GEP - Professional Development Email Updates

Issue date - May 1, 2010

Dear Educator:

Enclosed is the latest issue of World Savvy's Professional Development Announcements, posted once a month, featuring opportunities about grants, events, workshops for teachers, and new curriculum and resources for educators.

World Savvy Announcements

World Savvy’s Annual Global Youth Media & Arts Festival Celebration

New York: Friday, May 21, 2010 from 6-9 PM at NYU Steinhardt School’s Commons Gallery
San Francisco: Saturday, June 5, 2010 from 6-9:30 PM at Zeum

The Global Youth Media & Arts Program is a unique arts program for youth ages 10-18 in New York and San Francisco. Through the MAP youth use their own lives and communities as a platform for examining a global theme - Immigration and Identity - using visual arts, performance and media. This program illuminates the connections between community and world affairs and helps young people learn to use art and media as tools for self-expression, dialogue, and community engagement.

8th Annual World Affairs Challenge in San Francisco a Success!

On Saturday, April 17, 2010, over 400 middle and high school students, from 18 schools across Northern California, convened at San Francisco State University to participate in San Francisco’s Eighth Annual World Affairs Challenge™, hosted by World Savvy in partnership with College of Education at San Francisco State University. The theme for this year’s World Affairs Challenge™ was Water Around the World, and students prepared comprehensive presentations with proposed solutions to issues as diverse as water privatization, the environmental impact of pesticides and water to the need for clean water in disaster situations like that following the earthquake in Haiti. To see photos and results of the day, please click here.

Grants & Awards & Travel

Toyota International Teacher Program - November 20-December 4th

The Toyota International Teacher Program is offering a fully-funded, program that aims to environmental studies and global connectedness in schools and communities. The trip this year is to the Galapagos Islands and will take place November 20 – December 4, 2010. Applications are due May 19 and can be found here.

Teach2Learn Amazon Summer Workshop

This summer's Amazon Rainforest Workshop for Educators and Naturalists is July 1-9, 2010 at $1848 plus air. Teachers work side-by-side with scientists on a 1/4-mile canopy walkway in one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet. Program includes Science, Research, Culture, Conservation, and Service components, and on-line learning pre-trip support. For more details, click here.

El Salvador & Guatemala – Central America for Educators: Exploring Past and Present

This professional development seminar to El Salvador and Guatemala focuses on learning about the culture, history, and current situation of Mayan peoples. As a participant, you will study current events and the recent histories that impact Guatemala and El Salvador. You will also gain a better understanding of immigrant students and the forces that caused their families to emigrate, while also exploring teaching methods in both countries. Event takes place from August 1-8 and the application deadline is May 26, 2010. To find out more, visit the Center for Global Education.

NCSS Award for Global Understanding

The National Council for the Social Studies is currently accepting nominations for the 2010 Global Understanding Award given out to a social studies educator (or team of educators) who has made notable contributions in helping social studies students increase their understanding of the world. Award-winners receive a $2,000 cash award; commemorative gift; a session to present at the NCSS conference; complimentary NCSS conference registration; up to $700 in transportation/lodging reimbursement; and publicity. Nominations must be postmarked no later than May 15, 2010. To find out more, please visit the NCSS website.

NEA Foundation Grants

The NEA Foundation provides $5,000 grants to improve the academic achievement of students in any subject area(s). The proposed work should engage students in critical thinking and problem solving that deepen their knowledge of standards-based subject matter. Applications for grant funds are due by June 1, 2010. To find out more about the criteria for applying, please visit the NEA Foundation Grants website.

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Opportunities and Events for Teachers

Summer Institute for Climate Change Education

The Will Steger Foundation is proud to announce the 5th annual Summer Institute for Climate Change Education on Thursday August 12th, 8:30-4:30 pm at the University of Minnesota Continuing Education & Conference Center in St. Paul, MN. This year we will look back on our last five years of climate change education outreach and curriculum development and take time to “Go Back to the Basics.” Registration opens in April for 100 onsite participants ($75/teacher or $100/pair) and an unlimited number of participants for our online webinar ($25/teacher). Watch the Summer Institute video and click here for more information.

Asia Society Partnership for Global Learning Conference in Washington, D.C. – July 8-10th

The Asia Society Partnership for Global Learning annual conference connects educators, business leaders, policymakers, and resource providers to share best practices, build partnerships and advance policies to ensure that all students are prepared for work and citizenship in a global era. Apply by May 7, 2010 to receive a discount on registration! To find out more about registration or the planned program, please visit the Global Learning Conference website.

African Institute for Educators at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana – June 27-30th

This institute will introduce K-12 teachers, pre-service teachers, and community college instructors to useful content and curriculum ideas for teaching about African history, languages, development, cultures, gender, the African diaspora and more! The sessions will be held in Champaign-Urbana on the University of Illinois campus. Sessions will be led by faculty and staff affiliate of the Center for African Studies. The registration deadline is May 14, 2010. To find out more about registration or costs, please see the event flyer.

For specific events and opportunities in San Francisco, click here.
For specific events and opportunities in Minnesota, click here.

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Opportunities for Youth

Global Citizen Year

Through an intensive, 9-month ”bridge year” before college, GCY Fellows prepare for a lifetime of global leadership. Next round of applications due May 15, 2010.

Global Leadership Adventures Scholarship

GLA has volunteer, leadership and cultural immersion programs in Brazil, South Africa, Ghana, India and Costa Rica. The program is offering a Diversity Scholarship of $1000 to go towards programs fees. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

2010 International Essay Contest for Young People

Organized by the Goi Peace Foundation and UNESCO, the theme of this year’s essay contest is: “My Role in Creating a Peaceful World”. First place prize winners will win a cash prize as well as a trip to Japan. Entries must be received no later than June 30, 2010. For information on how to submit your essay or the criteria for submission, please visit the Goi Peace Foundation website.

For specific events and opportunities in San Francisco, click here.
For specific events and opportunities in Minnesota, click here.

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New Curriculum/Resources:

World Press Freedom Day – May 3

This year’s theme for World Press Freedom Day is “Journalists in Exile”. The World Association of Newspapers and Newspaper Publishers website contains many different links and resources highlighting some of the dangers faced by journalists worldwide. Also includes a link to lesson plans relating to the suppression of journalistic freedom.

• New York Times Learning Network: “The Muck Stops Here” – A lesson that deals with the journalistic phenomenon of muckraking and freedom of the press in America.
• PBS Teachers: Contains two lessons dealing with the issue of freedom of the press. The first looks at censorship through the lens of war photography while the other compares journalistic freedom within various countries around the world.

International Day for Biological Diversity – May 22

Proclaimed by the United Nations to foster a sense of awareness regarding issues of biodiversity, this year’s theme for International Day for Biological Diversity is “Biodiversity, Development and Poverty Alleviation”. The Convention on Biological Diversity published a brochure highlighting the importance of biodiversity, especially as it pertains to the topic for 2010. The CBD website also contains resources to interweave biodiversity into the classroom.

• National Geographic: “Why Preserve Biodiversity?” – A lesson plan that examines the multiple arguments that can be made for protecting and preserving biodiversity.
• American Museum of Natural History: The AMNH website possesses many resources that emphasize the importance of biodiversity and observe its presence in our own backyard! To access all of these resources, please visit the AMNH website.
• Discovery Channel: The education network of the Discovery Channel contains this lesson, entitled “Looking for Biodiversity”, that uses plants as a medium for exploring the subject of biodiversity.

Great Decisions Online

Great Decisions possesses a variety of resources dealing with contemporary international affairs. Highlighted are issues pertaining to the Persian Gulf, peace building efforts and the US-China relationship. The website is a great source for supplemental material and in-depth analysis regarding covered topics. Also includes lesson plans that correlate to each highlighted subject. To find out more, visit Great Decisions Online.

Can You Own a Sound?

This provocative question is raised in a new resource from ITVS Community Classroom: Four lesson plans and film modules for Copyright Criminals, a dynamic documentary from Independent Lens that explores the origins of sampling culture in hip-hop music, copyright, creativity, and technological change. This curriculum is an invaluable tool for teachers or media organizations seeking to promote media literacy and ethical media production practices among youth. These resources are FREE to educators and youth-serving organizations and available at: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/copyright-criminals/classroom.html.

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The views expressed in this posting are not the views of World Savvy, and do not constitute an organizational endorsement. They are listed here as resources for educators but do not necessarily reflect the opinions and priorities of World Savvy.