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Ideas and Opportunities 4/4/2005
NEWS
AND OPINION
From Reading Rockets –
Revere
Students Get Extra Help with Reading
The Boston Globe
Some elementary school students not reading at the appropriate
levels may have to delay summer vacation trips to grandma's
house or to camp in exchange for 20 extra school days.
The Revere School Committee unanimously approved a plan
that would require extending the school year for first-,
second-, and third-graders who are reading below standards.
Poverty
and the Language Barrier – Education Is the Key
Marketplace Morning Report (audio)
There's a well-established link between poverty and
education levels. But what about poverty and language?
Researchers in Santa Ana, California, are looking into
that connection. Work and Family correspondent Sarah
Gardner explains why immigrants are being encouraged
to talk to their kids ... any way they know how.
Many
Children At Risk on Reading, Tests Show
Orlando Sentinel
About 40 percent of Florida's kindergartners are at
risk of struggling with reading, with up to 22 percent
at "high risk" of failure, according to the
first statewide screening of youngsters' early literacy
skills.
Tutors
Give Kids a Jumpstart
Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, OH)
Four-year-old Daiiyon Sommerville is in the "kitchen."
He's playing in the sink, passing plates to Adam Haynes,
his tutor at the Kids Play preschool in downtown Akron.
Soon, Haynes pulls out a toy camera and asks, "Can
I take a picture of you while you're reading?"
Daiiyon promptly sits down with a book. Haynes' strategy
worked. It's another day for Jumpstart – a growing
national nonprofit that pairs low-income preschoolers
with college students.
Coalition's
Goal Is Raising Readiness for Kindergarten
The Baltimore Sun
Only twenty-seven percent of Baltimore children entering
kindergarten last year were considered school-ready,
according to a report released yesterday by a group
that used data collected by the Maryland State Department
of Education. Armed with this data, a coalition, known
as the Baltimore Leadership in Action Program, announced
yesterday it is launching a five-year campaign to increase
the number of city children who are prepared to become
pupils.
Spanish-Speaking
Families Hone Skills That Help Children Learn
Houston Chronicle
Bewhiskered and rabbit-eared, the giggling preschoolers
hopping about in search of plastic eggs easily could
have been mistaken for delegates to an Easter Bunny
convention. The kids and their parents, who trailed
at their heels as their offspring searched shelves for
hidden treats, were participants in Para los Niños,
a new program for Spanish-speaking families that emphasizes
learning in the home and seeks to hone adults' parenting
skills.
From Connect for Kids –
Celebrating
Families
To learn how you can get involved and promote the needs
of young children and families in the home, school or
community, visit Celebrating families, the CFK online
calendar.
Eligibility
Guidelines Released for Child Nutrition Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released
updated income eligibility guidelines for determining
eligibility for free and reduced price meals or free
milk. The guidelines are used by schools, institutions,
and facilities participating in the National School
Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk
Program for Children, Child and Adult Care Food Program,
and Summer Food Service Program. Download the updated
income eligibility guidelines on the Food Research Action
Center’s site.
Strengthening
America's Families: An Agenda for Municipal Leaders
A new National League of Cities report offers policy
and program options to local officials seeking better
outcomes for children, families, and neighborhoods.
In addition to introducing a new way of doing business,
it provides suggested action steps organized around
three key "connections" for families - to
economic opportunities, to effective
services and supports, and to social networks. For a
free copy, send a message to iyef@nlc.org, or call 202-626-3014.
From PEN Weekly Newsblast –
2005
Index of Child Well-Being Shows Mixed Picture for America's
Children
Dramatic declines in rates of violence and risky behaviors
such as teen births, smoking, and alcohol and illegal
drug use during the past 10 years have contributed substantially
to modest and slow progress in the overall well-being
of America’s children, according to the 2005 Index
of Child Well-Being (CWI), released by the Foundation
for Child Development (FCD).
From the Reading Lady MOSAIC Listserv
-
NCTE
- 2005 Literacies for All Summer Institute
July 14-17, 2005 San Diego, California
This year's Summer Institute will focus on teaching
for change. Sessions will exhibit a study and analysis
of classroom practices and collaborative experiences
that promote democracy and inclusion.
From Pre-K Now –
'Prep
school' helps kids prepare for kindergarten life
Half Moon Bay Review (CA)
Coastside Children's Programs, based in Half Moon Bay,
is offering a six-week kindergarten preparation program
from July 11 though Aug. 19 and registration is now
open. The objective is to prepare children who have
not been in a preschool so that they have an easier
time when they enter kindergarten on that first big
day.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
From Grants.gov –
Child
Care Bureau Research Scholars Grant
HHS - Administration of Children and Families
The Administration for Children and Families' (ACF),
Administration on Children, Youth and Families' (ACYF),
Child Care Bureau (CCB) announces the availability of
funds to support new CCB Research Scholar projects in
Fiscal Year 2005. The Research Scholar Grants are designed
to increase the number of graduate students conducting
dissertation research on child care issues that are
consistent with the Bureau's research agenda. Deadline:
May 23, 2005
WIA
Small Grassroots Organizations Connecting with the One-Stop
Delivery Systems Grant
DOL - Employment Training Administration, Office of
Grants and Contract Management
The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S.
Department of Labor
(DOL) announces the availability of $1,000,000 to award
grants to eligible “grassroots” organizations
with the ability to connect to the local One-Stop delivery
system. The term “grassroots” is defined
under the Eligibility Criteria. Deadline:
April 28, 2005
From PEN Weekly Newsblast –
Target
Local Giving Program
This effort promotes a love of reading and encourages
children to read together with their families. Awards
recognize programs that inspire young readers (birth
through third grade); and programs that bring arts to
schools or schoolchildren to the arts. Maximum Award:
$1,000-$3,000. Eligibility: Based on quiz. Deadline:
May 31, 2005
Show
Me the Money: Tips & Resources for Successful Grant
Writing
Many educators have found that outside funding, in the
form of grants, allows them to provide their students
with educational experiences and materials their own
districts can't afford. Learn how they get those grants
-- and how you can get one too. Included: Practical
tips to help first-time grant writers get the grants
they need.
Department
of Education Forecast of Funding
This document lists virtually all programs and competitions
under which the Department of Education has invited
or expects to invite applications for new awards for
FY 2005 and provides actual or estimated deadline dates
for the transmittal of applications under these programs.
The lists are in the form of charts -- organized according
to the Department's principal program offices -- and
includes previously announced programs and competitions,
as well as those planned for announcement at a later
date. Note: This document is advisory only and is not
an official application notice of the Department of
Education. They expect to provide regular updates to
this document.
Grantionary
The Grantionary is a list of grant-related terms and
their definitions.
GrantsAlert
GrantsAlert is a website that helps nonprofits, especially
those involved in education, secure the funds they need
to continue their important work.
SchoolGrants
SchoolGrants provides funding information for PK-12
educators. The website includes links to funding opportunities,
as well as tips for fundraising and grantwriting.
Philanthropy
News Digest
Philanthropy News Digest, a weekly news service of the
Foundation Center, is a compendium, in digest form,
of philanthropy-related articles and features culled
from print and electronic media outlets nationwide.
NOTE: If you have difficulty accessing
any of these items, please contact nvolk@unitedway-cny.org.
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