Whole Kids Foundation, in partnership with FoodCorps, created the School Garden Grant program to provide a $2,000 monetary grant to a K-12 school, or a non-profit working in partnership with a K-12 school, to support a new or existing edible garden on school grounds. Applications are being accepted through October 31. View important information and resources, including eligibility criteria, a preview of the application questions, Garden Grant FAQ, grant writing tips, school garden resources, and more.
Monthly Archives: September 2014
Cutting-Edge Ed-Tech Conference: 100% Online & Free!
Help Young Children Control Behaviors and Emotions
The Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (VASCD) is offering a two-day session especially designed for PreK and Kindergarten teachers this October 9 and November 6 in Williamsburg. This workshop, Effective Strategies to Improve Children’s Abilities to Control their Behaviors and Emotions, teaches evidence-based strategies to reduce children’s display of disruptive behaviors by facilitating their self-regulation skills. Continue reading
Digital Learning Project Update
This summer hundreds of teachers engaged with the work that our Digital Learning Project (DLP) participants built out last Spring. You left us lots of ‘parking lot’ questions and it’s time to follow up with these and give you an update on where we stand. Continue reading
Apply for a Target Field Trip Grant by October 1
Target Corporation is accepting applications from education professionals for the Target Field Trip Grants program, an annual program intended to fund visits to art, science, and cultural museums; community service or civic projects; career enrichment opportunities; and other events or activities away from school. More than 3,600 grants of up to $700 will be awarded in January 2015. Grants are available for field trips taking place between February and December 2015 and may be used to cover field trip-related costs such as transportation, ticket fees, food, resource materials, and supplies. Applications must be submitted online by October 1, 2014. Learn more about rules and eligibility »
Community Education for Adults: Enrollment Now Open for Fall Courses
Where can you learn to make an authentic Indian meal or gorgeous holiday cookies, ride a motorcycle, eat more nutritiously, or update your computer skills? Lifelong learning continues long after the last school bus leaves each afternoon! Registration for Fall Course offerings is NOW open—classes begin in October. Browse the Open Doors online catalog »
Newsweek Spotlights ACPS Maker Program
Newsweek describes the Maker Movement as a “global community of inventors, designers, engineers, artists, programmers, hackers, tinkerers, craftsmen and DIY’ers.” In her September 8 story, Maker Movement Reinvents Education, reporter Louise Stewart noted the use of 3-D printers as a key resource and said of Albemarle County Public Schools:
It’s not just private school kids who are using this technology. Public schools are also beginning to experiment. Albemarle County Public Schools, for example, a 27-school district serving nearly 13,000 students in the area surrounding Charlottesville, Virginia, is developing classes like the one Simonoff took at St. Ann’s and assignments like the giant wheel project at High Tech High. Continue reading
Will Your Children Be Able To Get A Good Job In The Age Of The Smart Machine?
Edward Hess, spouse of Albemarle County School Board member Kate Acuff and professor of business administration at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, reflects upon the importance of developing lifelong-learner competencies in our young people:
“Are you aware that smart robots and other smart machines have skills that we used to think of as exclusively human? Machines powered by artificial intelligence are reading MRIs and writing news articles; robots are helping the elderly perform daily tasks; and driverless vehicles are being deployed in the mining industry. It might sound like science fiction, but it’s actually science nonfiction. Continue reading
October Is Connected Educator Month
Millions of educators and others around the world have participated in hundreds of professional development opportunities as part of Connected Educator Month (CEM) the last two years. Originally developed by the U.S. Department of Education and its partners as part of the Connected Educators initiative, Connected Educator Month offers highly distributed, diverse and engaging activities to educators at all levels, with the ultimate goal of getting more educators more connected, spurring collaboration and innovation in the space.
How will you get involved? Learn more and get started »
Interested in Serving as a Polling Election Official?
It’s almost Election Season! Employees interested in serving as a Polling Election Official should review the Polling Leave Guidelines, which outline the following key areas: Legal guidance on conditions for participation and how Polling Leave affects employee time worked calculations.
An employee who wishes to utilize polling leave must sign a Polling Leave Use Agreement and give advance notice to his/her supervisor. Continue reading