BY: Michael Jonas
May 21, 2010
Longer school days lead to big gains in student achievement. Or maybe they don’t. It’s easy to scratch your head and wonder which is true after reading two new studies that look at the issue and come up with very different findings. The truth is it’s not that simple.
Read the full story at http://www.commonwealthmagazine.org/News-and-Features/Online-exclusives/2010/Spring/Mixed-messages-on-longer-school-day.aspx
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You know how I love Family Fun online, here are some more ideas for afterschool/summer activities: http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/crafts-by-material/recyclable-projects/recyclable-crafts-859956/?CMP=NLC-NL_Wkdr_060910_recyclable-crafts
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Tuesday, June 29 at 7:00 PM
Vail Theatre of the Arts at Empire High School
10701 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way, Tucson, AZ 85747
Take Houghton exit off of I-10 and go north. Then turn east on Mary Ann Cleveland Way
http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e2wapya7449ebfb8
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The 2010 National Conference for Science & Technology in Out-of-School Time, co-hosted by the Coalition for Science After School and Project Exploration, will be held September 22-24 in Los Angeles, CA. This conference will bring together a national audience of stakeholders from the after school, STEM education, funding and advocacy communities. We are particularly excited to feature Dr. Pedro Noguera as the keynote speaker. Sessions will highlight key developments in the field – with a particular focus on access and equity.
For further information please visit www.scienceafterschoolconference.org.
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Tuesday, June 15, 2010
10:00-11:30 a.m.
562 Dirksen Senate Office Building
The National Summer Learning Association invites you to a briefing to explore a New Vision for Summer School. Summer learning loss is a major contributor to the achievement gap and an untapped resource for addressing the nation’s education crisis. Despite the difficult economic times, several districts are addressing this issue through innovative summer programming. This event will feature pioneering summer learning programs and leaders from across the nation and provide recommendations on how federal policy can help make summer programs an essential component of education reform.
Invited speakers include Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Philadelphia Public Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman, and Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Richard Lugar (R-IN).
For additional information on the event visit: www.summerlearning.org/NVSS To RSVP visit: www.summerlearning.org/NVSSbriefing
Seating is limited, so please RSVP by Tuesday, June 8.
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Released in May 2010, Special Report on Summer (PDF | Powerpoint) presents summer specific data from America After 3PM and provides state level data on how many kids are in summer programs, how many would be likely to participate and how strong parent support is for programs. Find all you need to know about America After 3PM Special Report on Summer in Arizona here http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/AA3PM_states.cfm?state_abbr=AZ&level=1
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Teens who were in high-quality child care settings as young children scored slightly higher on measures of academic and cognitive achievement and were slightly less likely to report acting-out behaviors than peers who were in lower-quality child care arrangements during their early years, according to the latest analysis of a long-running study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Read more at http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2010/nichd-14.htm
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The Out-of-School Time Resource Center (OSTRC) is delighted to announce its new online OST Document Library! Visit it here: http://www.sp2.upenn.edu/ostrc/doclibrary/index.html
To date, The OSTRC has sorted over 200 reports, articles, studies, and other documents into 9 Staff Competencies (major headings) and 52 Content Areas (subheadings). The documents have been gathered from the fields of out-of-school time, afterschool, school-age care, positive youth development, formal education, staff development, nonprofit management, and many more.
The OSTRC Document Library is growing! Please send OST-related documents to the OSTRC (ostrc@sp2.upenn.edu) as either Word Documents, PDF’s, or links. If possible, documents should be no more than 5 years old and should be accessible to the public.
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A helpful guide from the National Women’s Law Center provides the most comprehensive state-by-state information available on how economic recovery funds are being used by states for child care and early education efforts.
http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/supportingstatechildcareeffortswitharra.pdf
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BIC 4 GOOD Grants
Did you create a sustainable community action project, program or organization that you want to grow? Lack the funds to take your project to the next level? If you answered “YES!”, you are eligible to apply for a BIC 4 GOOD Grant!
BIC 4 GOOD Grants are targeted towards established programs and organizations that have a large impact, proven sustainability, and measurable success. The best applicants are those that are self-driven, unique, community-oriented with measurable impact. Ten outstanding projects or organizations will be awarded $2,000 BIC 4 GOOD Grants and 1 exceptional project or organization will be awarded the Grand Prize $5,000 BIC 4 GOOD Grant!
Grant Details
How much: 10 $2,000 Grants and 1 Grand Prize $5,000 Grant
Deadline: June 15th You will be notified whether or not you have won by July 6th Apply now!
For more information please visit www.dosomething.org/grants/bic4good
Questions? Please email grants@dosomething.org
About DoSomething.org: DoSomething.org is one of the largest organizations in the United States that helps young people rock causes they care about. A driving force in creating a culture of volunteerism, DoSomething.org is on track to activate two million young people in 2011. By leveraging the web, television, mobile, and pop culture, DoSomething.org inspires, empowers and celebrates a generation of doers: teenagers who recognize the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action. Plug in at www.DoSomething.org.
About BIC 4 GOOD: At BIC, we’re big believers in giving back. BIC 4 GOOD is our newest commitment to helping others—and we’re determined to have a great time doing it! Here’s our first BIC 4 GOOD effort, and it all starts with you. Here’s the deal: We think you look terrific. But admit it, you’ve always been tempted to shave your head, haven’t you? Do it now and we’ll make a big donation to a great cause! We’re proud to say that BIC will make a donation to DoSomething.org on behalf of every head shaved (for real or virtual) – up to a total of $60,000. We will guarantee a donation of at least $50,000. If you upload a video of your head being shaved, BIC will give $444 to DoSomething.org. Upload a photo instead, and we’ll donate $44. Or do a “virtual head shave” and we’ll donate $4. Plus…no matter how you do it, enter between 4/15 – 6/24 and you’ll automatically be eligible for a chance to win $4,000! Do something good for charity, and maybe something good will come to you! Visit BIC4GOOD.com for official rules and to enter now, and also be sure to check out the new 4-blade BIC® Flex4™! BIC’s best shave for men.
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Innovative Learning Solutions 