, 1:00 p.m. EST – Support Service Grants

Additional Information:
For updates on the USDA Farm to School Program, please visit the Farm to School website at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/f2s/ or subscribe to the Farm to School E-Letter at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USFNS/subscriber/new?

For more information, please contact:

Matthew Russell, Program Officer, Farm to School Grant Program at Matthew.Russell@ams.usda.gov or 202.720.6765

Deadline is April 24, 2014

Have you ever wanted to help your community with a problem but didn’t know where to start? Maybe it’s a run-down park or to help the impoverished in your community.  Now, YOU have the power to fix it.  State Farm Neighborhood Assist wants to help identify and address unmet needs in your communities.

State Farm Neighborhood Assist is a crowd-sourced philanthropic initiative that lets communities determine where grant funding is awarded, exclusively through Facebook.   You, or someone you know, could be the catalyst for positive change in your community.

The submission phase is open from February 13– March 6 and each Facebook user who downloads the free application can submit up to three causes.  Anyone living in Canada or the United States with a Facebook account is eligible to submit a cause.  It’s better to submit early – a maximum of 3,000 submissions will be accepted.  The cause must fit into the categories of safety, community development or education.   All you have to do is submit the cause; you don’t have to “run the program.”

After the submission stage ends, the State Farm Youth Advisory Board (YAB), a group of college and high school students from across the country, will narrow down the submissions to the top 200 finalists.  Here’s what the YAB board will be looking for:

How much does your cause focus on an unmet need in your community?
How would you use the $25,000 to address the unmet need?
How will your project make a lasting impact on your community?
How will you define and measure the success of your project?

Once the top 200 causes are identified, they will appear on the Facebook application to be voted on by you and your community.  Voting will take place from April 4 – 22 and each Facebook user gets 10 votes every day. Winners will be announced on April 29.

The application is short and simple, and is available on the Facebook application @ www.statefarm.com/neighborhoodassist

Deadline is March 6.

When: Thursday, March 21, 2013 12:00 PM-1:00 PM (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada).
Where: United Way 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia, PA

For more information, please contact  Tiffany Thurman at TThurman@uac.org

A job opportunity has become open in the Community Impact Department as a Education Manager for Training and Technical Assistance. The individual will have primary responsibility for managing training and technical assistance for parents, caregivers, mentors, professional staff working in the nonprofit and education sectors and other adults on effective ways to help children and youth of all ages to be successful, lifelong learners.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES/SPECIFIC DUTIES:

•Coordinate the identification, scheduling, contracting, and oversight of all training and technical assistance consultants who will be offering courses as part of UWGPSNJ’s Community Impact Training Institute
•Create workshop summaries and promotional materials, including seasonal training catalogs
•Analyze the needs of parents, caregivers, mentors and other adults to inform training and technical assistance content and delivery, and to develop new course offerings
•Develop and adapt appropriate curriculum, tools and resource materials for implementing training and technical assistance
•Coordinate the design of on-demand/online training formats, and other forms of technical assistance that can further the Education and Community Impact goals of UWGPSNJ
•Ensure accurate and timely data tracking and reporting by consultants, and produce training reports and informational materials, as needed
•Continually enhance knowledge of best practice information in relevant training and technical assistance topics vital to advancing United Way’s Education agenda
•Maintain strong working relationships and communication with public, private, and nonprofit sectors and key Education and other community stakeholders, including other training and technical assistance providers
•Facilitate and participate in committees, roundtables, work groups, and other internal and external collaborative efforts to advance UWGPSNJ’s Community Impact and Education goals
•Contribute to the development and implementation of funding applications, new initiatives, and projects to advance UWGPSNJ’s Community Impact and Education goals
•Manage relationships and monitor contract deliverables with consultants and assigned funded and partner agencies.
•Generally support the work of the Education Division, the Community Impact Department, and the organization as a whole.
•Other duties as assigned

RESPONSIBILITY

1.  Fiscal Responsibilities/Money:

•Budget Development and Management
•Track Invoices and Payments for Consultant Contracts
•Grant-making (Develop and analyze Requests for Applications and Proposals and make funding recommendations)
•Grant-writing

2.  Relationships, both Internal and External:

•Funded and Non-Funded Agencies, Programs and Partners
•Training and Technical Assistance Consultants
•Other Training and Technical Assistance Providers
•Donors, Foundations and Other Funders
•Volunteers
•United Way Staff and Colleagues in the Community Impact, Resource Development, Communication, Finance, HR, IT and Office Services Departments

3.  Accountability:
•Provide summary analyses on community training and technical assistance needs, as well as analyses of the impact and results of current work, and make recommendations as to future training and technical assistance work that will enhance UWGPSNJ’s ability to meet its Education and Community Impact goals.
•Represent United Way at meetings and on committees as a committed partner and leader in driving lasting community impact throughout the region.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ATTRIBUTES

1.  Type and Level of Education

•Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in related field; Masters’ degree preferred

2.  Technical or other skills

•Strong written and verbal communication skills, including listening and presentation skills
•Strong organizational skills
•Strong project management skills
•Ability to use a database to track information, and other technology to support analytical and presentation activities.
•Ability to use statistics and other data to identify needs, evaluate efforts and communicate results
•Proficiency in Microsoft Office Applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and skilled with database software

3.  Experience

•Be PQAS certified or willing to become certified

4.Specific Skills & Attitudes Required for Success in Position (Core Competencies)

•Ability to work under the pressure of tight deadlines and to effectively manage, organize and prioritize multiple projects and workload
•Strong strategic thinking and planning skills.
•Excellent presentation and group facilitation skills.
•Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
•Strong on follow-through; results orientation
•Highly motivated and self-directed
•Exceptional interpersonal skills, with demonstrated ability to cultivate and maintain both internal and external relationships to the United Way network, including customers, donors, volunteers, and other key stakeholders.

For consideration, please respond with a cover letter and resume to United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA  19103.

Interested candidates can also apply directly online at www.UnitedforImpact.org

No phone calls.  EOE.

The event is on April 28, 2013.

More information is availble at http://www.legsagainstarms.info or click here to register https://register.bestrace.com/register/groups/default.aspx?newgroup=true&event=18266

The Executive Director will serve as the public face of Keep Philadelphia Beautiful and must be able to engage stakeholders at all levels, from government leaders, community organizations, the business community, donors and members of the media.

In addition to organizing neighborhood and citywide activities such as neighborhood and business corridor cleans up, educational programs, recycling efforts and anti-littering and beautification campaigns, the Executive Director will also be a self-starter and independent worker as well as have the ability to manage outside vendors and work closely with an engaged board of directors. The Executive Director will be responsible for maintaining existing grants and contracts with the City of Philadelphia, foundations and individual donors while also working closely with the Board of Directors to find new sources of funding in order to expand its scope of services across the City of Philadelphia.  Strong knowledge of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, its political system and the ability to organize and energize the community and volunteers is vital. Experience in financial management, public speaking and strong writing ability is required.  The Executive Director will also be responsible for representing the organization at regional and national conferences and meetings as well as working with the board to instill “best practices” in growing the scope of services the organization provides.

Several years experience in nonprofit and community organizing and college degree desired.  Minority, women and under represented applicants are encouraged.

Send cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to directorjobkpb@gmail.com

Applications without a stated salary requirement will not be considered.

Deadline March 5, 2013