As you begin the new school year, here are some exciting opportunities for you, your students, and your schools. I also leave you with one of my all-time favorite quotes and wish you the best of luck in the coming year!

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." -- Unknown

~Eneida

Opportunities for Students

• SciLife 2007

When? October 20, 2007 from 8:30am to 4pm
Where? L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, 480 L'Enfant Plaza SW

SciLife 2007 offers high school students and their parents free information, resources, and organizational tools to help them plan for college entry and future success in the health and medical sciences. Explore and learn more about successful careers in one of the top 10 growing fields in the United States. To register, click here.

FREE 1-day event includes:
-Insider information from science pros
-Focused career workshops for students and their parents
-Lunch
-Resource pack with post-high school planning and financial guidance

• The Ron Brown Scholar Program

Deadline: November 1, 2007
Award amount: $10,000

This program seeks to identify African-American high school seniors who will make significant contributions to society.

Applicants must excel academically, exhibit exceptional leadership potential, participate in community service activities and demonstrate financial need. The applicant must be a US citizen or hold a permanent resident visa card. Current college students are not eligible to apply.

Recipients may use the renewable scholarships to attend an accredited four-year college or university of their choice within the United States.

Ron Brown Scholarships are not limited to any specific field or career objective and may be used to pursue any academic discipline. More than 200 students have been designated as Ron Brown Scholars since the inception of the Program. Please visit the program's Web site to find out more information on this great opportunity.

Opportunities for Teachers

• Grants from the National Board Scholarship Program

Applications for grants from the National Board Scholarship Program, sponsored by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the UPS Foundation. The program provides grants to ensure that teachers are pursuing National Board certification can afford the board's assessment fee. Additional information and application from are available on the program's Web site. Contact: NBPTS 1525 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22209; (703) 465-2700 or (800) 228-3224

Opportunities for Communities and Schools

• Teach Awards

Deadline: September 30, 2007
Funds: Approximately 1500 awards ranging from $2,000 to $10,000

Best Buy Co., Inc. supports schools and educators using technology to make learning fun. Funds are provided to K-12 schools that have been using an interactive technology program in their classrooms for at least one full school year. Please visit Best Buy's Web site for more details.

• Ethel Percy Andrus Legacy Awards

Deadline: October 1, 2007

AARP is pleased to announce the creation of The Ethel Percy Andrus Legacy Awards. A $100,000 prize will be given to a public high school (grades 8 - 12) in cities that have been selected as focal points for AARP's 50th Anniversary celebration. The cities are Chicago, Houston, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.

The $100,000 prize will be awarded to a school in each of these cities in recognition of a public high school program that has either fostered greater intergenerational understanding or enhanced civic engagement between the school and its local community. To learn more about the life of Ethel Percy Andrus, download a short biography of this woman's remarkable life (47K in PDF format, free Adobe Reader required). You may also visit AARP's Web site for more details on the award application process.

• FREE Information Technology (IT) Training

The program is for people ages 18 thru 24 who are residents of DC, Maryland, or Virginia. Interested individuals should have a high school diploma or GED. This local "paid as you learn" program asks for a one-year commitment between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Additionally, accepted students are provided a stipend and internship opportunities with several companies after six months of participation. Please review the enclosed details, attached application. You may also visit Year Up's Web site to learn more about this free program.

Year Up is a one-year, intensive training program that provides urban young adults 18-24, with a unique combination of technical and professional skills, college credits, an educational stipend and corporate apprenticeship.

Our success is our graduates -- enabling them to move on to full-time employment and higher education. Year Up is about providing opportunities for urban young adults to demonstrate their true potential.

We have achieved excellent results to date:
· 100% placement of qualified students into apprenticeships
· 83% student retention
· 90% of apprentices meet or exceed apprenticeship partner expectations
· 87% of graduates placed in full or part-time positions within 4 months of graduation
· $15/hr average wage at placement

CONTACT US
Address:
Year Up, Washington D.C.
1560 Wilson Blvd., Suite 200
Arlington, VA 22209 Phone: 703-312-9327 Fax: 703-312-7986

For questions about becoming a Year Up student, contact:
Anne Moredock: amoredock@yearup.org