Ruddie Memorial Youth Foundation Accepting Applications

"The Ruddie Memorial Youth Foundation aims to identify and disseminate innovative and effective programs for helping underprivileged youth reach their full potential.

The foundation supports programs that provide youth (birth to 25 years of age) with new opportunities for health, personal growth, and success in the United States. Applications will be accepted from nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations based in the greater metropolitan areas of Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Madison, Milwaukee, New York City, Philadelphia (new this year), San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

The purpose of the foundation's Evaluation Grants program, the only grant opportunity available to first-time applicants, is to identify innovative methods that are effective.... Evaluation grants range from $5,000 to $25,000 each.

The deadline for online applications to the Evaluation Grants program is July 31, 2009."

Google Maps: A Tool for the Youth Media Field

"During the April bloom of 2007, Google introduced a refreshingly inventive new online social utility tool called Google My Map that, from my perspective, is a powerful addition to the youth media arsenal. The Google My Map (GMM) application allows users to add digital content (text, video, paths, shapes, photos) to a satellite-imaged map of Earth, creating a personalized and annotated mashup that can be shared online with anyone in the world. The tool is easily learned through Google’s own tutorials and beneath the surface lays an endless array of possibilities for youth media educators."

Some Video Games Can Make Children Kinder And More Likely To Help

"Some video games can make children kinder and more likely to help—not hurt—other people.

That's the conclusion of new research published in the June 2009 issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

The article presents the findings of three separate studies, conducted in different countries with different age groups, and using different scientific approaches. All the studies find that playing games with prosocial content causes players to be more helpful to others after the game is over.

The report is co-authored by a consortium of researchers from the United States, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia."

Washington Koen Media Presents "The Beyond The Bricks" Project

"'Beyond the Bricks' Project is a film and discussion tour whose goal is to share and promote ideas on solving one of America's critical issues in education; the consistently low performance of school aged Black males in the public school system. Did you know that America's public schools are only graduating 47% of Black males students. The near 50% drop out is alarming and they are consistently the lowest performing students in 46 states. This is a national crisis....

We have engaged scholars who have focused their research on this problem; we speak with educators and administrators, politicians and activists in gathering these results. We also follow 2 students who tell of their struggles to improve their circumstances.

The Beyond the Bricks project's efforts are to promote hope by engaging communities, policy makers, schools, educators and students in constructive discussions about what we all can do to begin to help our kids better prepare for their futures. The project's website is presented as an additional portal to further the exchange of ideas and provide pertinent information on the issues."

Why After-School Programs Matter

Edutopia blogger Katie Klinger reflects: "Society today seems more likely than ever to accept the idea of holistic solutions to educational and community problems.... Liahona Youth Empowerment is a Polynesian organization doing exactly this. Nate and Linda Dudoit have given freely from their hearts to create a multifaceted service program for special-needs and at-risk youth.

The word liahona refers to a holistic approach, or navigational direction, based on personal empowerment through proper physical, spiritual, and life-skills training. Their chosen vehicle is after-school programs in Hawaii held in local parks and community centers.

In fall 2009, nearly 700 students will apply to participate in the five Liahona programs: Strength/Condition, Healthy Bodies Education, Performing Arts, Dance and Music, Vocational and Computer Programs and Life Enrichment, and Senior Volunteers. It is the design and delivery of these programs -- not the labels -- that has drawn students to the organization for three years."

Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition

"It’s once again time to step behind the lens in the name of water conservation. We’re excited to announce the 2009 Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition is now accepting entries. In its third year, this annual competition has recognized talented filmmakers worldwide, while promoting smart outdoor water use.

You could be next.... Create a short film, 1-10 minutes in length (total or excerpted time), focused on responsible water use. Narrative, documentary, animated, experimental and/or student-made productions should explore methods and ideas to manage and use earth’s most precious resource responsibly.

All entries must be uploaded as a .mov, .wmv, .avi or .mpg file via this site. Your entry must be received by August 15, 2009."

LEGO Children's Fund Grants

"The LEGO Children’s Fund will provide quarterly grants for programs, either in part or in total, with a special interest paid to collaborative efforts and in providing matching funds to leverage new dollars into the receiving organization. We will give priority consideration to programs that both meet our goals and are supported in volunteer time and effort by our employees.

The Foundation awards grants to qualified tax-exempt organizations (as determined under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue code) including educational organizations as defined in USC 26 § 170 (C) with specific, identifiable needs primarily in these areas of support:

Early childhood education and development
Technology and communication projects that advance learning opportunities
Sport or athletic programs that concentrate on under-served youth"

Grants for Middle School STEM-Focused Service-Learning Programs

"Contingent on federal funding, Youth Service America plans to implement a service-learning program in twenty-five middle schools in ten states to strengthen students' science, technology, and math skills.

The program will focus on creating a framework for primarily disadvantaged students to work in a semester-of-service model, where each month is devoted to a different aspect of planning and executing a service project in their community in connection to academic standards. The projects will begin on Martin Luther King Day of Service (January 18, 2010) and conclude on Global Youth Service Day (April 23-25, 2010).

Teachers, administrators, and service-learning coordinators in middle schools as well as staff and service-learning coordinators in afterschool programs in the states of Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Washington are eligible to apply."

Summer Reading

"The long hot days of summer provide lots of time to read. It's also a time to make sure kids don't fall behind. Researchers commonly find that students score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer than they do at the beginning. The reading achievement of children from low-income families takes a particularly big hit.

The following articles provide information about summer reading and summer learning loss. Plus you'll discover great activities to encourage kids to learn, read, and have fun in the summer sun.

NEW! Summer Reading webcast
Parent tips
For teachers and librarians
Research and reports
Links and resources
Summer book lists"

Classroom Computers Boost Face-to-face Learning

"In recent years, computer-assisted face-to-face collaboration has become an important part of the workplace, under the rubric of computer supported collaborative work.

An EU-funded research initiative called LEAD (rhymes with seed) has now shown that students, too, can solve problems, master subject matter, and learn to collaborate more effectively when their face-to-face communication is enhanced by specific software tools.

That is important, according to LEAD coordinator Jerry Andriessen, because individual learning and problem solving alone do not prepare students adequately for the interactive and collaborative settings they will encounter later in life.

'You have to learn to collaborate effectively with other people,' he says. “When you do, you can get much better results.'”

Edutopia's Digital Generation Project

"Today's kids are born digital -- born into a media-rich, networked world of infinite possibilities. But their digital lifestyle is about more than just cool gadgets; it's about engagement, self-directed learning, creativity, and empowerment. The Digital Generation Project tells their stories so that educators and parents can understand how kids learn, communicate, and socialize in very different ways than any previous generation."

The Way We'll Work - Time Magazine on Future of Work

"Ten years ago, Facebook didn't exist. Ten years before that, we didn't have the Web. So who knows what jobs will be born a decade from now? Though unemployment is at a 25‑year high, work will eventually return. But it won't look the same. No one is going to pay you just to show up. We will see a more flexible, more freelance, more collaborative and far less secure work world. It will be run by a generation with new values — and women will increasingly be at the controls. Here are 10 ways your job will change. In fact, it already has."