8/21/2008

DonorsChoose.org: A Better Way to Give — and to Receive

DonorsChoose.org is a nonprofit website that allows teachers to post requests for projects or supplies that potential patrons can then select to fund. Benefactors donate by check or major credit card to DonorsChoose, which then buys the goodies and sends them to the teachers. About half of the proposals get funded within sixty days, and overall, 75 percent are backed.
To read an article about DonorsChoose visit http://www.edutopia.org/better-way-give-and-receive.
For more information about this program or to use it please visit http://www.donorschoose.org/homepage/main.html.

Uninsured/Underinsured United Healthcare Deadline Open

The United Healthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF) has announced that new grants are available to help children who need critical healthcare treatment, services, or equipment not covered or not fully covered by their parents’ health benefit plans. The foundation provides grants to families to help pay for child healthcare services such as speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy sessions, prescriptions, and medical equipment such as wheel chairs, orthotics, and eyeglasses. Parents and legal guardians may apply for grants of up to $5,000 each for child medical services and equipment by completing an online application at the UHCCF website http://www.uhccf.org/apply_applicant.html.

New Department of Education Website – Doing What Works

Doing What Works is an exciting new site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. It is dedicated to helping educators identify and make use of effective teaching practices specifically for students in elementary grades in math and reading. The Doing What Works website contains Practice Guides from which the workshop material is drawn. These Practice Guides reflect teaching practices that the Institute for Educational Services have found to be effective for teaching English Language Learners. The Teacher-to-Teacher digital workshop on teaching reading to English Language Learners is designed as a visual complement to the much more extensive materials presented in the subject’s Practice Guide.
For more information please visit http://www.dww.ed.gov/disclaimer.cfm?[/index.cfm?].

Space Science Is for Everyone: Creating and Using Accessible Resources in Educational Settings

Over the past seven years, the Southeast Regional Clearinghouse, or SERCH, convened seven highly successful “Exceptional Space Science Materials for Exceptional Students” workshops. The workshops offered professional development training and resources for the teachers of students with disabilities, science educators (both formal and informal), and product developers who are working to make Earth and space science concepts more accessible for persons with disabilities.
This collection of helpful hints and resources is based on the seven workshops, the expertise of the participants and product testing in classrooms around the United States following these workshops. The brochure is offered as a tool for science, technology, engineering and mathematics educators who are working with students and/or audiences with disabilities. Some activity descriptions are supplemented with case study examples addressing a particular disability. In addition, contributing educator-authors have provided a variety of lessons learned from formal education (Pre-K-12), home school education and informal or “free-choice” education learning venues, such as science centers, museums and planetariums.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Space_Science_Is_for_Everyone.html.

New Resource for Parents of Children with Autism

The Autism Speaks 100 Day Kit was created specifically for families to make the best possible use of the 100 days following the diagnosis of autism. The kit contains information and advice collected from trusted and respected experts on autism as well as from parents of children with autism. The 100 Day Kit includes a week by week plan for the next 100 days, as well organizational suggestions and forms that parents/caregivers can use to help with the paperwork and phone calls, as they begin to find services for their child. The kit is available on line in pdf format for all to view and download. Users also have the ability to personalize their own kit with local resources in their area.
Go to http://www.autismspeaks.org/community/family_services/100_day_kit.php for information about any of these options.

Ever heard of Freecycle.org?

The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,554 groups with 5,505,000 members across the globe. It’s a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills.
Read more at http://www.freecycle.org/.

Using Tax Credits to Promote High Quality Early Care and Education Services

Tax credits have been used in a variety of policy areas to encourage increased investments in programs seen as “social goods,” such as clean energy and charitable donations. This paper explores financing strategies for early childhood programs by examining whether carefully crafted individual or business tax credits/deductions could 1) help finance early care and education; 2) spur additional private investment; and 3) create incentives for families to use, and early childhood programs to offer, high-quality services. The researchers examine a range of tax incentives that have been used in other fields and could serve as models for early care and education finance, such as consumer/individual tax credits and deductions; occupational tax credits and deductions; and investment tax credits, deductions and abatements for firms. The findings suggest several recommendations about how to best structure and use tax credits. Among the key points: cost and stability of credits are critical; tax credits must be well linked to high quality “products,” in this case early childhood programs; if high quality programs are desired, parents must have ways to distinguish them, thereby making public education about quality important; and, for the tax credits to be effective, administration should be simple
and infrastructure in place.
Download this paper at http://www.partnershipforsuccess.org/uploads/200712_StoneyMitchellpaper.pdf.

The Kennedy Center’s Leadership Exchange In Arts and Disability (LEAD) Conference

The conference features dozens of educational seminars on topics such as Physical and Communication Access; Universal Design; Employment; Legal Issues related to the ADA and Cultural Organizations, Leadership, and Advocacy. Participants share ideas and find out what has been successful in other arts organizations and cultural institutions, learn about best practices and how to develop sound policies, and participate in discussions with leaders in the field. Other highlights of the annual conference include motivational speakers, resource rooms, and accessible performances.

LEAD Conference
August 21st – 24th
Broward center for the Performing Arts
Fort Lauderdale Florida

For more information or to register please visit
http://www.kennedy-center.org/accessibility/education/lead/conference.html