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August 2002 Edition
As the dog days of summer end, and another school year begins, students everywhere are getting ready to go back to class. But, to get ready, they will need information. Some will want to know how to find the right college, some the right career, and some - if not most - want to know how to pay for it all. In this edition, we discuss just that: how to pay for that college education. We will share resources on scholarships, financial aid, money management and other programs that will assist the college-bound student and their family.
If you would like to submit suggestions or information for your organization, please email Sharlene Mentor at SMentor@teamster.org.
IBT Education Staff
What's in This Edition
Teamster Updates
Conferences & Meetings Nationwide
Resources to Build Your Own Education Curriculum
- ~ How to Finance Education
- ~ Teach Young People How to Handle Finances
Articles of Interest
- ~ What I Learned From Not Going to College
- ~ Adult Education in the Skilled Trades
Get Connected: Web Site Links
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Teamster Updates
James R. Hoffa Scholarship Award Winners
Looking to the Future
James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Awards $300,000
Seventy-five sons and daughters of Teamsters have less of a financial burden when it comes to college thanks to the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund.
<http://www.teamster.org/scholarship/0203winners.htm>
Local 502 Promotes Child-Reading Programs
Philadelphia Teamsters Contribute Books
Teamsters Local 502 in Philadelphia recently participated in two special events aimed at getting children to read more. As part of its Skills For Tomorrow project, the programs included the kickoff of the PHILADELPHIA READS summer program that was initiated by the Office of the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia, and the celebration of "Get Caught Reading Month" sponsored by the Association of American Publishers
<http://www.teamster.org/02news/hn_020710_1.htm>
Australian Group Studies the Teamsters
Labor History Students Visit Headquarters, Learn About Union Firsthand
A group of 25 graduate students and professors from the University of Melbourne, Australia, stopped by Teamsters headquarters in Washington, D.C. to learn firsthand about the union. Their travels are part of a course entitled "Searching for the American Dream, " and include Boston, New York City and Dickinson University in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
<http://www.teamster.org/02news/hn_020710_2.htm>
Conferences and Meetings Nationwide
George Meany Center Hosts Collective Bargaining Mock Simulations
August 30, 2002
Silver Spring, Maryland
For the second year, the George Meany Center will host its Collective Bargaining Institute, in which area high school students are coached by union members and staff on bargaining for benefits, teamwork and meeting management at the table. The Institute is part of the Collective Bargaining Education Project developed by the California Federation of Teachers Labor in the Schools Committee.
<http://www.georgemeany.org/EducProg.htm>
Committee For Education Funding (CEF) Annual Legislative Conference & Awards Banquet
September 17, 2002
Washington, D.C.
CEF is a voluntary, nonprofit, and nonpartisan coalition of over 100 organizations whose goal is to achieve financial support for our nation's schools. CEF members include educational associations, institutions, agencies, and organizations whose interests range from preschool to postgraduate education in both public and private systems.
<http://www.cef.org/events>
University of Wisconsin School for Workers
September 22 - 26, 2002
Madison, Wisconsin
The School works closely with the labor movement at the local, state and national levels and designs programs for the rank-and-file, local leadership and international union staff. In addition to offering specific courses for unions and labor-management committees, the School offers a growing number of open enrollment programs.
<http://schoolforworkers.uwex.edu>
Student Achievement and School Accountability Conferences
October, 2002
Various Locations
As an ongoing effort to ensure the effective implementation of its' No Child Left Behind Act, the Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education has scheduled a series of Student Achievement and School Accountability conferences. Each state's governor and chief school officer will nominate teams of 10-15 state and district-level education leaders, who will participate in their respective region: Orlando, FL (Oct. 2 - 4); Washington, DC (Oct. 7-9); Denver, CO (Oct. 23-25); and Chicago, IL (Oct. 28-30) .
<http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SASA/conference.html>
Improving America's Schools (IAS)
November 13-15, 2002
Reno, Nevada
December 17-19, 2002
San Antonio, Texas
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education each conference represents an ideal opportunity for members of the community, including businesses, to learn more about the Department's programs and priorities and explore ideas to better promote equity and excellence in schools. Visit http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/iasconferences.
Resources to Building Your Own Education Curriculum
What can you include in your youth outreach programs and activities?
Here are some ideas:
Money for College
For young adults heading off to college we offer resources regarding scholarships, financial aid and loans.
James R. Hoffa Scholarship Fund
Each year, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters awards 75 lucky sons and daughters of Teamster members with college scholarships. Fifty students are awarded a one-time grant of $1000, while 25 receive awards of $10,000, which are disbursed at the rate of $2,500 per year and are renewable annually. The scholarships are disbursed to the college or university at the beginning of the recipient's freshman year.
Applicants compete in one of five geographic regions in which the parent's Teamster Local Union is located. Eligibility requirements and application procedures are the same for all awards. Recipients are chosen by an impartial committee of university admissions and financial aid directors, who base their decision on the applicant's academic achievements, SAT/ACT scores, character, potential and financial need.
We consider all applicants regardless of race, religion, gender, disability, or any other legally protected status.
<http://www.teamster.org/scholarship/0203winners.htm>
AFL-CIO Scholarship Center
Every year, thousands of college students receive scholarships and grants from the union movement. For information, see the AFL-CIO Guide to Union-Sponsored Scholarships, Awards and Student Financial Aid, which describes more than $4 million in scholarships and includes details on eligibility, application deadlines and contact information. Although it cannot possibly track every scholarship offered by the almost 38,000 local unions in the United States, it does include the major scholarship programs; nevertheless, this is a good place to start a search for financial aid for higher education.
<http://www.aflcio.org/scholarships/scholar.htm>
Resources for Union Families
Students of working families are eligible for various union-sponsored scholarships. Members can look into these programs and apply for wonderful opportunities that make continuing education more affordable.
Take a moment to find the scholarships that target your needs. Here are three great sources:
Union Plus Scholarship
For more than 10 years, the Union Plus Scholarship program has supported working families pursuing post-secondary education.
<http://www.unionpriv.org/benefits/education/scholarships/up.cfm>
Union Plus, National Labor College Scholarship
With the National Labor College at the George Meany Center for Labor Studies in Silver Spring, MD, America's unions have their own college: a national center that provides continuous labor education for all union activists.
Union Privilege is the largest contributor to the new Union Plus National Labor College Scholarship, administered by the George Meany Center. Each year a total of $25,000 is awarded to eligible students attending the National Labor College program.
Union Privilege is the leading contributor to this labor scholarship. <http://www.unionpriv.org/benefits/education/scholarships/nlcs.cfm>
Wired Scholarship Search
If your union has a scholarship to submit to the Wiredscholar.com database, please complete and submit the form.
<http://www.unionpriv.org/benefits/education/wired/frame_scholar.cfm>
More Free Scholarship information:
Broke Scholar
BrokeScholar, a free database that allows students and parents to search for financial aid and college scholarships, matches student profiles with more than 900,000 scholarships (worth over $3 billion) to find the most relevant and obtainable opportunities. Find applicable scholarships, automatically create application letters, view a personalized deadline calendar or locate scholarships using the keyword search feature.
<http://www.brokescholar.com/googlemain.cfm?iGTD_ID=13>
Chela Financial Scholarships
Chela Financial strives to make the dream of higher education come true. During the past year, they have dedicated more than $500,000 to scholarships that help motivate students and inspire teachers to reach their goals. For the past five years, they have been providing scholarship opportunities and the future has never looked brighter. <http://www.chelafinancial.com/students/Scholarships.cfm?referurl=google_scholarships>
2002 Colleges, College Scholarships, and Financial Aid
This page offers college bound students, parents, and counselors easy access to information on:
- Free college scholarship and financial aid searches
- Colleges and universities throughout the United States
- SAT and ACT test preparation tips, and more
This invaluable resource is an online directory that provides contact information (web links, e-mail, phone numbers and address) of admissions and financial aid offices; it links you to the websites of more than a thousand colleges and universities - many include online applications. You will even find information on graduate schools, MBA programs, GRE/GMAT exams, TOEFL, community colleges, African-American colleges, and living on campus.
<http://www.college-scholarships.com>
Resources to Teach Young Adults How to Manage Money
Maryland Public Television
Sense and Dollars is an enlightening and enjoyable interactive site from MPT that helps students, teachers, and families understand economics. It is shows how young people can live within their means and save money - even a ten-year-old can start budgeting! It clears up the mysteries of interest rates and provides important information that will prevent a young person from ending up in the vicious cycle of revolving credit. It even has quizzes that can help some adults!
<http://www.mpt.org/learningworks/senseanddollars>
Young Investor
The award-winning Young Investor Program was launched in 1993 to educate young people about investing. It offers articles on saving money, starting a business, and answering money questions.
<http://www.younginvestor.com/flash/index_flash.html>
Articles of Interest
Washington Post
Take a Break, Jake......... What I learned from not going to college
by Jake Jeppson
This is the true story of Jake Jeppson, a high school graduate with doubts about going to college. After being turned down by his first-choice schools, Princeton and the University of Virginia, Jake decided to use this rejection to his advantage - and to do something about it. This article explores a young mans' experiences, how he sought counseling and how he finally found work experience. Jake learns that taking a year off was the best decision he could make. He learned about survival on his own terms.
<http://nl12.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WP&p_theme=wpost&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_text_search-0=Jeppson&p_field_label-0=Section&s_dispstring=Jeppsonsection(*)%20AND%20date(last%20185%20days)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=-185qzD&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no>
For Grads, a Way Out: District Residents Get a New Trade and the Skills to Build a New Life
By Michael Vasquez
Washington Post Staff Writer
This article about hope: it is about adults overcoming hardship to get an education and learn a skill, one that will earn them a decent salary. It shows us that people can achieve success without going to college.
Here he was, trying hard to get used to the moment. Robert Utley, the graduate. Robert Utley, the A student ...and most stunning of all, Robert Utley the valedictorian! Utley, who grew up in the harsh streets of Southwest Washington, D.C., had seemingly forgone such moments long ago, when he left school for the quick and easy cash of those streets. By the time he was 16, he had already done time.
With adulthood, came convictions for armed robbery and second-degree murder. In 1995, Utley, 41, finished a 16-year prison stint. But, he and the nine other graduating students gathered in the Friendship House Auditorium to prepare for a new and better life. In just 13 weeks, they had left behind their troubled past and were now certified apprentice carpenters trained to do construction work. They had found a trade, a career, a way of life - and a way out. Utley, who had not missed a single class during those weeks, had not cared that their "classroom" was an abandoned building in a drug-infested neighborhood. "Every day as we were coming to class, we would see people getting locked up," Utley said before the graduation ceremony. "But we just had to continue doing what we were doing."
To become carpenters, the students -- who averaged a fifth-grade reading and math level when they began -- would have to master fractions, some algebra and a host of tools. They would also have to work the same hours as those of construction workers -- the classes started at 7:30 a.m.
But, some would not rise to the challenge. The 10 graduates represented slightly less than half of those who had joined when the classes began.
American Community Partnerships (ACP), a nonprofit organization offering similar classes in 30 cities nationwide, provides the classes to D.C. public housing residents. Although ACP president Edward J. Gorman III has seen plenty of graduations before, this one had a special meaning for him; he, like Robert Utley, also grew up in the District. Gorman, an experienced labor lawyer, organized his first training class in San Francisco in 1994. Today, Gorman has formed partnerships with local and federal organizations to fund the classes. The success of the Southwest D.C. program has spread quickly -- organizers say they have about 70 individuals interested in the next set of classes. Those classes will include not only public housing residents but also Hispanic workers who are eager to improve their English as well as moving up the construction career ladder. "Part of the reason the program is a success," says Gorman, "is that construction unions have been extremely welcoming to its graduates." He adds, "With the District's redevelopment renaissance in full gear, there's a lot of building to be done. We try to connect the need in the industry with the people who need help."
All ten graduates had been offered construction jobs (which start at around $12.50 an hour.) But the graduates plan to continue their education; once every other week, for the next four years, they will attend classes that allow them to become journeyman carpenters.
When Phyllis Jordan, a 40-year-old mother of three, walked up to the stage to receive her certificate, she cried. So did her instructor, Gary Holley, a longtime construction worker. He knew how she struggled to grasp the course's required math and how she worried about putting her mentally disabled 16-year-old daughter into childcare. Still, Jordan had resolved to find a better life. "I'd like to thank all of you, all of you, for your love and understanding and patience," she told the crowd of relatives and classmates.
<http://nl12.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WP&p_theme=wpost&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_text_search-0=Carpenter&p_field_label-0=Section&s_dispstring=Carpentersection(*)%20AND%20date(last%20185%20days)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=-185qzD&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no>
Get Connected: Web Site Links
The following are all resources to help families plot a course to obtain help in figuring out the scholarship, and financial aid ins and outs. These sites will assist with financial planning for higher education.
Saving for College
<http://www.sensible-investor.com/savcollege.html>
SmartMoney
The SmartMoney magazine college planning site SmartMoney's College Planning Answer Center offers a few calculators and several useful magazine articles about saving for college, including "Tax-Wise Ways to Save for College" and "How Will You Get There? (First of all, don't panic.)"
<http://www.smartmoney.com/ac/collegeplanning>
T. Rowe Price
College Funding pages are easy to use -- just the thing for a quick overview of how much college money you'll need to save before a child's freshman year, and how close you are to having enough.
<http://www.troweprice.com/college>
Kiplinger's
Go straight to this site's Managing College section and its College Planning Center pages. The majority of the content consists of articles reprinted from the Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. Some of them are a few years old, but they all contain suggestions that remain valuable. Particularly useful is advice on "Winning the Financial Aid Game," and a calculator for the amount of financial aid that a family can expect. There's also advice on the best college-savings strategies for various times - specifically, when your child is: 18 years away from college, 10 years away, 5 years away, and 1 year away from college.
<http://www.sensible-investor.com/savcollege.html>
End of Issue
To find out more about the Teamsters Union--a vital part of your community in the U.S. and Canada--and our School-to-Work network, visit http://edu.teamster.org/edu.asp and http://www.ibtstw.org.
If you received an email sending you to this page, it is because you subscribed to be a part of the Teamsters Skills for Tomorrow listserv network. Should you wish to unsubscribe, please click on the following link. http://www.ibtstw.org/listunsubscribe.asp.
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