A symbol (*) marks deadlines that have not appeared in a previous issue of Education Week.
TEACHER FELLOWSHIPS, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
*April 1—Social studies: Nominations are due for the Outstanding Social Studies Teacher of the Year award, sponsored by the National Council for the Social Studies. The award recognizes one elementary, one middle-level, and two secondary teachers who have shown exceptional social studies teaching skills. Candidates must have been members of the council for at least two years. Winners will receive $2,500, recognition at the council’s annual conference, and a free one-year membership to the council. Contact: NCSS, 8555 16th St., Suite 500, Silver Spring, MD 20910; (800) 296-7840; Web site: www.ncss.org.
April 29—Essay contest: Submissions are due for an essay contest, sponsored by the Harry Singer Foundation. All teachers are eligible to submit essays on the topic, “What Do We Do When Adults Refuse to Be Good Role Models for Their Children?” A grand-prize winner will receive $5,000, and 10 other winners will receive $100. Contact: Essay Contest, HSF, PO Box 223159, Carmel, CA 93922; (831) 625-4223; fax: (831) 624-7994; e-mail: staff@singerfoundation.org; Web site: www.singerfoundation.org.
May 1—History institutes: Applications are due for summer 2002 teacher institutes, sponsored by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. All K-12 teachers are eligible for institutes covering early American history. Contact: Teacher Institute, Education Outreach, CWF, PO Box 1776, Williamsburg, VA 23187-1776; (757) 220-7582; fax: (757) 565-8916; e-mail: tbroyles@cwf.org; Web site: www.history.org/teach.
*May 1—Social studies: Applications are due for the Christa McAuliffe “Reach for the Stars” award, sponsored by the National Council for the Social Studies. Award recipients receive $1,000 to assist teachers in developing innovative methods to teach social studies. Recipients also receive a commemorative gift and recognition at the council’s annual conference. Contact: NCSS, 8555 16th St., Suite 500, Silver Spring, MD 20910; (800) 296-7840; Web site: www.ncss.org.
*May 31—Achievement awards: Nominations are due for new achievement awards sponsored by the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. Two awards recognize excellence in education scholarship and reform. One prize is for distinguished education scholarship, for major contributions to education research. The other is for education valor, for leadership in education reform at the national, state, or local level. Each award recipient will receive $25,000. Contact: Terry Ryan, Prize Coordinator, (202) 223-5452; e-mail: thourryan@aol.com; Web site: www.edexcellence.net.
Open dates—Photography: Starlight Cameras, the makers of the pinhole camera and darkroom kit, gives a complimentary camera to a school every week. Pinhole cameras can be used to study image formation without a darkroom. To request a camera, darkroom kit, and instruction book, teachers must send a description of their photography program and their school address. Contact: Jim Kosinski, SC, PO Box 540, Cherry Valley, NY 13320; (607) 264-3480; e-mail: merlin@paintcancamera.com; Web site: www.paintcancamera.com.
STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
March 29—Talent scholarships: Applications are due for Davidson Fellows Awards, sponsored by the Davidson Institute for Talent Development. Students under 18 must demonstrate achievement in one of five categories. Winners named Davidson Fellow Laureates will each receive $50,000 scholarships, and those named Davidson Fellows will each receive $10,000 scholarships. Contact: DITD, (775) 852-3483; Web site: www.davidson-institute.org.
April 12—Greeting cards: Submissions are due for the 2002 Greeting Card Contest, sponsored by Pier 1 Imports and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Entries are accepted at the home office of Pier 1 Imports beginning March 1. They must be hand-drawn and portray the theme, “Children’s Dreams of Peace.” Two winning designs will be sold at Pier 1 and proceeds will be donated to UNICEF. Contact: Pier 1, (800) 245-4595; hearing impaired phone: (800) 754-3251; Web site: www.pier1.com.
*April 15—Playwright contest: Submissions are due for the Playwright Discovery Award, sponsored by VSA Arts. Students, with or without disabilities, in grades 6-12 submit original, one-act plays that explore living with a disability. Award winners receive a monetary award and a trip to Washington to see the first-place play produced at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Contact: VSA Arts, (800) 933-8721; e-mail: playwright@vsarts.org; Web site: www.vsarts.org.
April 26—Essay contest: Submissions are due for an annual, national essay contest, sponsored by the NO-ADdiction Campaign. Middle school students submit 100-word essays and high school students submit 300-word essays describing why they have chosen not to smoke or use drugs. Forty middle school winners will each receive a $200 savings bond, and 20 high school students will each receive a $500 scholarship. Contact: NO-ADdiction, (800) 662-3342; e-mail: noad@aol.com.
*April 30—Flag Day contest: Submissions are due for the Flag Day 2002 Art and Writing Contest, sponsored by the National Flag Foundation. Students in grades K-6 submit essays or illustrations expressing positive thoughts about the American flag, focused on the theme, “The Flag: Touching All Generations.” Winners will be announced on the foundation’s Web site by Flag Day, June 14. Contact: Barbara Goldman, NFF, 1275 Bedford Ave., Flag Plaza, Pittsburgh, PA 15219; Web site: www.americanflags.org.
Open dates—Caring award: The Caring Institute seeks nominations of students age 18 or younger who demonstrate extraordinary compassion, caring, and selflessness. Five winners will each receive a $2,000 college scholarship, an expenses-paid trip to Washington, and a place in the Hall of Fame for Caring Americans. Contact: CI, 320 A St. N.E., Washington, DC 20002; (202) 547-4273; e-mail: inquiry@caring-institute.org.
Open dates—Community service: Prudential Insurance’s Spirit of Community Initiative is accepting applications for the Prudential Youth Leadership Institute, for high school students who demonstrate leadership potential in their communities. Participants in the program complete 30 hours of curriculum work and a community-service project that they choose, create, and implement. Contact: Points of Light Foundation, 1400 I St. N.W., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 729-8000; Web site: www.pyli.org.
Open dates—Creativity:Creative Kids magazine, a product of Prufrock Press, a publisher of literature to support the education of gifted children, requests submissions from students ages 8 to 14. Original cartoons, songs, stories of 800 to 900 words, puzzles, photographs, artwork, games, activities, editorials, poetry, and plays are accepted. Students whose materials are selected for publication will receive a free copy of the Creative Kids issue in which their work appears. Contact: Submissions Editor, CK, PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813; (800) 998-2208; Web site: www.prufrock.com/mag_ck.html.
Open dates—Environmental newspaper:Greentimes, an environmental newspaper written by and for students, requests stories, opinions, comments, and ideas for publication. Contact: Elizabeth Gilmore, Greentimes, 55 Reservoir St., Cambridge, MA 02138; (617) 868-5760; e-mail: habitat@greenscreen.org.
Open dates—History journal:The Concord Review, the only quarterly journal to publish secondary students’ academic work, accepts student essays on historical topics. Essays should be approximately 5,000 words, plus endnotes. Submissions chosen for publication are eligible for the Emerson Prize, a $3,000 award. Contact: CR, PO Box 661, Concord, MA 01742; (800) 331-5007 or (978) 443-0022; e-mail: fitzhugh@tcr.org; Web site: www.tcr.org.
Open dates—Pen pals: World Pen Pals promotes international friendship and cultural understanding between young people around the world. Students in grades 4 through college are invited to request an overseas pen pal. Teachers may request a brochure on class participation. Contact: WPP, PO Box 337, Saugerties, NY 12477; (914) 246-7828.
Open dates—Student videos: CNN Student Bureau, CNN’s student news-gathering and reporting program, publishes student-produced writing and videos. Participation is open to schools, colleges, and universities worldwide. Contact: CNNSB, 1 CNN Center, PO Box 105366, Atlanta, GA 30348-5366; (800) 344-6219; Web site: www.cnnfyi.com.
