Resources

Is your Community Looking for a Successful Character Education Program?

Are you concerned about violence in your schools? The Georgia Children's Trust Fund Commission is offering grants to cover three-fourths of the cost of the Second Step Violence Prevention/Character Education curriculum and 100% of training costs. The application deadline is Feb. 1, 2003.

Developed by The Committee for Children, a nonprofit organization, Second Step has a proven track record with research to back it up. Second Step is easy to use and requires minimal teacher preparation. All lessons are laid out clearly and include objectives, handouts, role-play scenarios, and discussion questions, yet there is enough flexibility to adapt the program to a school's needs.

The Georgia Humanities Council has recognized Second Step as an exemplary character education program. Schools across the nation have received Character Education Partnership/Schools of Character Awards for school-wide use of Second Step.

Please contact your school system superintendent and Safe and Drug Free Schools coordinator to get the ball rolling. For more information about the grant, call Carole Steele at (404) 206-6037. For information about Second Step, contact the Committee for Children, Client Support Services, at (800) 634-4449 or e-mail info@cfchildren.org or visit www.cfchildren.org.

Target Supports Education and Family Violence Prevention

Target stores support schools and students through the Take Charge of EducationSM initiatives. Target All-Around ScholarshipsSM are awarded to high school seniors and college students who volunteer in their communities. Teachers who want to further their education can apply for Target Teachers Scholarships. Target Arts in Education Grants bring students to the arts and arts to the students.

Target also offers a School Fundraising program as an easy way for schools to raise money for the things students need most. When parents, teachers and community members use their Target Guest Card®, an amount equal to 1% of their purchases goes to the eligible K-12 school they choose.

Target also awards grants to programs that help prevent family violence, such as parenting education and family counseling, and provides assistance for support groups and abuse shelters. Limited resources are available for special opportunities or needs that fall outside these areas. For details, see your local Target store's Team Leader, call (800) 316-6142, or visit www.target.com.

Resource Briefs

The Achiever, a No Child Left Behind newsletter, is a monthly electronic newsletter designed to help inform parents, families and members of the community about the progress on President Bush and Secretary Paige's commitment to the No Child Left Behind Act. The newsletter provides information and tools for improving schools. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to listproc@inet.ed.gov and write in the message: subscribe NoChildLeftBehind yourfirstname yourlastname.

Children Ready for School Links
Office of School Readiness www.osr.state.ga.us
National Association for the Education of Young Children www.naeyc.org
National Institute on Early Childhood Development & Education www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/ECI/index.html
Annie E. Casey Kids Count www.aefc.org/kidscount
Promising Practices Network www.promisingpractices.net

Children Succeeding in School Links
Georgia Department of Education www.doe.k12.ga.us
U.S. Department of Education www.ed.gov
Council of Chief State School Officers www.ccsso.org
The School-Age Child Care Project www.wellesley.edu/WCW/CRW/SAC

In Contracts vs. Grants, author Henry Flood cuts through the confusion and examines the unique characteristics of both funding vehicles. According to a recent issue of QuickTake, the monthly newsletter for members of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, federal contracts and federal grants have more in common today than they did in the past. In fact, they share so many attributes that it's sometimes hard to distinguish them - leading to some confusion about the obligations that each entails. For details, visit www.nonprofitgeorgia.org/members/quicktake0802.html#article1.

Developing Effective Coalitions: An Eight Step Guide attempts to give structure to a process of coalition-building that is somewhat variable. Written in the format of eight specific steps, most techniques can be applied to coalitions working on a variety of health-related issues. For more information, call (510) 444-7738, e-mail prevent@preventioninstitute.org or visit www.preventioninstitute.org/eightstep.html.

Dollar General can help coordinate literacy efforts such as reading, writing or other basic skills, such as passing the GED. Through a partnership with Laubach Literacy, Dollar General connects individuals to volunteer literacy programs and agencies where they live. For more information, contact your local Dollar General store or write Laubach Literacy Action, 1320 Jamesville Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210-7924.

HelpYourCommunity.org presents information on how community coalitions all over the country are working to make their neighborhoods safer, happier, healthier places to live. Visit www.helpyourcommunity.org if you want to make a difference in your community. Find out how to join a community coalition - or how to start your own. Read coalition success stories and how various coalitions across the country are working hard to improve their communities.

The Interfaith Children's Movement seeks to inspire community leaders to work diligently in their efforts for children while challenging and motivating children to reach their full potential. Visit www.info@icmma.org for two valuable resources: The Connections Guide is a list of organizations that can give your faith community opportunities to minister directly to the needs of children and their families. Child Advocacy at the Capitol is a list of nonprofit organizations that follow Georgia legislative issues affecting children. Both provide information on how to become more involved in child advocacy work on the legislative level. For more information or to add your project or organization to either list, e-mail Partners@icmma.org or call (404) 727-2072.

YesICan.gov (YoSiPuedo.gov) offers information on the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. YesICan.gov is an interactive, bilingual site aimed at building awareness among parents and students. Some of the resources available on the site include Myths and Facts about College Costs and Twenty Things You Need to Know About Paying for College. The site also includes a section especially designed for children called "Kids Zone." Latin recording artist Jon Secada recently joined U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin, and a new mascot, Pablo the Eagle, to launch a nationwide, grassroots effort to make these tools available to parents, educators, and community leaders. For more information, visit www.yesican.gov (or www.yosipuedo.gov) or contact the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans at Whitehouseforhispaniceducation@ed.gov.