bridges4kids Featured Resource: Scholarship Junkies

http://www.scholarshipjunkies.com

Stuck on a scholarship essay? Need a letter of recommendation from your teacher? At Scholarship Junkies, you can learn from the tips and suggestions of students who have won scholarships on local and national levels. Follow these steps and start maximizing your scholarship potential today!

I Know What You Did Last Math Class

Jan Hoffman, New York Times, May 4, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/fashion/04edline.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

On school days at 2 p.m., Nicole Dobbins walks into her home office in Alpharetta, Ga., logs on to ParentConnect, and reads updated reports on her three children. Then she rushes up the block to meet the fourth and sixth graders’ buses.

Handheld Computers Give Students, Teachers Instant Feedback

Examiner.com, May 8, 2008

http://205.209.52.72/a-1380559~Computers_give_students__teachers_instant_feedback.html

Test time in some classrooms at a Clarksville school looks a bit like a TV game show, with students' answers instantly recorded through handheld devices and then displayed on a screen next to the teacher. Providence Junior/Senior High School has installed a computerized system called SMART - or self-monitoring, analysis and reporting technology - in four classrooms. School officials hope to install more units, which cost about $7,500 per classroom, as more money becomes available.

Despite High School Algebra Focus, More Students Need Remedial College Math

Deb Kollars, Sacramento Bee, May 12, 2008

http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-08/SacBee5-12-08.html

Five years ago, California took a bold step and began requiring algebra of every graduating high school senior. The grumbling ran deep. The work was hard. The underlying equation came through loud and clear: More math in high school would equal more students prepared for college. For many, it hasn't added up.

Scholarship Guru Teaches Kids the Ropes

Amy Rolph, P-I Reporter, May 10, 2008

http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-08/Rolph5-10-08.html

Sam Lim collects scholarships like some students amass parking tickets. When gearing up for college, the University of Washington junior applied for more than 75 scholarships and was awarded nearly 20, from $50 to upwards of $70,000. That has been enough to pay the cost of attending the UW -- and enough to make him into a sort of scholarship guru whose nose for financial aid has made him a hit at local high schools.

RI High-stakes Lead Paint Case to Rhode Island Supreme Court

Eric Tucker, The Boston Globe, May 13, 2008

http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-08/BostonGlobe5-13-08.html

Three companies that once made lead paint have spent nearly a decade fighting off a lawsuit that could force them to pay billions to clean up contaminated properties. The case heads to the Rhode Island Supreme Court on Thursday, more than two years after a jury found that Sherwin-Williams, NL Industries Inc. and Millennium Holdings LLC were liable for creating a public nuisance in the first verdict of its kind.

Bridges4kids Featured Book: Last Child in the Woods

http://richardlouv.com/

The recipient of the 2008 Audubon Medal, Richard Louv identified a phenomenon we all knew existed but couldn't quite articulate: nature-deficit disorder. Since its initial publication, his book Last Child in the Woods has created a national conversation about the disconnection between children and nature, and his message has galvanized an international movement. Now, three years later, we have reached a tipping point, with the book inspiring Leave No Child Inside initiatives throughout the country. Hailed as "an absolute must-read" by the Boston Globe and "too tantalizing to ignore" by Audubon magazine, Last Child in the Woods is the inspiring work that proves children need nature as much as nature needs children.

• Read an overview, learn more about the author, or purchase the book at http://richardlouv.com/last-child-woods

• Download the article "Beyond Nature-Deficit Disorder: It’s Time to Turn Consciousness into Action" at http://www.bridges4kids.org/beyond.nature.pdf

For more information on No Child Left Behind, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/ESEA.html

Michigan CIS-Schools Partner to Fight Dropout Epidemic

MIRS, May 23, 2008

http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-08/MIRS5-23-08.html

Michigan's six Communities in Schools (CIS) programs, which use adult role models to prevent children from dropping out, could help relieve the budget strain on K-12 education because of the program's attractiveness to private donors, advocates say.

Hearings Scheduled to Address Michigan’s Dropout Crisis

http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-08/Dropouts4-30-08.html

Solutions sought to raise graduation rates. Finding ways to fix Michigan’s dropout crisis is the focus of public hearings beginning in May, part of a statewide initiative to increase the number of high school graduates to stabilize a weak economy.

bridges4kids Featured Resource: Paint Creek Center for the Arts

http://www.pccart.org/

The mission of Paint Creek Center for the Arts is to enhance life in the region by promoting, encouraging and creating opportunities to participate in and appreciate the arts.

16-Year-Old Voter Bill Rolled Out

MIRS, May 8, 2008

http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-08/MIRS5-8-08b.html

Michigan Sen. Mickey Switalski (D-Roseville) wants to amend the state constitution so 16-year-olds can vote for school board members, a proposal he admits probably won't go very far very fast, but is worth a shot in recognition of the efforts of his younger constituents.

For more information on Disabilities, Disorders and Diseases, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Disabilities.html