YouthLearn's Introduction to Photography Techniques

Some Basic Vocabulary for Teaching Kids How to See... There's obviously much more to photography than the few aspects described in this resource, but introducing the basics will teach the kids a fundamental understanding of how to think before taking a picture. This introduction will also give you a platform to move further into the aesthetics with older kids.

If you have already had kids taking pictures while introducing the camera and the camera's basic features, you have been stressing the importance of looking, seeing the big picture and making conscious decisions. Now you're ready to get into the core decision factors: angle, pan, distance, level, focus and framing.

What Works in Youth Media: Case Studies from Around the World

"This publication grew out of the International Youth Foundation’s (IYF) core focus on promoting active youth participation in the communities where they live." Written by Sheila Kinkade and Christy Macy, with a foreword by Christiane Amanpour, this is part of IYF's 'What Works' series of publications.

"Our goal through this publication is to profile a diverse range of youth media projects operating internationally in the hope their experiences and lessons learned will help inform and guide the work of others contemplating or undertaking similar activities."

Ezra Jack Keats Accepting Applications From Public Schools and Libraries

"The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, created by the children's book author and illustrator, is accepting applications from public schools and libraries anywhere in the United States and its protectorates for program or event mini-grants of $500 each."

Deadline: September 15, 2007

Union Pacific Foundation Offers Funding for Community Programs

"The Union Pacific Foundation accepts grant applications from nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations based in communities served by Union Pacific Railroad. Municipalities located on Union Pacific lines may apply for one-time programs/projects provided the program/project benefits the entire community.

The foundation has a strong interest in promoting organizational effectiveness among nonprofits. To that end, the foundation will dedicate the majority of these grants to help nonprofit organizations build their capacity, increase their impact, and operate more efficiently and effectively. The foundation will be particularly receptive to proposals that fall within the following categories: Community and Civic; Fine Arts; Health and Human Services." Deadline: August 15, 2007

Photo, Essay and Poetry Contest Celebrates Our Sense of Wonder and Love of Nature

"To honor the late preservationist and ecologist Rachel Carson, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Generations United, and the Rachel Carson Council, Inc., announce a photo, essay, and poetry contest 'that best expresses the sense of wonder that you feel for the sea, the night sky, forests, birds, wildlife, and all that is beautiful to your eyes.' In the book, The Sense of Wonder (written in the 1950s and published in a magazine in 1956), Carson used lyrical passages about the beauty of nature and the joy of helping children develop a sense of wonder and love of nature. Maximum Award: publication on the websites of EPA, Aging Initiative, Generations United, and Rachel Carson Council, Inc. Eligibility: entries must be joint projects involving a person under age 18 and a person age 50 or older. Deadline: June 15, 2007."

Five-Year-Olds Drive Their Own PBL Projects

"At this award-winning kindergarten learning center, shared with a special-education preschool, the students decide what projects they want to tackle, and teachers guide them to resources, on the Internet and in books, that help them create something from what they learn. Whether they're building an airplane or a cruise ship, or conducting a funeral for the class praying mantis, AEEC students are learning more than basic facts and skills. They are acquiring a taste for the process of lifelong learning...

Although the project-based curriculum generates much of the enthusiasm for learning here, a recent infusion of technology -- putting interactive whiteboards in every classroom -- has raised the bar for students and teachers."

American Idol Casts Big Vote for Afterschool

"On April 24 and 25, the hit television show 'American Idol' held a special prime time charity fundraising event, 'Idol Gives Back.' Select organizations that provide or support afterschool programs are among the organizations that will benefit from funds raised – according to initial reports, more than $60 million.... Charity Projects Entertainment Fund will administer the funds, and recipients include the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Save the Children and America's Second Harvest – all of which work with afterschool programs....

In partnership with Scholastic, 'Idol Gives Back' has created an interactive educational website to help students and teachers learn more about the issues discussed during the show and to raise youth awareness about 'global citizenship.'"

Youth Media Fellowship – Call for Applications

The Youth Media Learning Network (YMLN) seeks applicants from the greater New York City area to participate in the inaugural cohort of the Youth Media Fellowship, a 10-month-long professional development opportunity for youth media educators.

The fellowship will offer participants a rich and unique opportunity to examine closely their work and the work of young people within a diverse and dynamic community of peer practitioners. Fellows will come together in a supported, sustained, and facilitated setting intended to engage them as experts from the field, to promote collaborative learning, and to inspire emerging leadership.

The application deadline for the Youth Media Fellowship is May 25th, 2007.

For application instructions and more information, please see the linked ‘Call for Applications’ or contact Timothy Dorsey at 212.807.4214 or tdorsey@edc.org.

Science in After-School: A Blueprint for Action

"The Coalition for Science After School is pleased to announce its latest report, Science in After-School: A Blueprint for Action. This report lays out a blueprint for how to build a sustainable system of after-school science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning opportunities at a scale that makes a difference for young people, their communities, and the nation.

The Blueprint calls for action in three areas with a charge to:
-Provide engaging and intellectually challenging programs, curricula, and activities
-Build staff capacity
-Develop appropriate assessment and evaluation measures

The document is available from the CSAS website."

Minding MySpace: Balancing the benefits and risks of online social networks

"Schools are hard-pressed to balance the benefits and risks posed by kids' online social networks. Web sites such as MySpace, Facebook, LiveJournal and Xanga make it easy for students to post photos, personal information video clips and music files, and to build networks of 'friends' across the country. But they also pose an irresistible lure to pedophiles, and they can be abused by children who use them to post scurrilous attacks on teachers, administrators and other adults. They also contribute to 'cyberbullying' attacks by students on their peers. Carol Brydolf surveys the terrain of this brave new world for the California School Boards Association's California Schools magazine, offering school governance teams expert opinions on how to work with the emerging technology."

Corning Incorporated Foundation Grants

"Resources are directed almost exclusively toward initiatives which improve the quality of life in and near communities where Corning Incorporated is an active corporate citizen. Currently, the Foundation annually fulfills approximately 175 grants totaling some $3.0 million.

Support goes to institutions that are tax-exempt under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and which are public charities as defined in Section 509(a) of the Code." Funding areas: Educational; Cultural; Community Service;
National Programs; Matching Gifts Program. "Grant seekers are advised to submit a two-to-three page letter of inquiry, signed by the senior administrative officer of the organization."