Awards Encourage Students To Help Solve Critical Health Problems

The Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES) program is a competition that awards nearly $500,000 annually to high school juniors and seniors who develop research projects using the principles of epidemiology—the branch of medicine that deals with the study of causes, distribution, and control of disease among populations—to advance understanding of critical public health-related issues.

YES competitors develop a research question and hypothesis about an important health issue. They gather and analyze data, present results, and suggest ways to problem-solve. Past projects have addressed issues such as childhood obesity, HIV/AIDS, childhood asthma, teen pregnancy, and health and substance abuse. Projects are judged by a panel of leading epidemiologists and educators, and finalists are selected to present their research to a panel of leaders in the field of public health at the national YES Competition in Washington, D.C. Two top winners each receive $50,000 in college scholarships.

For more information, visit www.collegeboard.com/yes. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m., February 1, 2007.

Deadline approaching for NEA Foundation Grants

Applications are due by February 1, 2007, for both the Student Achievement Grants and the Learning & Leadership Grants.

Student achievement grants provide $5,000 to improve the academic achievement of students by engaging in critical thinking and problem-solving activities that deepen knowledge of standards-based subject matter. The work should also improve students’ habits of inquiry, self-directed learning, and critical reflection.

Learning & leadership grants provide opportunities for K–12 teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff to engage in high-quality professional development and lead their colleagues in professional growth. The grant amount is $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for groups engaged in collegial study.

Grants to individuals fund participation in high-quality professional development experiences, such as summer institutes or action research.

Grants to groups fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment.

Recipients will be notified by June 15, 2007. Grants fund activities for 12 months from the award date.

Visit www.neafoundation.org today for more information, including guidelines and applications, or call (202) 822-7840.

NEA-saturn/UAW Partnership Awards

NEA, Saturn Corporation, and United Auto Workers (UAW) are soliciting applications describing outstanding new teacher induction programs that are created and sustained through joint efforts by the school district and the union, and that have resulted in substantially assisting new teachers in their education careers. Applicants must have a strong mentoring program, plus at least two of these components:

Differentiated staffing for novice teachers

Common planning time

Ongoing professional development

Access to an external network of teachers

Standards-based evaluation.

Six winners will be recognized during the NEA Board of Directors meeting at the start of the 2007 Representative Assembly (RA) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and in their home districts. Winners will also be invited to visit with Saturn and UAW during American Education Week in November 2007.

Winners will have the opportunity to share “best practices” with each other and the broader education community. Expenses to the RA and for the Saturn/UAW trip will be paid for one administration and one local Association representative. There is, however, no monetary grant associated with this award. The application deadline is March 2, 2007. Go to www.nea.org/members/inductionaward.html for information and a downloadable application.

Grants Address Childhood Cancer

Youth Service America offers A Lion in the House Community Service Grants. Complementing the highly acclaimed PBS film, these grants of $300 are designed for youth, ages 12–25, and youth-serving organizations (e.g., schools, youth groups, clubs) to design service projects addressing pediatric cancer. Projects should be youth-led and take place as part of National & Global Youth Service Day, April 20–22, 2007.

For information and to download an application, visit www.ysa.org/awards. Applications must be postmarked by February 1, 2007. Learn more about pediatric cancer, including great service project ideas, at http://www.MyLion.org

‘We the People’ Bookshelf

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has announced the fourth annual We the People Bookshelf, a program that offers sets of classic books to 2,000 community and school libraries throughout the United States. Recipients will receive a collection of 15 classics selected to illustrate this year’s theme, “The Pursuit of Happiness.” The awards are part of NEH’s program to strengthen the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture.

Again this year, NEH has partnered with the American Library Association (ALA) to distribute a set of books, posters, and educational CDs to 2,000 selected libraries that offer the best programs for young readers using the awarded materials. Titles are preselected for grades K–3, 4–6, 7–8, and 9–12. As a bonus, each winning library will also receive a music CD, Happy Land : Musical Tributes to Laura Ingalls Wilder. 

Find information and instructions online at www.neh.gov Applications must be submitted by January 31, 2007.

Design Your Own Professional Development Program

With a fellow grant from the Fund for Teachers (FFT), preK–12 educators with at least three years of classroom experience who work at eligible schools can custom-design a summer experience that enriches their professional lives and helps them affect students on a daily basis. Grant fellows have designed a wide variety of learning experiences—from exploring volcanoes in Hawaii to studying the effect of chemicals on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico; from a hands-on study of Beluga whales to a trek across Laos to learn about Hmong culture; from studying Islam through Morocco ’s political, social, and economic development to sharpening Spanish skills in Guatemala.

Grants fund up to $5,000 in expenses for individuals and $7,500 for teams of two or more. But here’s the catch: because of funding limitations and availability of administrative partners, grants are not available in all areas. To find out if you work for a participating school or district, visit www.fundforteachers.org. The deadline for submitting an online application is January 16, 2007.

Listen to a Life Essay Contest

Get students thinking about their life goals and building closer connections across generations through this contest.

To enter, a student 8–18 years of age interviews a grandparent or “grandfriend” who is 50 years or older about their hopes and goals through life; how they achieved what they set out to do and overcame obstacles; or how dreams may have changed along the way. The student then writes a 300-word essay based on the interview.

The grand prize is a ThinkCentre computer and a $500 gift certificate from Books Are Fun. Twenty runner-up prizes include $200 gift certificates from Books Are Fun. All winners receive a framed certificate and a signed copy of Dream, the book by Susan V. Bosak that inspired the contest.

The deadline to enter is March 31, 2007. For complete rules and information, visit www.legacyproject.org.