A symbol (*) marks deadlines that have not appeared in a previous issue of Education Week.
Student Scholarships and Awards
Jan. 9--Take Action Awards: Entries are due for react magazine’s Take Action Awards for Teens, sponsored by the magazine and the New World Foundation. The contest, open to all students ages 12-18, asks students to submit a 500-word essay describing in detail their leadership achievements. The essay should include information on how the effort got started, where it is located, who the participants are, the number of people involved, the program’s goals, and the impact it has had. Five first-prize winners will each recieve a $20,000 college scholarship and a trip to New York City. Ten second-prize winners will each recieve a $1,000 scholarship. Those 15 winners plus 10 runners-up will get to donate $25,000 worth of toys and clothes to charities for needy children in their communities. Contact: Web site: www.react.com.
Jan. 14--Duracell/NSTA scholarship: Entries are due for the Duracell/NSTA Scholarship Competition, sponsored by the Duracell North Atlantic Group and administred by the National Science Teachers Association. Students in grades 7-12 are asked to design and build working devices powered by Duracell batteries. Two first place winners will receive a $20,000 savings bond; four second place winners will a receive $10,000 savings bond; and 10 third place winners will receive a $1,000 savings bond. First and second place winners will attend the NSTA convention in Las Vegas in April. Contact: Duracell/NSTA Scholarship Competition, 1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201-3000; (888) 255-4242; Web site: www.nsta.org/programs/duracell.shtml.
*Jan. 30--Kennedy Journalism Award: Entries are due for the Robert F. Kennedy Student Journalism Award, sponsored by the Channel One Network and the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial. The award is open to middle, junior high, and high school students and is given in both print and broadcast journalism categories. Entries must have been published by a school or local newspaper or magazine; or broadcast by a school or local television or radio station for the first time during the 1997-98 school year. Contact: RFK Student Journalism Awards, School Participation-Channel One Network, P.O. Box 7491, Los Angeles, CA 90004; (888) CH1-NTWK; fax: (213) 860-1455; e-mail: school@channelone.com.
Jan. 31--Bayer/NSF Award: Entries are due for the Bayer/NSF Award for Community Innovation, sponsored by the Bayer Corp. and the National Science Foundation. Teams of students in grades 6-8 are asked to identify problems in their communities and use the scientific method to solve them. Ten finalists will receive a trip to the Epcot Center at Walt Disney World in Florida and will compete for the first prize of a $5,000 savings bond for each team member, the second prize of $3,000 savings bonds, and the third prize of $1,000 savings bonds. Contact: (800) 291-6020; Web site: www.nsf.gov/bayer-nsf-award.htm.
Feb. 1--Reuse It Contest: Entries are due for the National Plastics Reuse It Contest, sponsored by the American Plastics Council. Students and teachers can participate as a class in the following categories: elementary school; junior high school; high schoo; and college. Contestants are invited to enter their imaginative and practical reuse ideas. The winner of each class categories will recieve $1,000. Contact: (800) 777-9500; Web site: www.plasticresource.com.
Feb. 3--ExploraVision Awards: Entries are due for the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards, sponsored by Toshiba Corp. and the National Science Teachers Association. Students in grades K-12 are asked to work in teams of three or four to envision what a form of technology might look like in 20 years. Twelve teams--four first-place and eight second-place--will be selected as national winners. Each student on the first- and second-place teams will win a $10,000 or $5,000 U.S. savings bond, respectively. Team members, their parents, and their advisers will also win a trip to an awards weekend in Washington, D.C. Contact: Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards, NSTA, 1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201; (800) EXPLOR-9 or (703) 243-7100; e-mail: exploravision@nsta.org; Web site: www.nsta.org/programs/explora.htm.
Feb. 28--ThinkQuest contest: Entries are due for the ThinkQuest contest, sponsored by Advanced Network and Services Inc. The contest is open to student ages 12 to 19, and asks student teams to create web-based educational tools and materials. Each team can have teachers or mentors who act as coaches, but students are required to do the work themselves. The top prize for the winning team is $25,000 per student in scholarships, $5,000 per coach, and $5,000 per school. There are five categories: arts and literature, interdisciplinary, science and mathematics, social sciences, and sports and health. Contact: Web site: www.advanced.org/thinkquest.
March 9--Skirball essay contest: Entries are due for the Skirball Essay Contest sponsored by the Skirball Institute on American Values of the American Jewish Committee. Tenth, 11th, and 12th graders are asked to submit essays on an American value which can be documented in the nation’s history. This year students are to draw their study of American history and literature and consider to what extent Americans have learned to judge people “not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” A $5,000 first prize winner will be chosen along with a second prize winner of $1,000 and a $500 winner of third place. Contact: Skirball Institute, 635 S. Harvard Blvd., Suite 214, Los Angeles, CA 90005-2511; (213) 381-1719; fax: (213) 381-1078.
March 19--Young Inventors Award: Entries are due for the Craftsman/NSTA Young Inventors Award Program sponsored by Sears, Roebuck and Co. and the National Science Teachers Association. Students in grades 4-6 are asked to invent and build a tool or modify an existing tool. The national winner will receive a $10,000 U.S. savings bond. Eleven regional winners will each receive a $5,000 savings bond. Contact: Craftsman/NSTA Young Inventors Awards Program, NSTA, 1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201; (888) 494-4994; e-mail: msnipes-austin.org.; Web site: www.nsta.org/programs/craftsman.htm.
Teacher Fellowships and Awards
Jan. 3--Teachers Hall of Fame: The National Teachers Hall of Fame is accepting applications for its seventh annual induction program. Five teachers are selected each year for induction to the Hall of Fame. Inductees receive an all-expense paid trip to attend induction weekend in Emporia, Kan., and are represented in the Hall of Fame Gallery by a plaque, photographs, and teaching materials from their careers. Inductees also receive a $1,000 stipend from Horace Mann, a $1,000 college scholarship to be presented to a student in his or her school district from ServiceMasters, and a signet ring from Herff Jones. To qualify for eligibility, candidates must have at least 20 years of full-time classroom teaching in K-12; must be or have been certified public or non-public school teachers; must be living at the time of selection; and may be active or retired. Contact: NTHF, 1320 C of E Drive, Emporia, KS 66801; (800) 96TEACH.
Jan. 12--Eleanor Roosevelt Fellowships: Applications are due for the 1998-99 Eleanor Roosevelt Teacher Fellowships, sponsored by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation. The fellowships are designed to promote gender equity in public schools and are awarded to K-12 women teachers with at least three consecutive years of full-time teaching experience. Fellowship stipends of up to $10,000 are awarded. Contact: AAUW Educational Foundation, 220North Dodge St., Iowa City, IA 52243-4030; (319) 337-1716 ext. 67; Web site: www.aauw.org.
*Jan. 15--American Teacher Awards: Nominations are due for the American Teacher Awards sponsored by the Walt Disney Co., and the McDonalds Corp. Teachers are honored in 12 subject categories, with one teacher selected from among the 12 individual subject honorees as Outstanding Teacher of the Year by the teachers themselves. Catergories include: athletic coach; early childhood; English; foreign langauge/ESL; general elementary; mathematics; performing arts; physical education and health; science; social studies; visual arts and vocational/technical education. Contact: The Walt Disney Company Presents the American Teacher Awards, P.O. Box 9805, Calbasas, CA 91372; Web site: www.disneychannel.com.
*Jan. 16--Fulbright Teacher Study grants: Applications are due for the Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program, sponsored by the Institute of International Education. The organization is offering 600 grants to teachers and administrators in grades 1-12 for a fully funded three-week study visit to Japan in June, October, and November 1998. Contact: IIE, (888) 527-2636; Web site: www.iie.org/pgms/fmf.
Jan. 16--GIFT grants: Applications are due for the 1998 Growth Initiatives for Teachers Program, sponsored by the GTE Foundation. Each year, the foundation awards GIFT grants to 60 teams of one math teacher and one science teacher from the same school to integrate the two subjects in the school curriculum. Individual members receive $2,500 to pursue professional development activities listed in their proposals and a $7,000 team grant to implement its school enrichment project. The grants are for public and private school math and science teachers of grades 7-12, in eligible states. Contact: GTE Foundation, (800) 315-5010.
Feb. 7--C-SPAN Teacher Fellowship: Applications are due for the 1998 C-SPAN High School Teacher Fellowship Program. The fellow will develop materials for C-SPAN in the Classroom at the network’s offices in Washington during a four-week period next summer. The fellowship includes a stipend, housing, round-trip airfare, and a trip on the C-SPAN School Bus. Teachers are chosen based on their creative and effective use of C-SPAN in the Classroom. Applicants must be members of C-SPAN in the Classroom. Contact: C-SPAN, 400 N. Capitol St. N.W., Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001; (202) 626-4858; e-mail: educate@c-span.org.
*Feb. 13--Dana Education Award: Nominations are due for the Charles A. Dana Awards for Pioneering Achievements in Education, sponsored by the Charles A. Dana Foundation. The foundation each year awards $50,000 to the individual or individuals whose innovations have demonstrated potential in improving the quality of education. In reviewing nominations, a committee will consider whether an innovation: addresses a critical problem in K-12 education; has the potential for wider positive impact; has demonstrated its effectiveness; can be widely replicated or adapted; is not unduly expensive or dependent on a particular setting or individual; and is ready for dissemination. Contact: Charles A. Dana Foundation, 745 Fifth Ave., Suite 700, New York, NY 10151; (212) 223-4040.
Feb. 14--Mandel Teacher Fellowship: Applications are due for the Mandel Teacher Fellowship Program, sponsored by the education department of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The program is designed to create skilled secondary educators who can serve as leaders in Holocaust education. Up to 25 educators in grades 8-12 will be designated as Mandel Fellows. Applicants must show evidence of extensive knowledge of Holocaust history and evidence of successful teaching experience. Teachers will participate in a five-day, all-expenses-paid summer institute at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Following the institute, fellows are expected to create and implement outreach projects in their schools, communities, and professional organizations. History, social studies, and English teachers, as well as instructional-media specialists, are encouraged to apply, but other content ares will be considered as well. Contact: Stephen Feinberg, Coordinator, Mandel Teacher Fellowship Program, Education Program, USHMM, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place S.W., Washington, DC 20024-2150.
Feb. 20--Language summer institute: Applications are due for the Advancing Language Immersion Education summer institute, sponsored by the National Foreign Language Resource Center at the University of Hawaii. Each summer, the NFLRC sponsors a month-long institute which provides foreign language educators with opportunities for hands-on experience. The program is from July 6, 1998 to July 24, 1998 in Honolulu and is open to foreign language educators. Contact: NFLRC Summer Institute, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1859 East-West Road #106, Honolulu, HI 96822; (808) 956-9424; fax: (808) 956-5983; e-mail: nflrc@hawaii.edu.
March 2--Rainforest workshop: Applications are due for 1998 Rainforest Workshop Scholarship Drawing, sponsored by Rainforest Workshops and the National Science Teachers Association. A $1,000 scholarship for a Summer Rainforest Workshop is available to K-12 educators. The workshop engages teachers and adminstrators in research with biodiversity experts, marine biologists, geographers, and others. Contact: RW, (800) 669-6806.
March 1--James Madison Fellowship: Applications are due for the James Madison Fellowship Program, sponsored by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation. The foundation awards fellowships to in-service secondary school teachers of American history, American government, and social studies in grades 7-12; and to graduating or graduated collegians who wish to become secondary school teachers of the same subjects. The awards of up to $24,000 cover tuition, fees, books, and room and board associated with study leading to a master’s degree in American history, political science, or education with concentrations in the framing, principles, and history of the U.S. Constitution. Stipends cover five years of part-time study by teachers or two years of full-time study by recent baccalaureates. Contact: JMFP, P.O. Box 4030, Iowa City, IA 52243-4030; (800) 525-6928; fax: (319) 337-1204; e-mail: recogprog@act.org; Web site: www.jamesmadison.com.
March 1--NEH Summer seminars and institutes: Applications are due for Summer Seminars and Summer Institutes, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Division of Research and Education Programs. The NEH offers full-time K-12 teachers opportunities to study humanities topics in a variety of seminars and institutes. All teachers selected to participate in a seminar or institute will be awarded a stipend ranging from $2,350 to $3,700 to cover travel costs, books, other research expenses, and living expenses. Contact: NEH Seminars and Institutes Program, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20506; (202) 606-8463; TDD: (202) 606-8282; e-mail: research@neh.fed.us.
Other Deadlines
Internet expedition: GlobaLearn Inc. is seeking participants for its Brazil Expedition. The 49-day expedition by a GlobaLearn expedition team will take K-12 students to explore the cultural and environmental diversity of Brazil via the World Wide Web. Teachers and students will be able to access information such as explorers’ journals, travel logs, children’s profiles, digital photos, video and audio clips, as well as post questions to the team, and interact with other schools. Contact: GlobaLearn, 205 Whitney Ave., Suite 300, New Haven, CT 06511; (203) 821-3199; fax: (203) 821-3196; Web site: www.globalearn.org.
Dec. 15--Book scholarship fund: Applications are due for the National Book Scholarship Fund, sponsored by the Laubach Literacy. The group will distribute more than $200,000 in books and other educational materials to qualified educational and adult literacy programs worldwide. First priority is given to family literacy programs that work to improve the literacy skills of parents and their children. Contact: Mara Roberts, Project Administrator, NBSF, LL, 1320 Jamesville Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210; (315) 422-9121; e-mail: mroberts@laubach.org.
Dec. 20--Career education grants: Applications are due for the American Association for Career Education Grant Program. The organization will award grants for career education, and work programs, practices, and publications in April 1998. Awards will be offered in 16 areas, including counseling, staff development, program management, assessment, evaluation, research, curriculum, partnerships and coalitions, public information, and resource centers. Contact: AACE Awards, 2900 Amby Place, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254-2216; (310) 376-7378; fax: (310) 376-2926.
