IEA Newsletter for Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Welcome to the Institute for Education and the Arts’ weekly newsletter for October 17, 2007. The newsletter is published each Wednesday to the IEA listserv and is archived on this blog.


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NATIONAL ARTS POLICY ROUNDTABLE
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IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH ROBERT REDFORD
Raymond J. Learsy, blogger, Huffington Post, 10/8/07
[Robert Redford] hosted the second National Arts Policy Roundtable at Sundance … He was not only a gracious host to the Americans for the Arts, organizers of the event, but he shared with its participants his commitment to the importance of the arts in his life and of finding ways of making the arts central to the lives of all Americans. And he did so with passion and eloquence. At the forefront of the discussions that lasted nearly two days, was the importance of arts to the future of the nation's competitiveness in a changing paradigm of global, economic, technical and social evolution and cultural change. That creativeness, or perhaps better understood, 'innovation,' is and will become a factor of singular significance to the quickly changing world of the 21st Century … A fundamental goal of the American for the Arts is the advocacy of arts education. Much of the focus of this gathering centered on the lack of arts and cultural engagement in our schools at virtually all levels. That this reality was impacting the creative capabilities of our workforce and risked our ability to compete effectively in a world where innovation critical thinking and its attendant attributes of flexibility, problem solving, innovation, entrepreneurship were not only growing exponentially in importance but were becoming key to commerce and success in a wired and in an ever flattening world.”
Learn more>>


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PREPARING STUDENTS FOR A GLOBAL ECONOMY
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U.S. STUDENTS NEED 21ST CENTURY SKILLS TO COMPETE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY: AMERICANS EXPRESS STRONG SUPPORT IN NATIONAL POLL FOR TEACHING MORE THAN BASIC SKILLS
Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 10/10/07
”A new, nationwide poll of registered voters reveals that Americans are deeply concerned that the United States is not preparing young people with the skills they need to compete in the global economy. An overwhelming 80 percent of voters say that the kind of skills students need to learn to be prepared for the jobs of the 21st century is different from what they needed 20 years ago. Yet a majority of Americans say that schools need to do a better job of keeping up with changing educational needs.”
Learn more>>


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NATIONAL ARTS AND HUMANITIES MONTH
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OCTOBER IS NATIONAL ARTS AND HUMANITIES MONTH
Coordinated by Americans for the Arts
“Held every October, National Arts and Humanities Month (NAHM) is a coast-to-coast collective celebration of culture in America. Coordinated by Americans for the Arts, it is the largest annual celebration of the arts and humanities in the nation. From arts center open houses to mayoral proclamations to storefront banners and newspaper articles, thousands of communities across the United States are recognizing the cultural gems all around them.”
Learn more, watch the promotional video, and order free NAHM decals>>


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VISUAL ART: PRINTMAKING
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ART BEAT AT SCHOOL: PRINTING THROUGH A MASTER
Oregon Public Broadcasting (announced via PBS)
”Explore the history and process of the printmaker’s art. Learn about four different methods of printmaking: intaglio, relief, lithography, and serigraph.” Lesson plan aimed at secondary students.
Learn more>>


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FAMILY ACTIVITIES
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SUPER WHY!: Fairytale Memory
PBSkids.org
”Make fairy tale character or object cards and use them to play a memory matching game. Recommended for PreK – Grade 2.
Explore this activity>>


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RECOGNIZING OUTSTANDING TEACHING
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MILKEN FAMILY FOUNDATION LAUNCHES 2007 EDUCATOR AWARD TOUR
PBS in Education, PBS.org
”The Milken Family Foundation launched its coast-to-coast Milken National Educator Award Tour on Monday, October 8. Throughout the coming months, up to 80 outstanding educators will be surprised with $25,000 cash prizes. The largest teacher recognition program in the U.S., the Milken Educator Awards were first presented in 1987 to honor excellence in teaching and inspire young, capable people to join the profession. By this school year's end, the Foundation will have given a total of over $58 million in Awards to more than 2,300 outstanding educators. PBS Teachers forged an alliance with the nonprofit organization earlier this year when it co-hosted a blog and vlog at the Milken Family Foundation's 2007 National Education Conference. Visit http://www.mff.org for the latest highlights of the Milken Educator Award Tour, including videos, photos and news stories chronicling the surprise Award notifications - and to check out Award recipients in your home state!”
Learn more at the Milken Web site>>
Learn more from PBS.org>>


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GRANTS, FUNDING, CONTESTS, AND AWARDS
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TARGET FIELD TRIP GRANTS
Deadline: 11/1/07
“The Target Field Trip Grants program will award as many as 1,600 grants of up to $1,000 each to applicants throughout the United States. Funds may be used to cover field trip-related costs such as transportation, ticket fees, resource materials and supplies.” Eligible applicants: educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, or classified staff.
Learn more>>

ARTS CONNECT ALL: GRANTS FOR INCLUSIVE PROGRAMS
VSA Arts
Deadline: 12/7/07
”Involving and including students with disabilities demands more than separate, specialized programs. Having students with and without disabilities interacting in activities together creates awareness, understanding, and respect—which is inclusion. To create inclusive learning environments, accessible education programs engage students with and without disabilities by incorporating multi-modal approaches and accommodating a range of abilities, learning styles, and skills. VSA arts and MetLife Foundation invite proposals from arts organizations creating or enhancing inclusive educational programs.” Eligible communities are outlined on the Web site, as are specific program and application guidelines.
Learn more>>

LISTEN TO A LIFE ESSAY CONTEST
Legacy Project of Generations United
Deadline: 3/31/08
“What can you learn when you listen to a life? Young people can become more aware of their own dreams and goals when they hear the real-life stories of older adults. The Listen to a Life Essay Contest is also an opportunity to build closer connections between young and old. To enter the Listen to a Life Contest, a young person interviews an older person about their hopes and goals through their life, how they achieved goals and overcame obstacles, or how dreams may have changed along the way. What life advice can they share? The young person then writes a 300-word essay based on the interview. Each team consists of a young person 8-18 years with a grandparent or grandfriend 50 years or over.”
Learn more>>

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