Dream School Challenge
The Balancing Act and the Learning First Alliance announce The Parent Teacher Corner: Dream School Challenge, a national contest that will reward one school and district with $300,000 in educational prizes, including tablets, software, and digital arts programs. Deadline: June 8
http://empower.thebalancingact.com/parent-teacher-corner/dream-school-challenge

 

Sponsored by Crayola and NAESP, the Champion Creatively Alive Children grant program seeks to help educators integrate the arts across the curriculum to build students’ 21st century skills in critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. Up to 20 elementary schools will receive grants to implement, document, and share results of an innovative arts-infused project. Each grant includes $2,500 and $500 worth of Crayola products. Deadline: June 15

 

Landscape Structures, in partnership with NAESP Foundation, has introduced the School Grounds. Playgrounds. Common Ground.™ essay contest in an effort to bring inclusive playgrounds to schools throughout North America. Enter for your chance to win the grand prize, $50,000 in inclusive playground equipment, or be one of five runners-up for $15,000 in inclusive playground equipment. The contest is open to practicing elementary and middle school principals and related educators in the U.S. and Canada (except Quebec). Deadline: June 30

 

Seeking to increase children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables, the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools program plans to fund and grant 6,000 salad bars to schools across the nation by 2013. Any K-12 school or district participating in the National School Lunch Program is eligible to apply. Deadline: Rolling

 

First Book donates 35,000 books per day to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada. Educators or program administrators at schools where at least 70 percent of the children come from low-income families are eligible to apply for the nonprofit’s book distribution programs.

 

School leaders know that every minute spent testing is a minute taken away from teaching. ASSISTments, a new, free web-based platform developed by Worcester Polytechnic Institute, aims to change that, offering teachers the ability to blend assessment questions and tutoring. Students receive real-time guidance, while teachers see instant reports on student progress. Plus schools and districts can build benchmarks right into the system. Contact NAESP@wpi.edu for training and more information.

 

This free webinar series and online professional learning community, sponsored by ETA/Cuisenaire, provides advice and support regarding the national math curriculum. The program provides free webinars, live chats, lesson plans and online discussions to assist teachers in connecting and collaborating with others in the same grade level.

 

“Implementing Response to Intervention in Early Childhood Settings: National, State, and Program Perspectives,” an 80-minute webcast from the RTI Action Network, features a panel of nationally recognized researchers and dynamic RTI implementers on RTI’s role RTI in early childhood. This unique blend of multiple perspectives targets matching high-quality instruction and interventions to meet learning needs during the early childhood years.

 

The ACE Operation FitKids curriculum from the American Council on Exercise is designed for educators looking to integrate health and fitness into classroom learning. The 7-lesson curricula for grades 3 to 8 and teach students the dangers of being overweight and the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle.

 

Pen Pal Kids Club, a global social network for kids, is offering free classroom subscriptions to K-8 teachers across the United States.  The website promotes cross-curricular collaboration by integrating nonfiction writing, geography, social studies, and technology while offering students a chance to discover different cultures and meet new friends from across the globe.  

 

Teachers can use a helping hand when it comes to stocking up on school supplies. That is why The Clorox Company is launching the Canisters for Classrooms program to help teachers get Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes for their classrooms and get parents involved in donating, too!  When teachers put Clorox Disinfecting Wipes on their back-to-school list, Clorox will automatically donate two canisters to their classroom (while supplies last)!  Visit Clorox Classrooms to upload your back-to-school supply list or create your back-to-school supply list online.