Let the National Learn & Serve Challenge Begin

Dear Friends,

 

Let the 2009-2010 National Learn & Serve Challenge begin!

 

This week, more than 71,000 young people, educators, community partners, civic leaders, and business partners will participate in activities to build awareness and public support for service-learning through the National Learn & Serve Challenge. http://nslp.convio.net/site/R?i=UVe6F_mtj_qTdqB_wwsmqg.

 

For two years, the National Learn & Serve Challenge was an opportunity to dedicate one week each year to promote and spotlight service-learning success stories around the country. This was made possible with support from the State Farm® Companies Foundation. Today, we are pleased to announce that the National Learn & Serve Challenge is now a nine-month initiative designed to increase service-learning in our nation's schools and communities.

 

This week, we continue to celebrate and spotlight service-learning in schools and communities nationwide. Check out the Challenge map to locate kick-off week events and activities in your state or local communities.

http://nslp.convio.net/site/R?i=6mxkY0EG03Vm1D2G4ZS85w.

 

In addition, we will also kick off a national call to action that builds on President Obama's national call to service by challenging schools, college campuses, faith-based partners and youth-serving organizations to commit to engaging young people in service-learning this school year.

 

Through the Challenge, young people--from elementary to college age--will help rebuild and renew their local or global community by using the content knowledge and skills learned in the classroom or a community-based program to create and implement innovative solutions to problems within five priority areas:

 

*  Community renewal, including responding to the economic crisis

*  Education, including literacy and keeping kids in school

*  Energy and the environment

*  Health and nutrition

*  Safety and security

 

Join this national grassroots effort to create more opportunities for young people to learn and serve.

 

Accept the Challenge. Let us know you are ready to engage young people in service-learning in your classroom, youth group, club, school, campus, faith-based or community organization. Invite your friends and colleagues to do the same.

 

http://nslp.convio.net/site/R?i=iCiuL510FX4_Xq--R-gWOg..

 

Once you've accepted the Challenge, gear up for service-learning success. Access free online resources, lesson plans, planning tools and virtual professional development opportunities. Join us on Facebook to learn from and connect to others. http://nslp.convio.net/site/R?i=I1X2539IgD2Ygu6MynLgQA..

 

Click here for an overview of new National Learn & Serve Challenge, how it works and how you can get involved. http://nslp.convio.net/site/R?i=zp7TvMtFTPQuZqVl9jI9YA..

 

Accept the Challenge today.

http://nslp.convio.net/site/R?i=-CM6xMj_dQcBI1aWVLe7Uw..

 

It's not too late to do something this week to spread the word about service-learning in your school or community. Access the Challenge Kick-Off Week Toolkit for quick ideas and easy-to-implement

activities you can use to promote service-learning this week.

http://nslp.convio.net/site/R?i=7S4i6JB8_r-uFDT9mLl-Cg..

 

Over the next several days, we'll continue to share updates and service-learning news stories from around the country as well as opinions and commentary from field leaders and voices from the field. Visit our Online Newsroom for the latest news and information.

 

Thank you for all you do to advance service-learning. Stay tuned for more information.

 

Nelda

 

Nelda Brown, Partnership Executive Director

 

The Learn & Serve Challenge is a signature event of the National Service-Learning Partnership at the Academy for Educational Development and made possible with support from the State Farm® Companies Foundation. The Challenge is supported by more than 100 local, state and national organizations. Click here for a complete list.

http://nslp.convio.net/site/R?i=LuvCwty0wv4ByZUFCt61tg..

 

 

 

U.S. House Adopts Resolution on Service-Learning

U.S. House Adopts Platts Resolution to Promote Education and Community Service

     

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Todd Platts continued his efforts to strengthen education and volunteer service with the adoption Wednesday of House Resolution 769, which promotes service-learning in communities across America.  The bipartisan legislation was co-sponsored by Congressman Platts’ fellow co-chairs of the National Service Caucus, Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA-5), David Price (D-NC-4) and Vernon Ehlers (R-MI-3).

 

Service-learning is a teaching method that integrates academic content with a meaningful community service activity.  By providing real world experiences to support academic concepts, service-learning brings learning to life and helps increase academic achievement, connects youth to adult role models and helps youth become solutions to our nation’s challenges. Learn and Serve America, established under the National and Community Service Act of 1990, oversees the federal government’s service-learning efforts and engages more than one million youth in service-learning programs annually.  From October 5-11, 2009, the annual National Learn and Serve Challenge will spotlight the value of service-learning to young people as well as schools, college campuses, and communities, while encouraging others to launch service-learning activities of their own.

 

“Service-learning gives students the opportunity to contribute to their community by integrating community service projects with classroom learning,” said Congressman Platts. “This program helps students not only learn about democracy and citizenship, but helps them become actively contributing citizens and community members through the service they perform.”

 

“Learn and Serve America impacts both the service participants and the communities they serve,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “A number of independent studies evaluating the program and assessing its impact on participants have been undertaken over the last several years.  All have come to the same conclusion: Learn and Serve America has an enormously positive impact on participants' civic attitudes and involvement in volunteer service.  This is an important program for our country and our communities, and this Congress has demonstrated a true commitment to the spirit of service in recent months, and will continue to foster service opportunities for America’s youth in the coming years.”

 

“Encouraging young people to engage in service gives them a greater understanding of, and appreciation for, their community, and provides a real-world setting in which they can learn,” said Congressman Ehlers. “Service-learning programs help students succeed academically, and also enables them to become valuable contributors to the well-being of their community. Furthermore, ‘Once a volunteer, always a volunteer.’ Giving students a good start means they will likely be volunteers for life.”

 

“Service-learning allows students to apply classroom content and problem-solving skills to identified community or school needs,” Congressman Price said.  “This not only enhances the community, but provides a powerful learning experience for our young people.”

 

“Service-learning is a key strategy for meeting many of our nation’s most important goals -- from improving academic achievement and increasing civic engagement to helping youth from disadvantaged circumstances succeed in school and in life,” said Nicola Goren, Acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “We thank the bipartisan sponsors of this resolution and the organizers of the Learn & Serve Challenge for recognizing that service-learning has a vital role to play in enhancing academic outcomes for our students and youth and putting millions of young people on a lifelong path of citizen service.”

 

Learn and Serve America engages over 1.1 million students in service at a cost of about $25 per student.  It also leverages a dollar for dollar match from grant recipients and previous cost-benefit analyses done for the program show a much higher return in benefits for participating students and communities.   

 

 In addition to his service as co-chair of the National Service Caucus since January 2007, Congressman Platts sponsored a resolution which passed the U.S. House unanimously in January to promote the Martin Luther King Holiday as a National Day of Service (H. Res 43); a resolution to support the ideals of “National Volunteer Week (H. Res. 335) which passed the U.S. House unanimously in April; and he is cosponsor of several other bills aimed at strengthening national service.

NSLC Welcomes Your Input and Suggestions

The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse invites you to help shape the service-learning community by sharing your materials. At the same time you will be helping tell the story of service-learning’s and your own project’s impacts in the classroom and the community. Or, if you know of someone else’s great resource we don’t have yet, tell us that too! We always welcome suggestions that will help us make service-learning easier and better. 

Conferences or Events
 NSLC's master service-learning events calendar provides a place to spread the word about your conferences and events. 

http://www.servicelearning.org/nslc/suggestion/ 

Job Opportunities

The job opportunities page lists position openings in the field of service-learning across the United States. 

http://www.servicelearning.org/events_jobs/job_opps/ 
 
 

Photos, Video/Audio Recordings, and/or Written Success Stories

NSLC collects photos, video/audio recordings, and/or written stories that can be used on our website or in print materials to help others understand your passion for service-learning. 

http://www.servicelearning.org/nslc/success_story_form/ 

Program Replication and Research Materials

Materials used for service-learning course/program implementation, quality improvement, and replication as well as new research are evaluated by NSLC staff for possible inclusion in the world’s largest service-learning resource collection.

http://www.servicelearning.org/library/promote/ 
 
 

Suggestions and Recommended Resources

Any suggestion, whether of a error/omission to correct, a new resource to collect, or a new feature to add can be made through this form (available here and from the “Make a Suggestion” link at the bottom of most pages of the website). 

http://www.servicelearning.org/nslc/suggestion/ 
 
 

If you would like help promoting your project through NSLC, please contact the NSLC Librarian at nslc-info@servicelearning.org 

Service-learning and the Tsunami in Pacific Islands

Colleagues,

 

We have created a page on www.servicelearning.org with information about the service-learning/higher education response to the tsunami:

 

http://servicelearning.org/samoa_relief

 

If you have additional information about how you are using service-learning to support communities impacted by natural disasters, please share them with me.

 

Many thanks,

 

Liberty

 

 

 

 

Dear Friends,

 

We were deeply saddened to hear about the destruction and devastation resulting from the 8.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck the Pacific near American Samoa yesterday, and extend our support to everyone impacted. The Clearinghouse staff and I have been lucky enough to meet many Learn and Serve America grantees in American Samoa and our hearts go out to each of them.

 

In the spirit of helping our friends and colleagues in the region, we wanted to remind everyone of resources developed by and for the service-learning field around the issue of disaster preparedness/response through service-learning. As we all know, the service-learning community has a remarkable history of stepping up in times of crisis and leveraging opportunities to make a difference. We saw this, and continue to see this, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and now is another chance for students and institutions to lend a hand. For information and resources on this work, please see: http://www.servicelearning.org/nslc/hurricane_katrina/index.php

 

If anyone is aware either of service-learning activities or of needs that service-learning could fill in the region related to these events, please keep us updated.

 

Yours in service,

 

Liberty

 

 

=================================

Liberty Smith, Ph.D.

Program Manager

Learn and Serve America's National Service-Learning Clearinghouse

America's Resource for Service-Learning Information

Toll-free 866-245-7378, ext. 139

Fax 831-430-9471

libertys@etr.org

www.servicelearning.org

 

=================================

Visit and join the NSLC Facebook Fan page at: tinyurl.com/nslc-facebook

Can service-learning help solve the current crisis? Discuss: Service-Learning = Solutions Blog

 

 

Civic Health in Hard Times

In a September 28, 2009 posting to the Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, Peter Levine, Director of CIRCLE, and John Bridgeland, Chair of the National Conference on Citizenship share recent data about declining civic engagement during the economic downturn.  Levine and Bridgeland are critical of charity and volunteer programs that do not instill lasting civic engagement aimed at addressing root causes of problems:

 

“To address problems like poverty, we need citizens to do more than serve and give money, important as those acts are. In healthy communities, people also come together to discuss causes and solutions, lead and manage organizations that address poverty, and even invent new programs or groups when necessary.”

 

Their article has implications for service-learning programs.  It is not enough to provide opportunities to serve if we miss the chance to develop life-long civic engagement skills.  Reflection and examination of the origins of problems are important tools in the service-learning toolkit that can help instill civic habits.  Service-learning organizers must make conscious and deliberate connections between service/volunteering and the more challenging life-long habits of critical thinking, organizing and implementing solutions:

 

“Creating thousands of new slots for national service volunteers is not enough; these positions must be good for society and for the volunteers. The Act (Kennedy/Hatch Serve America Act) focuses its resources on a few national priorities, including disparities in health care and high school education, and it requires measurements of impact on communities. Meanwhile, the volunteers should obtain civic skills that will make them effective citizens for the rest of their lives. That requires a new focus on the educational aspects of national service—something that was essential to the Civilian Conservation Corps of the Great Depression.”

 

Click here to read the original: Civic Health in Hard Times

 

Nate Ivy

Service-Learning Regional Lead

Service-Learning Cited by Casey Foundation as Key Dropout Prevention Strategy

A July 2009 report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Kids Count entitled, KIDS COUNT Indicator Brief: Reducing the High School Dropout Rate summarizes a number of factors leading to the dropout crisis and some promising strategies to address the crisis.  Service-Learning is specifically cited as a key strategy to engage students:

 

Provide service-learning opportunities. Successful interventions focus simultaneously on several types of learning—academic, social/emotional and career-related skills and knowledge—and offer students opportunities to explore real-world relationships and experiences that bolster both their competency and confidence (Steinberg & Almeida, 2008). One strategy that combines these types of learning is service-learning. Service-learning incorporates several approaches that are key to retaining students who might otherwise drop out, including strengthening links between school and work, fostering positive relationships between students and adults in the school and larger community, bolstering students’ communication skills, and promoting community engagement. Initiatives that involve teens, parents and other adults in the community have been shown to be especially effective (Bridgeland et al., 2008).

 

The recommendation to provide service-learning opportunities is embedded in a number of other recommendations that should help service-learning providers focus their efforts.  Among other recommendations, the report encourages:

• The strengthening of middle schools
• An intensive focus on the 9^th grade
• Support for resiliency development
• Strengthening a students understanding of the connection between education and job opportunities
• An intensive focus on Hispanic students
• An intensive focus on students with disabilities and other special needs
• Strengthening the skills and understanding of the adults who affect teens’ motivation and ability to stay in school

 

Read the full report here: KIDS COUNT Indicator Brief: Reducing the High School Dropout Rate

 

Nate Ivy

Service-Learning Regional Lead

Alameda County Office of Education

 

Grant opportunities

CVS Caremark Community Grants (Deadline: October 31)

The CVS Caremark Community Grants program awards funds to nonprofit organizations for programs targeting children with disabilities; programs focusing on health and rehabilitation services; and public schools promoting a greater level of inclusion in student activities and extracurricular programs, and initiatives that give greater access to physical movement and play.

 

Qualifying organizations are eligible for grants of up to $5,000.

 

 http://info.cvscaremark.com/community/our-impact/community-grants

________________________________________________________________________________

Grant Name:  SCA's Green your School Contest

             

Funded by:  Student Conservation Association

             

Description:  SCA's Green Your School Contest is a national competition to stimulate and/or identify conservation service projects designed by high school students that improve or restore or beautify or conserve their high school environment.

 

Program Areas:  Science/Environment

 

Recipients:  Public School, Private/Charter School

 

Proposal Deadline:  10/9/09

 

Average Amount:  $2,500.00 - $5,000.00

 

Email:  greenyourschool@thesca.org

Website:  http://www.thesca.org/green-your-school

 

Availability:  All States

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Grant Name:  DonorsChoose.org Grants

             

Funded by:  DonorsChoose.org

             

Description:  DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund.

 

Program Areas:  All areas

 

Recipients:  Public School

 

Proposal Deadline:  None

 

Website:  http://www.donorschoose.org

 

Availability:  All States

 

 

2010 State Farm(r) Service-Learning Champion Award (Deadline: December 1)

State Farm supports service-learning as a teaching method that enhances the academic achievement of students while engaging in service to the community. Teachers and parents are usually the primary individuals guiding a young person's education. Other adults often play a key role in broadening a youth's formal education through community service-learning activities. State Farm created the Service-Learning Champion Award to acknowledge this non-traditional advocate of service-learning. The State Farm Service-Learning Champion Award recognizes a business leader, community member or public official who

has a passion for engaging youth in service-learning. Nominations for this annual award are due Dec.1, 2009. This annual award will be presented to the recipient at the 21st Annual National Service-Learning Conference in March 2010, in San Jose, Calif. Transportation, lodging, and conference registration costs for the award recipient will be provided by State Farm.

http://www.statefarm.com/about/part_spos/topics/nom_slchamp.asp

 

NEA Foundation Big Green, Learning & Leadership, and Student Achievement Grants (Deadline: October 15)

The NEA Foundation provides grants to improve the academic achievement of students in U.S. public schools and public higher education institutions in any subject area(s).

 

Student Achievement grants provide $5,000 to improve the academic achievement of students by engaging in critical thinking and problem solving that deepen knowledge of standards-based subject matter. The work should also improve students' habits of inquiry, self-directed learning, and critical reflection. Proposals for work resulting in low-income and minority student success with honors, advanced placement, or other challenging curricula are particularly encouraged.

http://www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/grant-programs/grant-application/student-achievement-grants

 

Learning & Leadership grants provide opportunities for teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff to engage in high-quality professional development and lead their colleagues in professional growth. The grant amount is $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for groups engaged in collegial study. Our Learning & Leadership grants support public school teachers, public education support professionals, and/or faculty and staff in public institutions of higher education for one of the following two purposes:

·         Grants to individuals fund participation in high-quality professional development experiences, such as summer institutes or action research; or

·         Grants to groups fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment.

All professional development must improve practice, curriculum, and student achievement

http://www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/grant-programs/grant-application/learning-and-leadership

 

With $150,000 in new grant funding designated for projects that integrate green-related topics and experiences into the classroom, the NEA Foundation is growing its Learning & Leadership and Student Achievement grants program for individuals and teams of educators with additional Big Green grants. Public school educators are eligible to apply for individual grants worth up to $5,000 for the development and implementation of ideas, techniques, and approaches for teaching "green" concepts. The online application process for the green grants is the same as all Learning & Leadership and Student Achievement grants. Interested applicants can designate their grant application for consideration for the green grants programs in our online application system.

http://www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/grant-programs/nea-foundation-green-grants

 

 

 

 

Disaster Readiness Summit 2009

Consider strengthening your disaster preparedness knowledge by attending the Bay Area Chapter of the American Red Cross’s Disaster Readiness Summit- October 13, 2009 8:30 AM- 5:00 PM at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco.  Disaster preparedness is an excellent community need to connect with service-learning projects. 

 

Highlights include:
• Choose From Five Custom Tracks
• Dedicated Track on Pandemic Flu Planning and Communications
• Hands-on, Interactive Activities
• Practical Toolkits, Templates and Action Steps
• Face-to-Face Networking Reception

 

Registration: $125 for schools and non-profit organizations. Click here to register: http://www.drs09.org/register/index.html

 

For more information contact:

 

Tryphena Mlay | DSHR & Training Coordinator

American Red Cross

 

San Francisco Bay Area Chapter

85 Second Street 8th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 427-8071 (p) | (510) 289-3440 (c)

(415) 427-8022 (f) | Tryphenam@usa.redcross.org

 

 

Immigration, Naturalization & Service Learning

In an innovative project from Indiana, high school students partnered with the International Center of Indianapolis (ICI) to teach the process of naturalization to middle school students.  The students used a tool from ICI called, “"Indiana: Your Passport 2 a Global Connection," This fantastic short booklet highlights the stories and cultures of diverse groups in the Indiana community.  It also helps students reflect on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship while helping them understand the process of naturalization.

 

This tool and process could be a great way to kick off service-learning projects related to issues of naturalization and immigration.

 

Consider:

               What are the challenges associated with legal and illegal immigration?

               What role have immigrants played in US History?

               What are the needs of various immigrant groups in your community?

               Are there challenges in your community that require input from a diverse range of participants

               How can students help overcome barriers between different cultural groups to create a stronger community?

               Could students at your school produce a tool similar to the Indiana Passport to highlight different groups in your community?

 

In a similar project, students in a World History class in Fremont studied the push pull factors of migration, interviewed different immigrant groups in town to collect oral histories and discover needs of the immigrant groups.  Students working in small teams engaged in service-learning projects to address those needs.  In one example, students learned that a woman was having a difficult time finding a Catholic Mass in her native language, so the students produced a multi-lingual guide to religious organizations in town.  Another group worked with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance  (VITA) to provide translation services for recent immigrants who needed help with their taxes.

 

Nate Ivy, Service Learning Regional Lead

(Original posting from Kerri Davis, Service-Learning Coordinator, Indianapolis pasted below)

              

 

In 2008 one of our high school GT History/English classes also sought to address immigration and naturalization due in part to a rise in various ethnic groups, including a large Chin refugee population.  In short, the class partnered with the International Center of Indianapolis (ICI) to become instructors of ICI's citizenship course   to explain the naturalization process in more detail to middle school students.  The students took it a step farther and decided to gather the stories of local immigrants and publish their own book.  The book "Stirring the Melting Pot" has received much attention in our area and has helped to ease the tension in our ever-expanding, diverse community.  The book and project are considered a Best Practice by Learn and Serve Indiana/IDOE.

 

In service,

 

Kerri Davis

 

Service Learning Coordinator

MSD of Perry Township

401 West Meridian School Road

Indianapolis, IN 46217

317-789-4590

 

Grants from Youth Service America

 

UnitedHealth HEROES Grants Support Youth-Led Innovative Solutions to Leading Health Threat (Deadline: October 22) Educators, service-learning coordinators, students in the health professions, public health professionals, and community partners are eligible to apply for the UnitedHealth HEROES service-learning project grants. Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that combines meaningful service to the community with school-based curriculum or program-based learning. Grant recipients will receive up to $1,000 in support for service-learning projects that focus on childhood obesity, engage youth ages 5-25 in the planning and implementation process, and take place during Semester of Service 2010 (MLK Day, January 18, to Global Youth Service Day, April 23-25). The grant cycle opens August 1 and applications are due October 22, 2009. Eligible states include: AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, and WI. Learn more at www.ysa.org/awards To access the application, complete our Eligibility Quiz. If you are eligible, you will be given access the application materials. To create a service-learning project around childhood obesity, check out "First Responders: Youth Addressing Childhood Obesity Through Service-Learning." Youth Leaders for Literacy Grants Available to Young Volunteers Who Inspire and Encourage Reading (Deadline Extended: October 30) Youth Service America is partnering with the National Education Association to once again offer Youth Leaders for Literacy grants to children and youth, ages 5-25, who offer innovative ways to increase literacy skills and appreciation for reading among their peers. Youth Leaders for Literacy will award 30 young people from across the U.S. each with $500 grants and $500 in books from the Pearson Foundation. Youth can submit their applications through October 30, 2009. Successful projects will be youth-led and address an established literacy need in the applicant's school or community. The projects will follow the framework of YSA's Semester of Service initiative, launching on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service in January and culminating on Global Youth Service Day, April 23-25. An activity should also occur during the NEA's Read Across America Day on March 2. Begin the application by completing the eligibility quiz at: www.cybergrants.com/ysa/yll/quiz

NEA Foundation Big Green, Learning & Leadership, and Student Achievement Grants (Deadline: October 15) The NEA Foundation provides grants to improve the academic achievement of students in U.S. public schools and public higher education institutions in any subject area(s). Student Achievement grants provide $5,000 to improve the academic achievement of students by engaging in critical thinking and problem solving that deepen knowledge of standards-based subject matter. The work should also improve students' habits of inquiry, self-directed learning, and critical reflection. Proposals for work resulting in low-income and minority student success with honors, advanced placement, or other challenging curricula are particularly encouraged. http://www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/grant-programs/grant-application/student-achievement-grants Learning & Leadership grants provide opportunities for teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff to engage in high-quality professional development and lead their colleagues in professional growth. The grant amount is $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for groups engaged in collegial study. Our Learning & Leadership grants support public school teachers, public education support professionals, and/or faculty and staff in public institutions of higher education for one of the following two purposes: Grants to individuals fund participation in high-quality professional development experiences, such as summer institutes or action research; or Grants to groups fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment. All professional development must improve practice, curriculum, and student achievement http://www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/grant-programs/grant-application/learning-and-leadership With $150,000 in new grant funding designated for projects that integrate green-related topics and experiences into the classroom, the NEA Foundation is growing its Learning & Leadership and Student Achievement grants program for individuals and teams of educators with additional Big Green grants. Public school educators are eligible to apply for individual grants worth up to $5,000 for the development and implementation of ideas, techniques, and approaches for teaching "green" concepts. The online application process for the green grants is the same as all Learning & Leadership and Student Achievement grants. Interested applicants can designate their grant application for consideration for the green grants programs in our online application system. http://www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/grant-programs/nea-foundation-green-grants Do Something Save Our Music Contest (Deadline: October 23) Do Something and VH1 Save the Music are inviting young people to help advocate for music education in their schools. Student-led music education advocacy efforts could include the posting of promotional and educational materials around schools, starting petitions or running letter-writing campaigns to save music programs, running instrument drives, organizing concerts, or starting a Web site or blog. Do Something and a panel of expert judges will evaluate efforts and decide which students created the most effective efforts to advocate for music education. The top five music education advocates will each receive $1,000 for their school music program as well as Rock Band Video game packages. One grand-prize winner will receive $2,500 in school music funding and a Beatles Rock Band game system. The prize money must go to a school music program or a school music program in need. Visit the website for complete program information, including suggestions for music education advocacy projects. http://www.dosomething.org/saveourmusic KaBOOM! Play Day Grants for Playground Projects (Deadline: October 23) You could be eligible to receive a KaBOOM! grant for a playspace enhancement just by hosting a Play Day! Complete the step-by-step Play Day Planner and then celebrate your Play Day by posting your stories, photos and videos. Sign up to host a KaBOOM! Play Day in your community from September 19-27, and you'll receive a free Play Day kit full of games, activities, and improvement projects. To support the cause, NFL PLAY 60 is offering Play Day communities $25,000 in grants to come together to improve their local parks and playspaces with clean-ups and simple enhancement and construction projects. http://kaboom.org/build_playspace/find_funding/grants/play_day_grants Target Field Trip Grants (Deadline: November 3) The Target Field Trip Grants program provides funds for K-12 field trips in order to give students throughout the country the opportunity to explore more of the world outside the classroom. For the 2009-2010 school year, 5,000 grants of up to $800 each will be awarded to educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, and classified staff who are employed by accredited K-12 public, private, or charter schools. Types of eligible field trips include art, science, and cultural museum visits; community service and civic projects; and career enrichment opportunities. Funds may be used to cover trip-related costs such as transportation, ticket fees, resource materials, and supplies. Online applications will be available through November 3, 2009. To learn more and apply, visit: https://targetfieldtripgrants.target.com 2010 State Farm® Service-Learning Champion Award (Deadline: December 1) State Farm supports service-learning as a teaching method that enhances the academic achievement of students while engaging in service to the community. Teachers and parents are usually the primary individuals guiding a young person's education. Other adults often play a key role in broadening a youth's formal education through community service-learning activities. State Farm created the Service-Learning Champion Award to acknowledge this non-traditional advocate of service-learning. The State Farm Service-Learning Champion Award recognizes a business leader, community member or public official who has a passion for engaging youth in service-learning. Nominations for this annual award are due Dec.1, 2009. This annual award will be presented to the recipient at the 21st Annual National Service-Learning Conference in March 2010, in San Jose, Calif. Transportation, lodging, and conference registration costs for the award recipient will be provided by State Farm. http://www.statefarm.com/about/part_spos/topics/nom_slchamp.asp

United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Youth Solidarity Fund (Deadline: September 30) The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations is launching the second edition of its Youth Solidarity Fund. This programme provides seed funding to outstanding youth projects demonstrating innovative approaches to building cross-cultural understanding. The 2009 edition of the Youth Solidarity Fund offers a total envelope of up to US$300,000. There are two levels of funding available: small grants for community or local-level projects needing funding of up to US$20,000 each and large grants for national or regional-level projects needing funding of up to US$30,000 each. A Youth Selection Committee will identify the best projects under each level of funding. Youth organizations from all over the world are invited to submit project proposals by September 30, 2009, 1:00 PM, New York time. The application guidelines and form are available at www.unaoc.org Sabina Fund Grants (Deadline: October 31) The Sabina Fund makes grants to grassroots groups worldwide to promote a plant-based diet and respect for animals. Small grants of $500 to $1,000 are awarded for innovative projects designed to reduce consumption of animals. (Because of the large number of proposals from India, Kenya, and Uganda, applicants from those countries must be coalitions of five or more grassroots groups.) Applications must be submitted via email by October 31, 2009. Visit the Fund's website to see examples of funded projects and to access the complete application instructions. http://www.sabinafund.org/#Proposals Adobe Youth Voices International Photo Competition - Round 2 (Deadline: November 1) When written in Chinese or Japanese, the word "crisis" is composed of two characters--one represents crisis or danger, and the other represents hope or opportunity. We have taken this as inspiration for our first-ever international photo competition. "Crisis and Hope" offers an exciting opportunity for youth around the world to express themselves and make their voices heard - on both what is challenging and what gives hope in today's difficult world. Winning photographs will be showcased online, in a traveling exhibit, and in a book. The call for photos is part of Adobe Youth Voices, a global youth media initiative, in collaboration with WKCD (What Kids Can Do). This contest is open to all young people, anywhere in the world, between the ages of 12 and 19. Learn more at: http://www.whatkidscando.org/AYV_Photo_Competition/Guidelines_-__Round_Two.html

 

Service-Learning Presenters Wanted for National Conference

Submit a Workshop Proposal

The deadline to submit a workshop proposal for the 21st Annual National Service-Learning Conference is quickly approaching! All workshop proposals must be submitted online no later than 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday, September 25, 2009.

» Learn more about becoming a presenter.

Nominate Your Service-Learning Heroes for an Award

Nominations are currently being accepted for the State Farm® Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership and Youth Leadership for Service-Learning Excellence Awards to be given at the State Farm Awards Celebration on Friday, March 26. The event will honor youth and adults for their commitment to education, service, community, and service-learning. The nomination deadline is November 2, 2009.

» Learn more about the award nomination process.

Be a Conference Exhibitor

The Exhibit Hall is the epicenter of educational innovations and activities and provides an interactive center for resources and materials. Conference participants are interested in the latest education, communications, and consulting tools and techniques to enhance educational programming in K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and community-based organizations. The application deadline is December 4, 2009.

» Learn more about becoming a conference exhibitor.

Be a Conference Affiliate

Affiliates are a crucial link between the conference and attendees, helping the conference reach diverse audiences. As an affiliate, you get exposure to an international audience of educators, state and federal officials, youth leaders, program coordinators, policy-makers, and representatives from community-based organizations involved in the service-learning movement. The application deadline is December 4, 2009.

» Learn more about becoming a conference affiliate.

Contribute Materials to the Service-Learning Information Station

Do you want to get the word out about your organization, service project, or business? Send materials to be shared at the service-learning information station. The application deadline is March 16, 2010.

» Learn more about the service-learning information station.

Questions? Reach us by replying to this email, visiting our website at www.nylc.org/conference, or calling (800) 366-6952. We look forward to seeing you in San Jose!

Sincerely,

Amy Meuers
Conference and Events Director