Bush Budget Cuts Education By 5.5%

President Bush proposed shrinking federal spending on education by more $3 billion in his new budget proposal, but he also wants to launch new initiatives to strengthen math and science achievement and reform America's high schools. The largest source of federal education aid to states, the $12.7 billion Title I program for low-income students, would receive no new funding under the president's proposed budget for fiscal year 2007. Title I accounts for about half of federal spending to implement the 2002 federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, which aims to close achievement gaps and get all students to read and do math at grade level by 2014. The overall federal education budget would be cut by $3.1 billion, or 5.5 percent from 2006 levels. Much of the cuts would come from scrapping 42 education programs totaling $3.5 billion, including programs for the arts, state grants for vocational education, Perkins loans for low-income college students and the Even Start literacy program for poor families. Kavan Peterson reports that Congress rejected cutting most of these programs when Bush requested their elimination last year. Congress cut only five of the 48 programs Bush slated for elimination in last year's budget proposal. Read article on stateline.org

Pen’s President Comments On Federal Fy 2007 Budget

President Bush's vision for making America more competitive in the global economy and making America safer and more secure cannot be accomplished without consistent investment in high-quality public education. The recent budget proposed by the President for FY 2007 undermines existing federal school reform efforts, particularly efforts specifically aimed at poor and disadvantaged children. The budget also creates a new set of fiscal challenges for public schools working diligently to improve students’ ability to read at grade level and to enable children to enter kindergarten ready to learn and achieve. "This budget clearly leaves children behind," said Wendy D. Puriefoy, president of Public Education Network. "The realities of the FY 2007 budget make it obvious that deep cuts to critical education programs will come disguised as fiscal discipline and deficit reduction at a time when serious accountability measures have been demanded of states and school districts. The President’s budget is out of step with the needs of America’s working families, who want a President who will put education first." Read article on publiceducation.org

Smart Money: Public Investment In Public Education

Public dollars that are invested in schools generate a high societal return, measurable in real, quantifiable results for workers and businesses, writes William Schweke. Money well spent on shrinking class sizes, establishing definite and understandable goals, providing high-quality and relevant teacher training, structuring incentives and getting parents involved can really improve school performance, even in the poorest neighborhoods. In addition to greater investment, what is essential is for the school and community learning cultures to change. Some schools have demonstrated ways to generate broad support for public schools by developing an organized constituency committed to reform and needed public investment. Read article on aasa.org

Differing Views On Role Of Teachers

Considering they share responsibility for 50 million children, parents and teachers sure have some different views about what goes on in school. From discipline to standardized tests and the quality of high schools, parents and teachers disagree on basic aspects of education, an AP-AOL Learning Services Poll finds. They come together, though, on the need to hire and keep good teachers. Ben Feller reports that less than half of parents say student discipline is a serious concern at school. Teachers scoff at that. Two in three of them call children's misbehavior a major problem. The survey also found: 73 percent of teachers say they know more than their students about learning tools available on the Internet. On this topic, 57 of parents say they know more than their children. 71 percent of teachers say class work and homework are the best way to measure academic success; 63 percent of parents say the same. A minority of both groups favored test scores. 79 percent of teachers rate high schools good or better in preparing students for college. A smaller but still strong majority of parents, 67 percent, agree. On testing, the poll found teachers are much more likely than parents to say standardized exams get too much emphasis. Yet most parents and teachers agree testing has weakened the ability of educators to give individual attention to students. Read article on contracostatimes.com

Mayoral Leadership & Involvement In Education

As the role of mayors in reforming public education increases, the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) believes there is a need to assist mayors as they choose how to get involved and at what level of engagement. A new "Action Guide" provides principles, suggestions and ideas for mayoral leadership and involvement. It also explains the political, financial and bureaucratic problems with which mayors are confronted when they become involved in public education. Four central themes on mayoral leadership and involvement in education are emphasized in the Action Guide: advocacy, capacity, implementation and sustainability. The guide is intended to provide useful information to mayors no matter what role they currently have or are considering in education. The guide helps mayors answer two pivotal questions. What role should I have as the chief elected official of my city to ensure that every child has the opportunity to have a quality education experience? What can I do to align my city’s services and resources to provide that opportunity? Read article on usmayors.org

The NCLB Show & Sing-Along

A new online advocacy campaign from the American Federation of Teachers features a musical cartoon beseeching the public to demand changes in No Child Left Behind in the upcoming reauthorization of the law. Visitors to the site are asked to sign a petition that states, "For all children to succeed, schools need high academic standards, rich curricula, quality professional development for staff, help for struggling students, adequate funding and a fair system of assessment and accountability. The No Child Left Behind Act has failed to live up to its promise. Our children are paying the price. Congress and the administration need to listen to parents and teachers. It's time to make some constructive changes and get NCLB right." Read article on letsgetitright.org

Regulating The Dispositions & Beliefs Of Teachers

Frederick Hess is among those who have been troubled by the tendency of universities to adopt campus speech codes. In his view, a worrisome new fad is rearing its head in the nation's schools of education. Stirred by professional opinion and accreditation pressures, teachers colleges have begun to regulate the dispositions and beliefs of those who would teach in our nation's classrooms. For example, professors at Washington State University's College of Education evaluate candidates to ensure they exhibit "an understanding of the complexities of race, power, gender, class, sexual orientation, and privilege in American society." The conviction that teachers should hold certain views regarding sexuality or social class is rooted in a commendable impulse to ensure that they teach all students. But even if scientific evidence established that certain beliefs or dispositions improved teacher effectiveness, colleges should hesitate to engage in this kind of exercise. The truth, of course, is that no such body of rigorous, empirical evidence does exist. In any event, there's good reason to be skeptical of claims that to be effective, teachers must have certain views or attitudes. Given that both kindhearted and callous doctors may be effective professionals, it's not clear why we should expect good teachers to be uniform in disposition.
Read article on washington post.com

School Systems Face Health Care Squeeze

As more teachers look ahead to retirement, many are finding themselves having to choose between health care and other basic needs. Benefits they took for granted, such as health care, are becoming prohibitively expensive, both for them and their school districts. In a few cases, high costs and large numbers of retirees threaten to limit or cut off health benefits altogether, even in places where contracts negotiated long ago assured lifetime benefits. What's more, reports Greg Toppo, stringent new accounting rules will soon force school districts to begin planning for future retirees, in effect forcing districts to either fund their benefits now or drop them. Read article on usatoday.com

Schools Grapple With Policing Students' Online Journals

Drawing a line between free speech and misuse can be tricky, and blog proponents caution that there are plenty of positive ways to use the medium. However, recent incidents speak not only to the murky territory of free speech in schools but to the challenges of educating in a cyber age -- particularly with the growing presence of Web logs or blogs, those online pages that millions of teens use for journals, photos, dating, or chats. The worries range from the serious -- student safety and cyberbullying -- to the mundane, minimizing gossip and protecting students from embarrassment. Amanda Paulson reports that some schools are trying to restrict access to the sites, or are holding sessions to educate both parents and students on proper guidelines. Some kids use blogs for class assignments, thoughtful journals, or outlets for creativity. The worries come when teens post too much personal information -- their real names, addresses, e-mail, schools -- not realizing it is also available to stalkers or child predators, or when they use the sites to pick on other kids, reaching more people than old-fashioned bullying ever could. "Kids used to pass notes around in school," says Parry Aftab, director of Wiredsafety.org. "Now they're putting it onto pages with 42 million users." Read article on csmonitor.com

Why Johnny Still Can't Read

Even as books take a back seat to technology, reading is more important than ever in an increasingly complicated, information-rich world. Basic literacy no longer suffices. In higher education and the workplace, young people must handle an array of complex texts -- narratives, repair manuals, scholarly journals, maps, graphics, and more -- across technologies. They need to evaluate, synthesize, and communicate effectively. Unfortunately, more than 8 million U.S. students in grades 4-12 struggle to read, write, and comprehend adequately. Only three out of ten eighth graders read at or above grade level, according to the 2004 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Readers who fall significantly behind risk school and workplace failure. In 2003, only three-fourths of high school students graduated in four years, the National Center for Education Statistics reports; the previous year, just over half of African American and Hispanic students graduated at all. Read article on edutopia.org

Struggle To Get Black History In Classrooms

Even as Black History Month briefly draws attention to African-American heritage, state-based efforts show how hard it can be to move from an idea to change in the classroom. "We won't have to do February if in fact we teach this in the regular curriculum," said NJ Assemblyman William Payne. New Jersey's 2002 law created an Amistad Commission whose members write lesson plans, organize educational events and train teachers -- all focused on black history. The law says each school board "shall incorporate" black history at all grade levels. Two other states, New York and Illinois, have since passed similar laws and several others are either considering them or have passed statutes that encourage, but do not require, teachers to address black history. Some educators don't know these laws exist. Among those that do, many teachers are not well-versed in black history and don't know where to find teaching materials. New Jersey educators said their students have appreciated learning more about black history. "When children begin to understand who they are, when they begin to see that they are part of history, you can see them walking around school walking a little taller," said Lauren Cooper, a middle school reading teacher at Belleville Middle School near Newark. Read article on cnn.com

Creating Financial Incentives In Hopes Of Achieving Perfect Attendence

Last year, 9-year-old Fernando Vazquez won a raffle for students with perfect attendance and was given the choice of a new Saturn Ion or $10,000. (His parents chose the money.) Krystal Brooks, 19, won a canary yellow Ford Mustang. In Temecula, Calif., the school district prizes can include iPods, DVD players and a trip to Disneyland. Many schools have been galvanized by the federal No Child Left Behind law, which factors attendance into its evaluations. And schools, especially in poor districts, are motivated by money from state governments, which is often based on average daily attendance. In the Chicago public schools, students with perfect attendance for the first three months of the year are eligible to win $500 worth of groceries or up to $1,000 toward a rent or mortgage payment. Joi Mecks, a spokeswoman for the district, said that for every 1 percent increase in its attendance rate, the district received $18 million more in state money. But as Pamela Belluck reports, some experts say attendance incentives are a bad approach. "It's against our grain to suggest that you have to cajole, seduce or trick students in order to get them to learn," said Dr. Jeff Bostic, director of school psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. "And where does it end? Are we going to need to give out a Porsche Boxster? Rather than say we're going to pay you if you show up, we've got to work harder at showing how school really does have relevance to these kids' lives." But other experts say incentives make sense because they parallel the working world, where employees are given financial incentives to work harder or better. Some experts say incentives are acceptable if the rewards are education-related -- laptops, say, instead of cars. Read article on nytimes.com

Are Immigrant And Language-Minority Children Learning English?

In 2002, Massachusetts voters approved a ballot proposal to do away with bilingual education for non-English-speaking students, substituting "sheltered English immersion" for the three-decade-old, but much maligned, approach of teaching children in their own languages on an ostensibly transitional basis. Now, more than three years later, Laura Pappano finds a Tower of Babel in the classroom, as teachers and school leaders struggle to figure out what sheltered immersion is. Are immigrant and language-minority children learning English? According to the state's first-ever test of student progress in English acquisition over the course of a school year, not too well. Read article on massinc.org

Understanding How To Engage Families In After School Programs

" Focus on Families! How to Build and Support Family-Centered Practices in After School" is a critical resource for after school providers looking to create or expand an existing family engagement program. Program leaders, local decision makers, funders, and others interested in promoting good family involvement practice will also find the guide vital to their work. The guide provides a research base for why family engagement matters, concrete program strategies for engaging families, case studies of promising family engagement efforts, and an evaluation tool for improving family engagement practices. Read article on harvard.edu

Survey Says Parents And Students Satisfied With Current Math/Science Education

As the math and science achievement of American students continues to lag behind the international competition, business leaders, educators and President Bush in his State of the Union address are all launching major campaigns to improve math and science education for the nation’s students. But where American leadership sees a crisis, parents and students think that on the math/science front, things are just fine, thank you. Public Agenda found that while, in general, parents support proposals to make high schools globally competitive, most (57%) also say the amount of science and math their child studies now is about right. In fact, Public Agenda notes, parents’ concern about math and science achievement has actually declined since the mid 1990s. In 1994, 48% of parents thought their children were not getting enough math and science compared to only 32% of parents thinking the same in 2005. American students aren't too worried either. Only one quarter say lack of emphasis on science and math is a problem in their own school. And, despite widely publicized predictions about the role science and technology will play in the economy of the future, more that four in 10 students say they would be quite unhappy if they ended up in a career with a math or science focus. Read article on publicagenda.org

Student Context, Student Attitudes & Behavior & Academic Achievement

What are the key factors that promote academic success among students whose demographic characteristics and school circumstances place them at high risk of failure? Theresa Akey provides highly suggestive, although not conclusive, answers to this question. This study’s findings may have important implications for understanding how students learn in the classroom. Consonant with previous research, they indicate that both engagement in school and students’ perception of their own academic competence influence achievement in mathematics for high school students. But the study departs from earlier work in suggesting that perceived academic competence may be more influential than engagement in boosting achievement in both mathematics and reading. Indeed, analyses indicate that perceived competence had a stronger influence on subsequent engagement than engagement had on students’ perceptions of themselves as competent learners. The findings also make clear that supportive teachers and clear and high expectations about behavior are key to the development of both student engagement and perceived competence. This study suggests that the earlier schools and teachers begin to build students’ confidence in their ability to do well, the better off students will be. Because students’ perceptions of their capacity for success are key to their engagement in school and learning, schools should be designed to enhance students’ feelings of accomplishment. Teachers whom students see as supportive and who set clear expectations about behavior help create an atmosphere in which students feel in control and confident about their ability to succeed in future educational endeavors. Read article on mdrc.org

Taking Steps To Save Our Kids

Experts say a full-scale assault -- like the war waged upon smoking -- is needed to turn the tide against obesity among children. The effort must involve families, schools and communities. So far, attempts to confront the problem, which has resulted in a rise of Type II diabetes and other diseases among the young, have been sporadic. But new initiatives are under way: After years of relying on public service announcements -- along with occasional video images of a jogging politician -- city and state governments are developing civic fitness and diet programs to promote healthy living. More TV commercials are promoting healthy foods, and there's an increase in advertising urging kids to be more physically active. After years of trimming recess and physical education classes, many schools are pushing their students to play more. Indiana and some other states are starting to crack down on what they let kids eat in school cafeterias and from school vending machines. Starting next year, schools that participate in the federal school meals program will have to implement a wellness plan, including goals for physical activity and nutrition education. Of course, reports Shari Rudavsky and Dan McFeely, it took much more than gentle persuasion to reduce the number of smokers in America -- from 42 percent of adults in 1965 to 21 percent today. It took laws, marketing campaigns and a change in societal attitudes.
Read article on indystar.com

Increase In Child Poverty Is Noted

After nearly a decade of decline, the number of children living in low-income families has been steadily increasing, a pattern that began in 2000. This data book provides national and 50-state trend data on the characteristics of low-income children over the past decade: parental education, parental employment, marital status, family structure, race and ethnicity, age distribution, parental nativity, home ownership, residential mobility, type of residential area, and region of residence. Read article on nccp.org

"National Gardening Association Healthy Sprouts Awards"
This program invites applications from schools or organizations who plan to garden in 2007. Maximum Award: $200 Gift Certificate. Eligibility: groups having at least fifteen children between the ages of 3 and 18. Deadline: October 15, 2006. Go to site

"National History Education and Preservation Initiative"
Save Our History is a national history education and preservation initiative that seeks to raise awareness and support for preserving local heritage. Historic organizations across the United States that are interested in funding for preservation projects developed with local schools or youth groups are encouraged to apply. Maximum Award: $5000. Eligibility: elementary, middle, and high school teachers who teach American, state, or local history in a social studies or history class in a public, private, or home school located within the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Deadline: April 7, 2006. Go to site

"Nature of Learning Grant Program"
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s The Nature of Learning Grant Program seeks to use National Wildlife Refuges as outdoor classrooms to promote a greater understanding of local conservation issues and utilize field experiences and student-led stewardship projects to connect classroom lessons to real world issues, as well as build partnership among local schools, community groups, natural resource professionals and local businesses. Maximum Award: $5,000. Eligibility: Schools or non-profit organizations. Deadline: April 17, 2006. Go to site

"2006 All-USA Teacher Team"
USA TODAY is accepting nominations for the 2006 All-USA Teacher Team, a recognition program for outstanding teachers. Teachers can be nominated by anyone willing to put in writing why they are outstanding; nominees must complete the form explaining how they achieve their success. Maximum Award: $2500. Eligibility: Teachers K-12. Deadline: April 29, 2006. Go to site

"CiviConnections Program"
The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) CiviConnections program links local historical inquiry with community service-learning activities nationwide in 3rd-12th grade classrooms. CiviConnections projects during the 2006/07 school year will focus on: Poverty, Health Care, Discrimination, or the Environment. Maximum Award: $7,500. Eligibility: teams of three teachers from grades 3-12 in the same public school district with membership in NCSS or agreeing to join if selected; must partner with at least one local community agency and meet certain other requirements (see website). Deadline: February 24, 2006. Go to site

"New Center Seeks to Award Excellent Urban Schools"
San Diego State University has established the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST), designed to identify, study, and promote the best practices of very high-achieving urban schools and districts. The Center is sponsoring its first annual Excellence in Education Award Program through which it will recognize urban schools and districts that have achieved outstanding records of academic achievement for all of the populations of students they serve. The NCUST Excellence in Education Award is only for public schools or public charter schools serving urban communities. At least 50 percent of the school’s students must qualify for the federal free- or reduced-price lunch program. The NCUST Excellence in Education Award winners will receive a check for $1,000 and a banner bearing their name. As well, each school will receive travel costs for one representative to attend the NCUST Symposium in San Diego, California, May 5-6, 2006. Applications are due February 27, 2006. Go to site

"The Purpose Prize: $100,000 for Five Innovators Over 60"
As the first of 77 million baby boomers turn 60, Civic Ventures, a nonprofit organization working to help America achieve the greatest return on experience, announces The Purpose Prize -- five $100,000 investments in Americans over 60 whose creativity, talent and experience is transforming the way our nation addresses critical social problems, including education. The Purpose Prize is for those "with the passion, smarts, and experience to discover new opportunities, create new programs, or find inventive ways to make lasting social change." Sixty semi-finalists ("60 at 60") will also receive national recognition for their work. To nominate someone or apply yourself, click below. Deadline: February 28, 2006. Go to site

"P. Buckley Moss Foundation Education Grants"
The grant program aids and supports teachers who wish to establish an effective learning tool using the arts in teaching children with learning disabilities and other special needs. Maximum Award: $1,000. Eligibility: Programs in the planning stages or in existence for less than two years. Deadline: March 1, 2006. Go to site

"New Leaders for New Schools Seek Candidates to Become Urban School Principals"
New Leaders for New Schools is currently accepting applications for candidates who meet our 10 selection criteria (see website) and want to lead change for children in low income communities by becoming urban public school principals. Candidates should have a record of success in leading adults, an expertise in K-12 teaching and learning, a relentless drive to lead an excellent urban school, and most importantly, an unyielding belief in the potential of every child to achieve academically at high levels. Eligibility: a minimum of 2-3 years of successful K-12 instruction experience; a teaching certificate preferred. Deadline: March 1, 2006. Go to site

"Recognizing a Teacher Who Overcomes Adversity"
Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation Freida J. Riley Teacher Award annually recognizes an American teacher who overcomes adversity or makes an enormous sacrifice in order to positively impact students. It is given in honor of teacher Freida J. Riley who died of Hodgkin's disease at the age of 31. Maximum Award: $10,000. Eligibility: full-time teachers (grades K-12), in any accredited U.S. public, private, or charter school. Deadline: March 1, 2006. Go to site

"Grants to Integrate Literacy with Personal and Civic Action"
Starbucks Foundation Grants fund programs that integrate literacy with personal and civic action in the communities where they live. Maximum Award: $5,000. Eligibility: 501 (c) 3 organizations that work with underserved youth ages 6-18 in the fields of literacy (reading, writing and creative/media arts) and environmental literacy. Deadline: March 1, 2006. Go to site

"Horace Mann-Abraham Lincoln Fellowship"
Horace Mann Corporation and Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library have partnered to form the Horace Mann-Abraham Lincoln Fellowship, a program designed to help educators study the life and legacy of America's 16th president. The program features a five-day institute at the new library in June and July, 2006. Maximum Award: $1,000 each to cover expenses for their trip to the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois, to participate in programs created by the ALPL Foundation. Eligibility: full-time educators teaching kindergarten through 12th grade in the U.S. Deadline: March 4, 2006. Go to site

" Healthy Eating Research Grants"
Healthy Eating Research is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that supports research to identify, analyze and evaluate environmental and policy strategies that can promote healthy eating among children and prevent childhood obesity. Special emphasis will be given to research projects that will benefit children in the low-income and racial/ethnic populations at highest risk for obesity. Maximum Award: $75,000-$400,000. Eligibility: Preference given to 501(c)(3) organizations. Must be U.S.-based. Deadline: March 7, 2006. Go to site

"Grants for Service-Learning Projects"
Learn and Serve America, part of the Corporation for National and Community Service, has released a Notice of funding Opportunity for grant funds to support school-based, community-based, higher education, and tribal and U.S. territory service-learning projects. The grant competition is to promote the development and sustainability of high-quality community-based service-learning programs in youth-serving community organizations across the nation. Maximum Award: Varies. Eligibility: K-12 schools, colleges, volunteer centers, faith-based organizations. Deadline: March 7, 2006.
Go to site

"J8 Global Citizen Programme"
The J8 Global Citizen Programme gives winners of its competition the opportunity to travel to Russia in July 2006 to join young people from all the other G8 countries at J8 St Petersburg 2006. Maximum Award: an all-expenses-paid, 3-day Summit in July 2006, plus various prizes. Eligibility: groups of 6-8 students aged 13-16. Deadline: March 31, 2006. Go to site

"Hurricane Katrina Media Fellowships"
The Open Society Institute Katrina Media Fellowships will support media makers working in print and radio journalism, photography, and documentary film and video to generate and improve media coverage of critical issues of poverty, racism, and government neglect in the Gulf Region that were laid bare by Hurricane Katrina. Maximum Award: $35,000. Eligibility: mid-career or veteran print or radio journalists, photographers, or documentary filmmakers with proven track records as serious media-makers. OSI will give special consideration to applicants who have been displaced from or are residents of the Gulf Region. Deadline: Friday, March 31, 2006. Go to site

"BP A+ for Energy Program"
BP’s A+ for Energy program gives grants for implementing creative and innovative educational programs to teach students about energy use, alternative and sustainable energy types and sources, and energy conservation. Maximum Award: $10,000. Eligibility: all California teachers K-12. Deadline: April 7, 2006. Go to site

"American Stars of Teaching Program"
The U.S. Department of Education plans to honor outstanding classroom teachers through the American Stars of Teaching program. The Department's Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative is seeking nominations and information about teachers who are improving student achievement, using innovative strategies in the classroom, and making a difference in the lives of their students. Eligibility: teachers across all grades and disciplines. Deadline: April 15, 2006. Go to site

"Community-based Environmental Education Initiative"
National Wildlife Refuge System’s The Nature of Learning community-based environmental education initiative seeks to: use National Wildlife Refuges as outdoor classrooms to promote a greater understanding of local conservation issues; encourage an interdisciplinary approach to learning that seeks to enhance student academic achievement; utilize field experiences and student-led stewardship projects to connect classroom lessons to real world issues; and involve a partnership among local schools, community groups, natural resource professionals and local businesses. Maximum Award: $5,000. Eligibility: schools or non-profit organizations, including "Friends" groups, Cooperative and Interpretive Associations, and Audubon Chapters. Deadline: April 17, 2006. Go to site

"MetLife Foundation Bridge Builders Grant"
MetLife Foundation Bridge Builders Grant Program and The National Association of Secondary School Principals is inviting proposals from public middle level and high schools serving large numbers of low-income students and/or underrepresented minorities (40% or more of the student body) to apply for a grant to implement a special initiative aimed at building better relationships among adults and students. Maximum Award: $5,000. Eligibility: Middle level and high school principals in public schools serving large numbers of low income and/or large numbers of minority students (more than 40% of the student body) in the United States. Deadline: April 17, 2006. Go to site

"Free National & Global Youth Service Day Materials"
Free National & Global Youth Service Day Materials are available to in the planning of service projects for the 18th Annual National & Global Youth Service Day, April 21-23, 2006. Planning Tool Kits, Service-Learning Curriculum Guides, and Classroom Posters are now available in print and on-line. Go to site

"Seeking Young Heroes for $2,000 Barron Prize"
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes seeks nominations for its 2006 awards.
The Barron Prize honors young people ages 8 to 18 who have shown leadership and courage in public service to people and our planet. Each year, ten national winners each receive $2,000 to support their service work or higher education. Nomination deadline is April 30. Go to site

"Unsung Heroes Awards Program"
The ING Unsung Heroes awards program recognizes innovative and progressive thinking in education through monetary awards. Maximum Award: $25,000 to Grand Prize Winner. Eligibility: full-time educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, or classified staff members with effective projects that improve student learning at an accredited K-12 public or private school. Deadline: May 1, 2006. Go to site

" Nickelodeon Announces Giveaway Program to Encourage Healthy Play"
Children's television network Nickelodeon will distribute more than $1 million from September 2005 to June 2006. The "Let's Just Play" Giveaway offers kids around the United States the opportunity to take action and enter for a chance to improve their school or community program's fitness resources. Maximum Award: $5000. Eligibility: Kids (6-15 years of age), partnering with teachers and other community-based leaders. Deadline: rolling, until May 31, 2006. Go to site

"Learning in the Arts Grants"
National Endowment for the Arts "Learning in the Arts Grants" Program offers funding for projects that help children and youth acquire appreciation, knowledge, and understanding of and skills in the arts. Projects must provide participatory learning and engagement of students with skilled artists, teachers, and excellent art, and ensure the application of national, state, or local arts education standards. Maximum Award: $5,000-$150,000. Eligibility: school-based or community based projects. Deadline: June 12, 2006. Go to site

"Barnes & Noble Corporate Contributions"
Barnes & Noble Corporate Contributions Program is committed to literary-based sponsorships and partners with organizations that focus their core businesses on higher learning, literacy and the arts. Maximum
Award: varies. Eligibility: non-profit organizations that focus on literacy, the arts or education (K - 12). Deadline: N/A. Go to site

" 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. Go to site

"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 2006 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. Go to site