Education Events Calendar
Educational Observances Throughout the Year
Highlights:
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American Education Week
NEA's American Education Week (AEW) spotlights the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education from kindergarten through college, and the need for everyone to do his or her part in making public schools great. -
National Learn & Serve Challenge
The Learn & Serve Challenge is a national call to implementing a service-learning project during the 2009-2010 school year. Help students use the skills they acquire in school to address problems in their communities. -
Solar Decathlon
See student videos about the Solar Decathlon, which took place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in mid-October. Twenty college and university teams reconstructed energy-efficient solar-powered homes for the competition. -
Free Professional Development from the Holocaust Museum
The history of the Holocaust and the NEA Code of Ethics provide a foundation for examining challenges facing teachers today. The Museum will help you schedule this professional development at a state or regional meeting.
Education Events - In Reverse Chronological Order
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12/10/09 -
12/10/09Human Rights Day
The anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly's adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—a document establishing a common standard for human achievement for all peoples and nations, rooted in the values of freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, respect, and shared responsibility. Find out more.
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11/15/09 -
11/21/09Geography Awareness Week
National Geography Awareness Week, initiated in 1987 by the National Geographic Society's Geography Education Program, is an annual celebration to promote geographic literacy. Here are some ideas for celebrating the week: NEA's selection of Geography Awareness Week lessons and activities; National Geographic's Geography Action! and My Wonderful World Web site for games, maps, tools, and top ten ways to celebrate; Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum for quizzes and other resources; and AdLit Web site for a geographically themed literature quiz every day this week.
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11/15/09 -
11/21/09American Education Week
NEA's American Education Week (AEW) spotlights the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education from kindergarten through college, and the need for everyone to do his or her part in making public schools great. Learn more about American Education Week.
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10/29/09 -
10/31/09National Forum on Character Education
Join more than 800 teachers, counselors, administrators, and community leaders as they come together to share ideas, resources, and best practices to improve their school's character education programs. At the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in Alexandria, Virginia. Visit the Character Education Partnership Web site for more information.
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10/20/09 -
06/01/10National Day on Writing
Contribute your writing today. Local writing project sites can create their own galleries featuring the writing of teachers, students, and community members. For the National Gallery of Writing, a digital archive of compositions available through a free, searchable Web site. The Gallery will be "unveiled" to the public on the National Day on Writing, October, 20, 2009. Learn more at the National Writing Project Web site.
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10/18/09 -
10/24/09Character Counts! Week
Celebrate the six pillars of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Register now for free lesson plans and handouts. For more information, visit the Character Counts Web site.
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10/05/09 -
10/05/09World Teachers's Day
October 5 is a day to celebrate teachers and the central role they play in guiding children, youths, and adults through the life-long learning process. This year, World Teachers’ Day will focus on the role of teachers within the context of the global financial and economic crisis and the need to invest in teachers now as a means to secure post-crisis regeneration. Learn more at the World Teachers' Day Web site.
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10/04/09 -
10/10/09Sponsored by the PACER Center—a parent center for families of children and young adults with disabilities—and cosponsored by NEA, the National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education, and National PTA, this weeklong event encourages communities to work together to increase awareness of the prevalence and impact of bullying on children.
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09/28/09
Family Day-A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children
This national movement promotes parental engagement through frequent family dinners as a simple, effective way to prevent substance abuse in kids. Find out more.
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09/17/09
Constitution Day
On September 17, 1787, the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention held their final meeting. Only one item of business occupied the agenda—to sign the Constitution of the United States of America. Find out more.
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09/15/09 -
10/15/09National Hispanic Heritage Month
Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens who trace their ancestry to Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Spanish-speaking countries of Central and South America. Find out more.
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08/19/09 -
08/19/09Will Steger Foundation Summer Institute for Climate Change Education
The 2009 Summer Institute invites 100 teachers to attend, in-person, a full day of interactive exploration of international climate solutions and related curriculum. The event will also be available online via a real-time Webinar. The Institute will be held at the University of Minnesota, in Twin Cities. Although the target audience is teachers of grades 9-12, educators at all levels, including college/university, are welcome to attend. Conference fees are $75 per teacher; $100 per 2 teachers from the same school or district; and $25 for the online Webinar. Find complete information in the application form (
3pp 1.83 MB).
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08/01/09 -
08/05/09National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) Conference
Hundreds of people interested in media literacy will convene in Detroit to share ideas, research, and educational approaches. This year's theme is Bridging Literacies: Critical Connections in a Digital World. Visit the NAMLE Web site for information and to register.
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07/13/09 -
07/17/09Ford's Theatre Lincoln Teacher Fellows Program
A five-day summer seminar for social studies, history, and English teachers held at three of Washington's D.C.'s most historic Civil War era sites. Find out more.
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06/19/09
Juneteenth
On June 19, 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston Island, Texas, scene of the last major vestige of slavery in North America, and announced its end. Find out more.
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06/16/09 -
06/18/09National School-Based Mentoring and Volunteerism Conference
The National School-Based Mentoring and Volunteerism Conference is the only conference dedicated to school-based mentoring and volunteerism. Held biennially in Kansas City, Missouri, the conference draws more than 300 mentoring professionals, educators, school board members, community leaders, researchers, and funders from across the country and abroad. The 2009 conference features four concurrent tracks: Program Building, Sustainability, Current and Future Trends, and Professional Advancement and Personal Development. Continuing education credits can be earned. Find out more at http://www.askusa.com/youthfriends/index.html.
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06/13/09 -
06/14/09NEA President to Appear on This Is America
During the weekend of June 13-14, 2009, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel is scheduled to appear on the PBS radio show This Is America with Dennis Wholey. Van Roekel will discuss the triumphs and challenges in public education. Find out more.
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06/08/09
World Oceans Day
This year, the United Nations General Assembly has designated June 8 as World Oceans Day to raise global awareness about challenges facing the international community in connection with the oceans. This year's theme is "One Ocean, One Climate, One Future." To learn more about this event, visit http://www.coral.org/node/4193; to find about organizing events, go to http://www.theoceanproject.org/wod/index.php.
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05/17/09
Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education
The 1954 United States Supreme Court decision in Oliver L. Brown et.al. v. the Board of Education of Topeka (KS) et.al. is among the most significant judicial turning points in the development of our country. Originally led by Charles H. Houston, and later Thurgood Marshall and a formidable legal team, it dismantled the legal basis for racial segregation in schools and other public facilities. See a summary of events and a timeline of events leading to the Brown v. Board of Education decision.
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05/16/09
Birthday of Elizabeth Palmer Peabody
Born this day in 1804, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody was a teacher, writer, and editor who first introduced the idea of kindergarten (from the German for "children's garden") to the American educational establishment - long before most educators understood the importance of preparing young children for school. Her English language kindergarten, which she opened in Boston in 1860, was the first of its kind in the U.S. Find out more about Peabody at the Library of Congress Web site.
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05/06/09
National School Nurse Day
If you think school nursing is all about flu shots, Band-Aids, and record-keeping, you haven't been inside a school lately. School health professionals juggle a complex array of medical and social issues, seeing thousands of students, and often moving from school to school throughout the district. Learn more about National School Nurse Day.
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05/05/09
World Asthma Day
World Asthma Day is an annual event organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. Visit the GINA Web site for more information.
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05/01/09 -
05/31/09Asthma Awareness Month
The NEA Health Information Network (NEA HIN) joins with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal and non-profit organizations to sponsor asthma education events around the country.
Help raise awareness about the issue by sponsoring an asthma awareness event in your school, local association, or community. A free event planning kit - that includes ideas for outreach activities, tips for working with the media, success stories, and much more - is available at the EPA Web site.
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04/30/09 -
04/30/09Libraries Honor Children and Diversity
Libraries across the country host celebrations with family programs on April 30, Children's Day/Book Day (El día de los niños/El día de los libros
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04/24/09 -
04/26/09Global Youth Service Day
In April 2009, young people around the world will perform community service projects for Global Youth Service Day, the largest service event in the world. Find out how you can participate.
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04/20/09 -
04/26/09Global Action Week
This is one of several events organized by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) to hold governments accountable for providing Education for All (EFA) by the year 2015. This year, the focus is on adult literacy and lifelong learning. Find out more.
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04/12/09 -
04/18/09National Environmental Education Week
This event promotes understanding and protection of the natural world by engaging students and educators in a week of learning and activities. Find out more.
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04/01/09 -
04/30/09School Library Media Month
Discover three ways that educators and parents can celebrate libraries and library workers in April.
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04/01/09 -
04/30/09Occupational Therapy Month
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the nation's fastest-growing developmental disability. Find out how occupational therapists help students and families who are dealing with ASD achieve success in school and at home.
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04/01/09 -
04/30/09National Poetry Month
Begun by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month brings together literary organizations, libraries, schools, and poets around the country to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. Visit www.poets.org/index.php for more information.
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03/25/09 -
03/28/09School Social Work Association of America Conference
Join school social workers, educators, and other professionals for the only national conference devoted exclusively to the school social work profession. Find out more.
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03/23/09 -
03/23/09Earth Hour, 8:30-9:30 PM
Join NEA and the World Wildlife Fund and make a statement by being a part of Earth Hour on March 28, 2009. From 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. local time, individuals, schools, governments, and whole cities around the world will show their collective concern about climate change by turning out the lights for one hour and switching on support for solutions. Find out more.
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03/14/09 -
03/14/09Celebrate Pi Day
Each year on March 14, classrooms break from their routines to observe the festivities of "Pi Day," so-called because the digits in the date correspond with the first three digits of pi-the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter (3.14). Bonus: Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879! Find out more.
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03/07/09 -
03/06/09The Celebration of Teaching and Learning
THIRTEEN & WLIW21's Celebration of Teaching & Learning is the place where knowledge meets inspiration, as the world's best thinkers, practitioners, and more than 8,000 educators come together to play a role in shaping the future of schools. Find out more.
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03/02/09 -
03/02/09NEA's Read Across America Day
On March 2, 2009, the National Education Association is calling for every child to be reading in the company of a caring adult. Find out more.
