| In this issue
"The 'I's' Have It" by Ken Olan, MindOH! Guest
Author
The Character's Cool Contest Announces Winners and
Results
New Contest Opportunity: "My Teacher is the Best"
Essay Contest by GiveKidsGoodSchools.com
Book Recommendation: "Don't Give Me That Attitude"
by Michele Borba
Funding Corner: Champions of Active Learning and
"Ask the Grant Writer"
"The 'I's' Have It" by Ken Olan, MindOH! Guest
Author
Motivating
people, whether they are students, athletes, teachers or others in
the workplace requires a well-thought-out approach. The good news is
that there are distinct formulas that can be used to get the
greatest effort from whatever group of people you work with.
In the following paper, I'll share an approach to motivating
people that has worked extremely well for me, in the corporate
world, for years. Done correctly, this approach can work with
anyone, and is as applicable in a learning environment as it is in a
work environment.
Ken Olan is an Executive Vice President with Southwest Bank of
Texas. To read his paper, please click the link below or visit the
MindOH! Web site at www.mindoh.com.
Read
"The 'I's' Have It".
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and CEP's Eleven Principles
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| Dear
Jennifer,
For the past three years, the MindOH! team has been
inspired by the thoughtful and heartwarming essays we receive
from students around the U.S. as part of the Character's Cool
Contest. We hope you all take a moment to visit the Contest
Web site below and read what our nation's youth had to say
about tolerance. Some stories were sad, many were hopeful,
some were creative, and all of them were written from the
heart.
Tolerance is a topic that resonates with students today. As
Heather Culbertson from Galena Park High School in Reno,
Nevada wrote, "America is like a patchwork quilt of many
different cultures and religions. This diversity adds spice to
life because if everything and everyone were the same, life
would just be plain boring."
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The
Character's Cool Contest Announces Winners and Results
 The 2004 Character's Cool
Contest had 335 schools participate from 45 states. The winner
was A.I. Root Middle School in Medina, Ohio with a
total of 484 survey entries. Root won a new computer for their
school and a one-year license to the MindOH! Discipline and
Life Skills Series.
The runner up was Gibson City Melvin Sibley Middle
School in Gibson City, Illinois with 230 survey entries.
They won Project Wisdom's Character Education Series.
Carlos Burks from Odyssey High School in Boston was the
student grand prize winner and received a Nintendo Game Cube.
Essay winners won cash prizes and included Janice Cho from
Galena High School in Nevada, Susan Payton from Pike View High
Schoolin West Virginia, Paul Monaco from Allen High School in
Texas, Puja Gujarathi from Belleville Middle School in New
Jersey, Meghan Buckles from Glastonbury High School in
Connecticut, and Dustin Curtis from Lynn Lucas Middle School
in Texas. Congratulations to all of them!
Check
out the winners and results! »
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New Contest Opportunity: "My Teacher is the Best" Essay
Contest by GiveKidsGoodSchools.com
What makes a good teacher? Why? Tell us about your favorite
teacher and win two new laptop computers -- one for you and
one for the teacher who's made a difference in your life!
GiveKidsGoodSchools.com is sponsoring its second annual "My
Teacher is the Best" Essay Contest for public schools students
in grades 6-8.
Learn
more about the contest. »
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Book Recommendation: "Don't Give Me That Attitude" by
Michele Borba
 Outbursts from selfish,
rude, and demanding children are symptoms of a rapidly growing
epidemic that is sweeping the country. While experts differ as
to how to label this behavior, most parents agree that
overindulged, grandiose behavior is best referred to as acting
like a "spoiled brat." In fact, a national survey reveals 80%
of adults think kids today are more spoiled than kids of ten
or fifteen years ago. Moreover, two- thirds of parents admit
that their own kids are spoiled. Consequently, parents and
educators are left wondering why they are faced with this
"spoiled brat" crisis and what can be done to squelch the
sass, back- talk, and bossiness seen in today's kids.
According to renowned educator and consultant Michele
Borba, Ed.D., the underlying cause for the behaviors that
create a spoiled and selfish kid is the highly contagious
ailment commonly referred to as "bad attitude." With DON'T
GIVE ME THAT ATTITUDE!: 24 Rude, Selfish, Insensitive Things
Kids Do and How to Stop Them, Borba offers a
comprehensive, no- nonsense plan to help parents diagnose and
eradicate their children's bad attitudes.
Learn
more at Amazon.com »
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Funding Corner: Champions of Active Learning and "Ask
the Grant Writer"
Grant Title: Champions of Active
Learning
Organization: Public Education Network and
the J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation
Eligibility:
Middle-school teachers
Value: $5,000 nationally;
$15,000 over two years in N.Y.
Deadline: May 7,
2004
(As seen in Grants and Funding ALERT April 1, 2004
Vol. 2 No. 7)
Champions of Active Learning (CAL), founded in 1991, awards
more than $250,000 in grants to creative middle-school
teachers, giving them the resources and training they need to
bring hands-on, cross-curricular ideas to life in the
classroom. CAL supports educators who engage students in
active learning projects during the critical early adolescent
years. For the 2004-05 program year, grants will be awarded to
outstanding teams of educators from 16 communities across the
nation: Tempe, Ariz.; Bridgeport, Conn.; Los Angeles; San
Francisco; Wilmington, Del.; Miami; Tampa, Fla.; Monroe, La.;
Newark, N.J.; Paterson, N.J.; New York, N.Y.; Rochester, N.Y.;
Yonkers, N.Y.; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; and Houston. CAL is
funded by the J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation and administered
nationally by the nonprofit organization Public Education
Network and in New York City by New Visions for Public
Schools. CAL grant applications can be downloaded from the web
site below. Contact: Mary Kelly, (202) 628-7460,
mkelly@publiceducation.org, http://w
ww.publiceducation.org/cal.asp
"Ask the Grant Writer" by Elizabeth Van Auken, Education
Grant Writer
Question: I have this really unique idea for my classroom,
how do I get it funded?
Elizabeth's Answer: The most exciting part of my job is
helping schools find funding for their unusual projects. But,
in order for a schools' funding quest to be successful, it's
important to remember that a unique idea or project is only
one part of the funding equation, and a unique concept, by
itself, is unlikely to reap any monetary support. But, a great
idea, coupled with a great plan, and a good funding match,
just might get you the funding your looking for.
To clarify, let me use the analogy of a house. Imagine
this. I have this great concept for a space-saving, energy
efficient home. It's inexpensive. It's cost- effective. It's a
house that will change the face of the world. That's great!
However, no one wants to purchase the house until they've seen
the blueprints! The same holds true to the funding
organization, whether it's a foundation, or a local service
club. The prospective funder wants to see your blueprint, or
in grant terms, they want to see your concept translated into
a project plan.
A grant project plan typically addresses the following
topics, though the exact mix will depend from funding
organization to funding organization and application to
application:
1. Need for the project
2. Goal(s) of the project
3.
Objectives of the project
4. Activities
5. Outcomes
6. Budget
7. Personnel
To get started, I would think through each of these topics.
After I had a tentative plan on paper, I would start looking
for grants that match my concept and my project plan.
So, before you start searching for funding, make sure
you've thought through your concept. Then, make sure it's on
paper. Lastly, make sure that your project closely matches the
mission of the granting organization.
See
additional funding opportunities. »
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