November 2003 Edition

Fall is in the air, leaves are changing color, and the holiday season will soon be here. It’s time for turkey carvings, pumpkin pies, and hot cider. It’s all about family, friends and giving thanks.

High school juniors and seniors may begin thinking about job training, colleges, and careers. Check out Skills For Tomorrow website and listserv for ideas and information on how you can become involved with young people in your area.

We would love to hear from you. To submit information on your organization, or career development curriculum, please email Linn Nguyen at lnguyen@teamster.org.

If you missed previous issues, check it out at: http://www.ibtstw.org/listsubscribe.asp

Thank you!

IBT Education Staff
http://www.ibtstw.org

What's in This Edition

Teamster Updates

        ~ TNBC

Conferences & Meetings Nationwide

~ Students host Thanksgiving Dinner
~ Symposium Gives Insight on Accessing Education Grants
~ Sponsors Needed to Take on Million Book Challenge

Resources to Build Your Own Education Curriculum

~ Good Knight Child Empowerment Network
~ Want to Be an E-Mentor
~ Public Education Network
~ New Web Site Links Schools and Museums
~ Union Plus E-News

Articles of Interest

~ Pacifist teacher Colman McCarthy
~ Environment Education for Kids
~ Public Education Network

Get Connected: Web Site Links

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Teamster Updates

~~~~> Teamsters National Black Caucus Annual Conference

In August 2003, Teamsters Education Coordinator James Beeharilal and Teamsters Local 25 Director of Education and Training Stephen Sullivan conducted school-to-career workshops at the Teamsters National Black Caucus Annual Conference that was held in Jackson, Mississippi.

Two workshops were held on the first day focusing on training participants to give presentations to middle and high school students on the following: workplace rights, Teamster issues and industries, labor law and history, among others. Participants expressed keen interest in these workshops. They felt that very little was being done to teach our youth, the future union members and leaders, about unions.

On the second day, 29 students (accompanied by teacher Eleanor Stewart) from Wingfield High School in Jackson, Mississippi participated in a workshop. These students learned about the Teamsters Union and the different types of workers it represents from Beeharilal. Sullivan coordinated the efforts of Renalda Chambers, Clarence Goodloe and Flo Bailey (participants of the previous day’s workshop and all members of Local 25) in teaching students about labor and the world of work. Sullivan demonstrated with wooden dowels the strength and power of being united for a common cause versus the weakness of going it alone.

More than 50 percent of the students in this session held jobs. As a result, they were enthusiastic in learning about workers’ rights on the job through the “What are Your Rights In The Workplace?” quiz as well as from the discussion that followed. Other Teamsters who advised the group on career preparation included IBT Organizer Lisa Mack, Local 20 Steward Chuck Spruce and Local 769 Business Agent Tyronne Brewster. The day’s session ended with picture taking and further information exchange.

CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS NATIONWIDE

~~~~> Help Students Host World's Largest Thanksgiving Dinner

Count your blessings. That is what we remind our children each Thanksgiving. This year, teach young people in your community that the next step in giving thanks is giving back. Give back to family, to the community, to those who are most in need.

On November 20, 2003, exactly one week before Thanksgiving Day, students across the country will host fundraising dinners to combat hunger and homelessness in their neighborhoods. America's All Stars, in partnership with Campbell Soup and America's Promise National Partners, Youth Service America and The Salvation Army, has introduced this nationwide gathering as an opportunity for all Americans to come together in service to their neighbors; meanwhile they will also incite compassion and build character in young people.

From selling tickets to selecting the menus, students will take the lead in coordinating the dinners, which will take place in their schools. All of the monies and donated items collected from the event will be given to the local Salvation Army in support of their efforts to help those in need. In addition to setting a record for the Guinness Book of World Records, participating youth may proudly earn community service hours that can be applied toward graduation or scholarship requirements. Most rewarding of all, the students will learn first-hand the value of helping a fellow citizen.

"The young people of America will be bringing their communities together to help those who are having a tough time," says Brian Roquemore, America's All Stars' founder and president who headed up the National Thanksgiving Foundation under the Reagan and Bush Administrations. "This is going to be a serving hands operation. It's exciting to see young people experiencing the rewards of serving others and seeing this dedication translate into excellence in character."

Communities and Schools of Promise are encouraged to get students involved in the World's Largest Thanksgiving Dinner. America's All Stars has made dinner planning easy as pie for willing participants. Available on its Web site is a turnkey kit that includes a letter to schools principals, a dinner planning guide and calendar, a sample sales script and a student media release. To view these helpful tools and resources, visit www.forallstars.com.

~~~~> Symposium Gives Insight on Accessing Education Grants

In 2001 alone, individuals and organizations donated more than $31 billion dollars for education programs. Now Schools of Promise and educational professionals serving public and private schools can discover how to effectively identify and access those available resources and maximize your opportunity to secure grants from the federal government, state agencies, private foundations and other external organizations.

The Performance Institute is hosting the 2003 Education Grants Symposium on December 10-11, 2003 at the U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego, Calif. Guest speakers include experts on fundraising and grants. Participants will discuss best practices and address the following areas essential to raising funds for education:

• Improve your access to education grants
• Learn how to comply with mandates
• Establish a winning grants management team
• Navigate the No Child Left Behind Act
• Explore winning strategies and unwritten rules
• Incorporate the latest trends in funding opportunities
• Maximize the potential of your strategic plans
• Know your funding options

Please note: A special discount will be granted to America's Promise affiliates. Simply use the discount code S139-jbs when registering. Space is limited so make a reservation for you and your team today. To register for the 2003 Education Grants Symposium, contact James Simpson at 703-894-0481 x204 or e-mail Simpson@performanceweb.org.

~~~~> Sponsors Needed to Take on Million Book Challenge

First Book is seeking individuals and corporations to meet an unprecedented national challenge presented by Random House Children's Books. During the 4th quarter of 2003, Random House has committed to match every dollar contributed to First Book with a new Random House book up to a maximum of one million books. Because the books have an average retail value of $3.00 to $6.00, any donated dollar will be multiplied many times over.

Every single donor helps First Book put books in the hands of children. First Book will work with individual donors or groups of donors as well as corporations to find unique ways to celebrate contributions. For example, for donations of $50,000 or higher, First Book will

• Provide books for children in need at a multiple of at least three times the donation. Because the retail value of each contributed book is $3.00 to $6.00, a $100,000 contribution actually generates $300,000-$600,000 worth of books to children in need.
• Create custom bookplates to celebrate the donor. First Book will create customized bookplates to commemorate the donor. These bookplates would be placed inside each book that is given to a child.
• Host a special distribution event. First Book will work with the donor to create a celebratory event to be held in a community chosen by the donor that could feature First Book children, local officials, television, radio and print outreach and special reading heroes from the community.
• Acknowledge the donation online. The donation and distribution of books will be announced on the First Book Web site and through a "Friends of First Book" e-mail newsletter that is distributed to First Book volunteers and supporters in communities throughout the country.

For additional information, contact Kyle Zimmer at (202) 393-1222. Please send contributions to First Book, 1319 F Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004.

RESOURCES TO BUILD YOUR OWN EDUCATION CURRICULUM

What to include in your youth outreach programs and activities to educate young people about unions, workers rights, solidarity and child labor. Here are some ideas:

~~~~> PSA on Safety Available

The Good Knight Child Empowerment Network is a nonprofit that works to empower every child in America with the best information on how to stay safe from crime and violence. The network is offering a Spanish/English Public Service Announcement created by Congressman Reyes that you can send to any television station in your area. The 30-second PSA is available by e-mailing Goodknighthood@aol.com. Please indicate what format the local television station will need.

The network is also giving away as many as one million copies of the activities book and DVD featuring the Good Knight child safety, crime and violence prevention program.

Communities of Promise, organizations, youth groups and families are encouraged to give the gift of safety this holiday season by simply ordering this character development tool for children. (Limit 2 per household, also available in Spanish.)

This free offer is only available through the Internet at www.goodknight.org. This offer will end December 25, 2003. Please share this information with others in your community.

~~~~> Want to Be an E-Mentor?

Introducing a new, innovative way for Teamsters to reach out to young people across the nation. E-mentoring through icouldbe.org is your chance to share your time, talent, expertise, and personality to make a difference in the lives of young people all over.

icouldbe.org is an online career mentoring program for high school students. Educators find that students lack access to information on high wage careers in high growth industries. They often bring in speakers or refer students to counselors to obtain information on a limited number of occupations.

Young people make career choices based on inadequate and impersonal information. icouldbe.org provides a rich resource of mentors in high wage, high growth occupations. E-mentoring allows young people to cross geographic and industry lines to learn about a wide variety of possible careers, one-on-one, from the people who do them.

If you would like to share your knowledge about your industry and union, log onto icouldbe.org. Links to icouldbe.org can be found at the Teamsters Education Department website (www.teamster.org) and the Skills For Tomorrow Project website (www.ibtstw.org).

You can help thousands of kids and build our union with a click of the mouse!

• Registration and training take 15 – 30 minutes.
• You commit to at least 20 minutes of mentoring each week for one year.
• Be sure to identify yourself as a Teamster member during registration.

To read more about being a career mentor visit: http://www.ibtstw.org/tools/ementorinfo.html

~~~~> Public Education Network

For the latest on trends, grants and policy reform in public education, visit Public Education Network's </> (PEN) Web site. PEN is a national association of local education funds (LEFs) and individuals working to advance public school reform in low-income communities across our country.

This week's PEN bulletin featured resources available to public schools, including the following Web sites.

• View hundreds of federally supported teaching and learning resources at no charge. Visit the Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE) Web site at http://www.ed.gov/free, established by a working group of more than 30 federal agencies in 1997.
• Fundsnet Online Services is a comprehensive Web site dedicated to providing nonprofit organizations, colleges and universities information on financial resources.
• For information on grant programs, funding sources and technology funding, visit the E-School News Funding Center at http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/funding/.
• A collection of resources and tips to help K-12 educators apply for and obtain special grants for a variety of projects is available at http://www.schoolgrants.org/.

~~~~> New Web Site Links Schools and Museums

On September 15, 2003, the Smithsonian Institution—the world's largest museum organization—officially launched its newest Web site, Smithsonian Education.org. According to Stephanie Norby, director of the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies, the site reflects the work of nearly 1,000 curators, researchers, and scientists, and offers the opportunity to showcase some of the 142 million objects from the Institution's collection. Recently, Education World spoke with Norby about the site and about the Smithsonian's efforts to foster partnerships between museums and schools. Included: Information about Smithsonian Education.org and the museum's annual Open House for Teachers.

Stephanie L. Norby, director of the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies, arrived at the Smithsonian Institution in 1998. Norby, who grew up in Los Angeles, worked in the Kansas City, Missouri, school district from 1986 until 1998. There, she served as director of curriculum, professional development, and assessment. She also worked in the museum community as a curator, and planned public programs, including permanent and traveling exhibits, tours and lecture series, for the Johnson County Museum System in Shawnee Mission, Kansas.

For information please visit: http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/.

~~~~> Union Plus E-News

A Service From Union Privilege for Union Members

www.unionplus.org
October 2003
CONTENTS: Educational Services For Union Members

Here are details about the 2004 Union Plus scholarship: http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/jda2zw51hd_I/

UNION PLUS 2004 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE NOW

If you're thinking about going back to school or have a family member going to college or trade school in the Fall of 2004, apply for a Union Plus Scholarship.

In the past 12 years, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has awarded more than $1.8 million to over 1,100 students pursuing post-secondary education. The Union Plus Scholarship Program is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation, providing individual scholarships ranging from $500 - $4,000.

Learn more about the program and download a scholarship application at: http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/j1a2zw51hd_W//

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES FOR UNION MEMBERS

Union Plus offers union members many other valuable educational services, including:

Access to education and career-training loans: http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/upa2zw51hd_O/

Links to other sources and financial aid options: http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/j1a2zw51hd_W//

A complete, A to Z online resource on college education, created in collaboration with Sallie Mae:

http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/j7a2zw51hd_7/

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Comments or suggestions? Send an email to: mailto:enews@unionprivilege.org

ARTICLES OF INTEREST

~~~~> Pacifist teacher Colman McCarthy doesn't vote, give out grades, or tell students what to think. Instead, he makes them question the answers

By Samantha Stainburn

October 2003, Teacher Magazine

Colman McCarthy knows an easy way to get people riled up. He merely suggests they consider peace.

One morning this past May found the journalist-turned-teacher attempting to get the 15 or so juniors in his "Alternatives to Violence" class at School Without Walls, an experimental public school five blocks from the White House in Washington, D.C., interested in media literacy. It was an unseasonably hot day two weeks before summer vacation and the students sitting in the circle of desks just couldn't get excited about counting the number of articles about violence in the newspapers in front of them. Coming across a story on the Democratic party, McCarthy—a 65-year-old with owlish glasses whose lanky frame was arranged awkwardly in a beat-up chair—decided to pique their interest by making the lesson personal. He started asking rapid-fire questions about the political affiliations of students' families.

"My mom's a registered Republican," one girl answered.

"A registered Republican!" McCarthy exclaimed.

"One of my uncles just converted to become a Republican," another girl volunteered. "The whole family hates him now."

"They hate him now?" said McCarthy. "Well, maybe they should talk to him more, maybe they can bring him back."

"That's what I said," the girl responded.

"What party are you from?" a boy asked McCarthy—a challenge as much as a question. Before the teacher could answer, another student ventured a guess: "Anarchist, right?" she said.

"I am a conscientious nonvoter," McCarthy revealed. "I don't cooperate with the voting system because anybody sworn into office is sworn in to uphold and defend a violent constitution. How can you vote for people who believe in armies? As soon as we get a new constitution that says we're going to solve our problems through nonviolence, I'll be there to participate."

Wide awake now, the class erupted into a din of scandalized voices.

"But what could you do by not voting?" demanded Martha, a café au lait-skinned junior, sitting up and slipping the hood of her black sweatshirt off her head.

"I'm not cooperating with violence," McCarthy said.

"What if there's a candidate who says no to violence?" she probed.

"He's still sworn in to uphold a document that advocates violence!" he responded, his voice rising.

McCarthy's rationale for teaching students about peace, which he's been doing at Washington-area high schools, universities, and other educational organizations for the past 21 years, is simple and compelling: "If we don't teach them peace, someone else will teach them violence," he says. But his classroom digressions make it shockingly easy to write off his classes as the indulgence of a 1960s liberal who's unaware that times have changed. They occur so frequently and stray into such radical territory that he often appoints a student to the post of "digression monitor" with the task of steering the class back on course when it wanders too far a field.

This particular discussion didn't come back. "Well, what if there's, like, two candidates, and one would be a violent leader and one would not?" Martha persisted. "By not voting, the more violent one gets elected. How are you helping nonviolence?"

"We've had 42 presidents so far, and the military budget goes up, up, up, up, up," McCarthy countered. "When are we going to get someone else with all this voting? I haven't seen it yet."

"Well, if you're teaching kids to try to change the whole way this thing is, you need us to vote. You don't want us to vote?" Martha asked incredulously.

Ellen, a white girl in a mismatched Far Side cartoon T-shirt and a skirt, chimed in: "If more people like you had voted in the last election, we probably wouldn't have gone to war with Iraq because we wouldn't have Bush or Cheney or..."

McCarthy cut her off. "You don't think Al Gore, who believes in the death penalty, believes in the military budget, says we'll have a strong defense—when they talk about a strong defense, we know what they mean: They're going to bomb you if you disagree, and we've been doing that all along."

"You can't just eradicate the Constitution," Martha said.

"Why not?" McCarthy asked.

Martha spluttered, and a boy who'd seemed to be only half-listening to the exchange came to her aid: "A lot of people like it," he intoned in a deep baritone. Martha nodded fervently in agreement.

"All right. Then I can't change your mind. Am I getting anywhere?" asked McCarthy.

"No," Martha answered, sounding annoyed.

The teacher shrugged, seemingly accepting defeat. "I don't worry about being a success story. I worry about being faithful. And you can dismiss it as, oh, up in the air, idealistic—a fantasy world." Then his eyes glimmered, and the kids realized the argument was not over yet. "Well, the fantasy world, people, are those who say, 'Well, one more war, and we'll have peace.' I mean, keep voting for people who believe in armies. They want us to vote. They want us to vote!"

McCarthy's belief that peace can only be achieved through peaceful means is what drives him; it underlies every facet of his being. It is, for example, the foundation of his peace studies courses. Post-9/11, after suicidal terrorists attempted to kill as many people as possible with planes turned into bombs, does anyone honestly believe that "evildoers" can be stopped with peace, love, flowers, and not voting? McCarthy does. His courses examine the roots of aggression in the many forms they take—racism, sexual assault, poverty, patriotism, war. In each case, he argues that violence can be defanged with pacifist resistance.

To read article in it’s entirety please visit: http://www.teachermagazine.org/tmstory.cfm?slug=02Peace.h15

~~~~> EEK Cool Stuff

Fall is a great time to get outside and explore. How many things on EEK!'s autumn scavenger hunt can you find? Give it a try. >>

Cool Zones

• Outdoor Events & Activities
• Calendar
• The Riddler
• Tell Us What You Think
• Be Safe
• EEK's Rainy Day Activities
• Big Fish Stories
• Wanted: Kid Artists and Writers
• Nature's Recyclers Coloring Book

For all this fun stuff, go to http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/cool/index.htm

~~~~> Public Education Network

Congress is Trying to Break its Promise to America's Kids

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was created to improve our schools but now Congress won't fund it. NCLB imposes huge new demands on schools that are already being forced to lay off teachers and cut essential programs, thanks to the biggest state budget deficits in years. Without proper funding from Congress, NCLB's expensive new demands will only wind up strangling our struggling schools and leave even more kids behind.

ACT NOW! Don't let Congress break its promise to America's kids. Go to http://www.givekidsgoodschools.com/campaign/back.

GET CONNECTED: WEB SITE LINKS

~~~~> Labor Awareness Program

LAP is a 15-lesson curriculum for high school students, apprentices, new entrants into the workforce, union members, etc. It aims to familiarize students with the world of work and the labor organizations that represent workers. Hats off to Judy Ancel and the University of Missouri’s Labor Studies Center for making a difference with this new program.

http://www.umkc.edu/labor-ed/lap/index.htm

End of Issue

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