Getting Children Ready for School and Ready for Life

May Service Learning Superstars: Alexis March & Taylor Wilson Simon Kenton HS

05 17 12'

Written by Jordan

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Simon Kenton HS Autism Walk

Simon Kenton’s Student Leadership Team, in collaboration with several Special Education Teachers, planned an Autism Walk on April 13, 2012 as part of a Service Learning Project to raise awareness and offer financial support to Autism Speaks, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism by raising public awareness and its effects on individuals, families, and society.  New statistics show that 1 in 88 children are affected by autism.

Alexis Marsh and Taylor Wilson, two dedicated Simon Kenton students, spent the last 9 months preparing for the Autism Walk and raising awareness about the disorder.  Both teens headed up the student leadership team and were instrumental in the overall success of Simon Kenton’s Autism Walk.

The student leadership team promoted the Walk with their peers and collaborated with local businesses to help increase Simon Kenton’s fundraising efforts.  In addition to the Walk on April 13th, the students and faculty visited various sensory simulation stations dispersed along the Walk in order to get a better idea as to what it might be like to complete everyday tasks with impaired senses.

Simon Kenton is gearing up to send a team to participate in the “Walk Now For Autism Speaks” on Saturday, May 19, 2012 at Coney Island.  Simon Kenton will present a check for more than $1,200 to Autism Speaks officials at the May 19th event.  For more information or to register, please visit: WalkNowForAutismSpeaks.org/Cincinnati.  For more information about Simon Kenton’s project, you may contact Simon Kenton’s Special Education Teachers: Karen Arnold at karen.arnold@kenton.kyschools.us  or Megan Wilson at megan.wilson@kenton.kyschools.us.

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Jefferson Awards “Project of the Month” New Haven ES: Backpack Buddies

05 16 12'

Written by Jordan

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In 2010, Coleman and Jensen reported that 1 in 7 households where food insecure.  That means that many children in our communities go home and must get through a weekend with little food. Goodridge Elementary School’s free and reduced lunch rate is at 40%.  This means that at least 40% of the students at Goodridge may be in need of extra nutritional support that their families cannot afford.

5th grade student C.J. Ackman and teacher Tami Sallee Thomas decided that they could do something to help these students and families.  With help from Family Resources Coordinator Laura Mosqueda, C.J. applied for and was granted $500 from Sodexo, a national food services company. With these funds and the added support of the school,their Backpack Buddies Program was born.  April marked the start of a collection of food by Goodridge families that will be distributed in backpacks to kids in need.  On April 20th, Youth Service Day, Goodridge sent home their first backpacks to students whose families identified their homes as food unstable. On that day, 15 students and their family members were provided with backpacks of food. From that day and throughout the summer, students will be going home each weekend with backpacks of healthy snacks and food.

In addition to support from parents, the local community has added assistance.  Ed Massey, National School Board Associates President, has committed to joining students one Friday to help pack some backpacks. Plus, the Bullitsburg Baptist Church is sorting  and storing extra food received from the Boone County Library’s waiver of fees program that allows patrons to donate food in lieu of paying late fines. As a response to his efforts and phone calls, C.J. personally collected $235 in cash donations. It is hoped that this program will help support students’ nutritional needs so that they can be successful in school, breaking the cycle of poverty by ensuring that students have their physical needs met and can concentrate on learning.

Congratulations to Goodridge Elementary School and C.J. for winning the May Jefferson Awards “Project of the Month!”

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Some Recent Grant Opportunities for Partner Schools, Students and Educators

05 09 12'

Written by Jordan

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SparkOpportunity Challenge
Deadline: May 15

The SparkOpportunity Challenge calls on young people to submit videos or text detailing their solutions and use social media to campaign for the ideas that they think can really work. The top-voted winners will receive an iPad, start-up grants of $1,500, and mentoring from recognized business and policy leaders to see their ideas brought to life locally. http://bit.ly/HvA70A

 Get Ur Good On Grants
Deadline: May 27

If you’re ready to make a positive impact in your community, Miley Cyrus and her friends at YSA want to help! With $500 Get Ur Good On Grants, you’ll have the inspiration, project support, and necessary funding to turn your idea into a reality. Kids and young adults ages 5-25 worldwide are eligible to apply for a $500 Get Ur Good On Grant to support youth-led projects. Projects must address a demonstrated community need or issue, and must take place during June, July and/or August 2012.  www.YSA.org/grants/gurgo

State Farm Good Neighbor Student Achievement Grants
Deadline: May 31

State Farm™ is proud to team up with YSA to offer grants of up to $1,000 for programs enhancing student achievement through service-learning in K-12 public schools in all fifty US states, the District of Columbia, and in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick. Each grant engages participating teachers and students in a service and learning program that promotes academic achievement, workplace readiness, and stronger communities. The State Farm Good Neighbor Student Achievement Grant requires a 12 to 14 week Semester of Service™. www.YSA.org/goodneighbor

ENTER THE 4th ANNUAL CLIFFORD, BE BIG IN YOUR COMMUNITY CONTEST!

BE BIG™ is a national campaign that invites everyone, big and small, to take action and raise awareness for how Clifford’s BIG Ideas (Share, Be Kind, Help Others, Be a Good Friend, Play Fair, Have Respect, Be Truthful, Believe in Yourself, Work Together and Be Responsible) can make the world a better place.

As part of the BE BIG campaign, the contest will award $10,000 in community grants* to the BIGGEST ideas that best demonstrate Clifford’s BIG Ideas!

Scholastic and HandsOn Network will work with the winners to bring their Big Ideas to life!  Everyone is invited –parents, kids, teachers or community leaders  — to submit their ideas now through June 22, 2012.

 For contest entry forms and official rules visit www.scholastic.com/cliffordbebig/contest

 Afterschool Awards (Scholarship)
Deadline: June 25

The Afterschool Awards is a nationwide contest spotlighting after school achievements for Elementary, Middle School and Junior High students. IZOD, JCPenney and NOW Music have teamed up to bring students a chance to turn their afterschool passion into cash for their future education. Students are invited to enter Afterschool Awards between now and June 25th for a chance to win up to $10,000 in scholarship money! Students can enter in up to four categories: Sports, Community Service, Science and Music & Arts to show everyone what they’ve got going on after the bell rings! Last year’s winners were a wave-catching surfer, a fund-raising philanthropist, a star athlete and a pop-lock dancer!  http://bit.ly/I3bGtP

 Home Depot Community Impact Grants
Deadline: August 13

Grants, up to $5,000, are available to registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, public schools, or tax-exempt public service agencies in the U.S. that are using the power of volunteers to improve the physical health of their community.  Grants are given in the form of The Home Depot gift cards for the purchase of tools, materials, or services. http://bit.ly/eIis5T

Poetry Out Loud Grants
Deadline: Fall 2012

Grants provide funding for multimedia curriculum materials, a hands-on workshop with a teaching artist and transportation to the state finals of this national poetry recitation competition.  The Poetry Out Loud program encourages students to learn poetry through memorization and performance and helps students master public-speaking skills, build self confidence and learn about our nation’s literary heritage.

Guidelines:http://1.usa.gov/KAC_poetry

Contact: Rachel Allen, arts education director, Rachel.allen@ky.gov

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