Kids These Days Spring 2013

KTD Radio Spotlights Mental Health and the Alaskan Family The Kids These Days! team delves into issues that affect the well being and mental health of our youth and our families in this special 4-part radio series.

From learning what to do in a mental health crisis, to how schools manage behavioral health issues to supporting our caregivers and helping adult children transition to independence - these are our conversations and special reports from Alaska’s mental health community.

This series was (or will be) heard on the following stations: KSKA-Anchorage KTOO-Juneau KCAW-Sitka KYUK-Bethel KOTZ-Kotzebue KDLG-Dillingham

Listen to the series at: www.kidsthesedays.org

This series is supported by funds from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority and is a copyrighted production of the Content Producers Guild.

Spring Break Adventure Camp

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Community Support for Youth

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Get

Schooled Online

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Learning more with STEM

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Challenger Learning Academy Offers Camps During Spring Break

The Challenger Learning Center of Alaska, in Kenai, is holding a Spring Break Academy March 11-15 in three strands: K-4, 5-7, and 8-11. The cost is $275 for the day camp and $500 for the overnight camp. Scouting badges and high school credit can be earned. Topics include rocketry, robotics, simple machines, earth sciences, careers in space, aviation career exploration.

For more information and to apply, visit the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska’s website at: www.akchallenger.org.

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2013 Spirit of Youth Award Winners

Congratulations to each student and student group nominated this year! Your efforts are a positive example for Alaska youth and adults alike!

Overcoming Challenges Tuesona Tungwenuk , Nome Julia Gebert, Anchorage

Purchase your tickets for the 2013 Spirit of Youth Awards April 6, 2013 at the Anchorage Marriott.

Reception begins at 6 p.m. Awards dinner begins at 7 p.m.

Science and the Environment Anelise Zimmer , Kodiak Brenda Castonguay, Kodiak

Business and Government Gusty Michael School Student Body, Stony River Rachell Gulanes, Unalaska

Cultural Pursuits Alicia Noel Crisci , Wales Nanwalek Summer Youth Group , Nanwalek

Lifesaver and Prevention Chance Haller, Seldovia Shaylee Rizzo, Kenai

Fine Arts Selah Rees, Anchorage Kelly May, North Pole

Service to Young Children Riccardo Kerns and Nino Delgado, Anchorage Regan Fitzgerald, Anchorage

Technology and Media Healy Tech Team, Healy Mount Edgecumbe Radio Club, Sitka

Service to Peers Luke Jager, Anchorage Teens Acting Against Violence, Bethel

Read a description of each winners’ efforts in their home communities at spiritofyouth.org.

Service to Community Sydney Zuyus , Palmer Tiffany Immingan, Savoonga

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Partnerships for Learning: Community Support for Youth Success

There is strong evidence that, when schools partner with families and communitybased organizations, these partnerships for learning improve children’s development and school success. They provide a seamless web of supports designed to ensure positive learning experiences for children and youth.

In this paper, we draw on the experiences of national organizations and a set of community schools that have built these learning partnerships, and examine seven key elements that we find to be essential in building them: 1.

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Shared vision of learning Shared leadership and governance Complementary partnerships Effective communications Regular and consistent sharing of information about youth progress 6. Family engagement, and Collaborative staffing models

Go to Partnerships for Learning: Community Support for Youth Success at the Harvard Family Research Project website.

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Proposals Sought for Imagination Library Best Beginnings is accepting proposals for grants to launch new local Imagination Libraries and expand existing ones. Additional information, including an application checklist and contact form, is available at www.

BestBeginningsAlaska.org. All applications must be received by 5 p.m., Friday, April 5, 2013.

Best Beginnings is working to expand Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library throughout Alaska. Presently, 102 communities have the program under 29 local Imagination Libraries. More than 20,000 children receive a book in the mail each month. This proposal solicitation is supported financially by the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development.

Imagination Library mails a brand new, age appropriate book each month to every child from birth to age 5 who signs up for the program in their community, regardless of family income. But it’s more than a book delivery program; it’s a Get-the-Whole-Community- Involved-inReading-to-Kids Program. There is no charge to participating families.

Find out more about Best Beginnings and the Imagination Library at: www.bestbeginningsalaska.org.

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Duncan Joins Students, NBA and WNBA Players for Hangout www.ed.gov

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sat down with former NBA All Star Allan Houston, current Golden State Warrior Harrison Barnes, and the WNBA’s Maya Moore to speak with five high school student-athletes from across the country during the Department of Education’s first Google Hangout. The discussion centered on the importance of education and how sports can play an important role in maturation on and off the court.

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During the live Hangout moderated by CNN’s John King, the students quizzed Secretary Duncan—who played college and professional basketball—and the NBA/WNBA players on how they balanced the demands of education and athletics, as well as discussed the importance of being a leader and a role model in the community.

The discussion centered on the importance of education and how sports play a role in maturation, on and off the court.

Secretary Arne Duncan joined WNBA player Maya Moore, NBA player Harrison Barnes, former NBA player Allan Houston, and high school student athletes from across the country for a discussion about how sports have played a role in their education and maturation.

Sequoia High School (Redwood, Calif.) senior point guard Alaina Woo said it best, “It’s really important that you surround yourself with role models who are passionate about basketball but can go beyond the sport and see the importance in having a balance in life.”

Watch the 30-minute discussion here at the ed.gov website.

Grants for youth-led projects on Global Youth Service Day Kids and young adults ages 5-25 are eligible to apply for a $500 grant to support youth-led projects - that address a community need or issues - to take place during Global Youth Service Day.

Get all the details at: Global Youth Service Day, April 26-28, 2013, is put on by Youth Service America.

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www.gysd.org

Graduating Seniors: Apply for a June Nelson Scholarship!

The Association of Alaska School Boards is proud to announce its 22nd Annual Scholarship Award Competition. The June Nelson Memorial Scholarship is named in honor of the late June Nelson, longtime school board member from Kotzebue.

June contributed much to the cause of education, and will be remembered for her outstanding service on behalf of Alaska’s children.

This 2012-2013 school year, AASB will award ten graduating seniors each with a $1,200 scholarship to apply toward their post-secondary education. The scholarship may be applied toward the student’s choice of a business, trade, or college institution.

Essay Topic: Looking back on your education, how has it helped you be prepared for today’s global economy?

Along with the essay, students are required to submit other application materials.

JNMS Application Deadline: March 18, 2013

For complete details, go to www.aasb.org.

Get Schooled Online to Graduate!

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Get Schooled is a national campaign that uses media and messengers of popular culture to inspire and engage students in an effort to improve high school graduation rates and empower more students to go to and succeed in college.

The campaign will reach and engage millions of young people who need support, direction and a community to help them make their way through high school and college. Young people can visit their website to play games, track their own educational progress, get answers to questions and connect with people who can offer them the information, inspiration and support they need to succeed.

All high schoolers (freshmen to seniors) can get better prepared to graduate high school and ready for college.

Produced by: The Association of Alaska School Boards’ Alaska Initiative for Community Engagement 1111 West 9th Street, Juneau, AK 99801 (907) 463-1660 Fax: (907) 586-2995 E-mail: aasb@aasb.org Web: www.alaskaice.org

Governor Parnell joined the Bethel Regional HS Student Council to help promote their Get Schooled effort Photo credit: Nathaniel Betz

Get tips on the college admissions process, filling out financial aid forms, building a support network and more!

Go to GetSchooled.com, or follow on Facebook and Twitter.

Kake teens weave a web of leadership support, sharing the leadership quality they will bring to their school.

The content of this newsletter was developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, this content does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal government.

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YAI Gives Voice to Alaska Students

AASB’s Youth Advocacy Institute (YAI) brings young people together from across the state to develop and practice skills for strong youth voice in their school, community, and at the Capitol.

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Youth voice and perspective is at the heart of YAI. The Alaska ICE team worked with students to unlock that voice, to empower youth to share their thoughts with others, on capitol hill and back home.

Watch a short video overview of YAI that reveals some of the actiivities, workshops, and discussions that YAI students took part in over the Leadership Fly-in weekend in early February.

Harnessing the Curiosity through STEM

By Catherine Esary, MSBSD Public Information Officer

Wouldn’t you like to go to camp during the school year? Offered only to Mat-Su Borough School District middle school students, the University of Alaska/ANSEP program is just that—a hands- on approach to science and math through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning for Alaska Native students and other students who may be underserved or underrepresented with limited opportunities.

Approximately 200 middle school students were part of a three-hour introduction to ANSEP Middle School Academy. Preparations are underway now for the two-week, academic program this spring. Included in the residential program are activites, experiments, projects, and field experiences for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students in essential and important skills. “Do you like technology, students?” asked Mr. Michael Bourdukofsky, Chief Operations Officer for ANSEP, and an engineer. “Technology is always evolving to what you would like it to be. It helps you make the world a better place.”

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Continue reading this story here.

Alaskan Students Honored Nationally for Volunteerism Shaylee Rizzo (Kenai) and Samuel Allred (Wasilla) have been selected as Alaska’s top youth volunteers for 2013 by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

Each winner will receive $1,000, a silver medallion, and a trip to Washington, D.C., on May 4-7. Additionally, Allison Ostrander (Soldotna) and Reese Qualls (Palmer) were named Distinguished Finalists and will be awarded bronze medallions.

Shaylee, 17, is a senior at Nikiski Middle/High School. She started a public service campaign called Missy the Moose to raise awareness of the dangers of vehicles hitting moose on the highways. Shaylee wrote and illustrated a children’s book to convey her message to classrooms.

Samuel, 13, an eighth-grader at Raven Correspondence School, makes travel-size pillows and distributes them to children’s hospitals across the country in Project Comfort. Samuel himself was hospitalized as a toddler.

Visit www.spirit.prudential.com to learn more and to implement The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards in your community.

Distinguished Finalists Allison, 16, a sophomore at Kenai Central High School, created and organized the Salmon Run Series, five running races that raised more than $5,000 to help combat the negative effects of canary grass on the salmon population.

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Reese, 13, an eighth-grader at Palmer Junior Middle School, developed a literacy program called Moose Books that provides free books to children in need. Reese collected 600 used books, turned them in for credit at a local bookstore, and purchased new books.