DSEA Action!

Resources and Opportunities $1,000 grants available for humane, green projects CORE (Creating Opportunities for Reading Excellence) Conference, November 23 Reading ASSIST® Institute will present its second CORE (Creating Opportunities for Reading Excellence) Conference at Clayton Hall at the University of Delaware on Saturday, November 23, from 8:00-3:30. This one-day conference will focus on effective, practical, research-based approaches to reading instruction for teachers of preschool through Grade 5. Keynote Speaker Dr. Maryanne Wolf of Tufts University will address Lessons from the Reading Brain for Reading Development, Instruction, and Dyslexia.. She is the author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain. Break-out sessions will address reading instruction for preschool and elementary school, including English Language Learners. Early registration, until September 23, is $210. After September 23, registration is $260. Continental breakfast, lunch and afternoon break will be provided. In-service credit is available. For more information and to register, go to www.readingassist.org. The Courtyard by Marriott, Newark is offering conference room rates. Please book by November 4. Call (302) 737-0900. Travel to Beijing, People's Republic of China, June 20-29, 2014 Teachers at all grade levels, school administrators, staff and colleagues are invited to participate in a nine-day Oral History and Cultural Tour in Beijing, China, sponsored by the National Association of African American Studies, Native American Studies, Hispanic and Latino Studies and Asian Studies. Experience daily lectures, tours of major attractions (e.g., Great Wall, Forbidden City), and exposure to Chinese culture, both old and new. Accommodations are in a fourstar hotel and more. Continuing education credits are available. The first payment is due November 30, 2013. For additional information, including full itinerary and costs, go to www.NAAAS.org/internationalprograms.html. NASA's "Exploration Design Challenge" provides science activities related to next missions NASA's Exploration Design Challenge (EDC) invites students from kindergarten through 12th grade to learn more about one of the biggest challenges NASA faces before sending humans beyond lowEarth orbit: space radiation. Through a series of age-appropriate activities, participants will learn about radiation and its effects on humans and hardware destined for asteroids, Mars or other deep space locations. 22 September 2013 DSEA ACTION! The nonprofit organization The Pollination Project (www.thepolli nationproject.org) is seeking 20 educators who are committed to creating a "just, peaceful, and healthy world through school-based projects that directly promote environmental stewardship, social justice, human rights or animal protection." Winning teachers will receive a $1000 grant to launch or expand a project, plus paid tuition in Institute for Humane Education's 6-week online course Teaching for a Positive Future (http://humaneedu cation.org/online-courses/teachingfor-a-positive-future/). CEUs (Continuing Education Units) are available as well as peer support and guidance from seasoned nonprofit leaders and likeminded social justice activists. The Pollination Project awards $1000 seed grants to individuals working in areas such as sustainability, social justice, community health and wellness, arts and media. Its "pollination philanthro- py" model of giving seed money directly to people, instead of established entities, is intended to help change-makers launch new ideas. The organization suggests that this could be an opportunity for teachers interested to start or enhance a club dedicated to human or animal rights, implementing a green initiative, creating a relevant art/theater/music program, or a technology or media project to address a social issue. Applications are being accepted from any educator, at any level (preschool through post-graduate), anywhere in the world, with priority given to educators working in traditionally underserved communities. The deadline for fall grant applications is September 22, 2013. For more information please see http://thepollinationproject.org/ special-initiative-education/. For examples of the work education grantees are doing around the world please see http://thepollina tion project.org/tag/education/. Orion is the vehicle for these space destinations and will make its maiden test flight in 2014. Here's how it works: The youngest explorers (K-4) will complete NASA education activities related to radiation. Upon completion, a teacher or other adult may submit the students' names to be flown on the 2014 Orion flight as honorary virtual crew members. Those same opportunities are open to students in grades 5-8, but they also will design and develop a radiation shield prototype. Instructions, guidebooks and related content are provided on the EDC website. High school participants have an even greater challenge – and opportunity! In addition to the activities listed above, teams of students will design a radiation shield prototype that meets established criteria and constraints. Teams will submit their designs, and the top five designs selected will be tested in a virtual radiation simulator. The winning team will travel to Florida for Orion's launch and have its design flown aboard the spacecraft! Children may complete the challenge at any time. For names to be added to the virtual crew list, children must complete their work by March 14, 2014. High school students who wish to compete in "Phase 2: Build and Test" must complete their work and upload their design notebooks before January 14, 2014. Items described on this page are not always endorsed by the Association, but are provided for your information. www.dsea.org

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