Digital Humanities video chat 8.13.12 from 12-1PM

On August 13, 2012, from 12:00 to 1:00 pm, the Connecticut State Library will be hosting the second digital chat focusing on Digital Humanities in Connecticut (see the first digital chat here).

The platform is Google+ Hangouts, which allows up to ten participants to join in a live video conference discussion. More information about joining the session here.

Preliminary topics are:

·         Collaborative projects

·         Using geospatial tools to teach and present history in new ways

·         Using Google Refine to clean your metadata

Joining the Connecticut State Library’s Christine Pittsley in this discussion will be:
Michael Howser – University of Connecticut Libraries, Map and Geographic Information Center (MAGIC)
Greg Colati – Director, University Archives & Special Collections, Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut
Tom Scheinfeldt – Managing Director, The Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University
Clarissa Ceglio - Research Associate, The Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media and Content Manager, ConnecticutHistory.org
Brenda Miller – Curator, Hartford History Center at the Hartford Public Library

Free Office webinars every Tuesday

 From Microsoft.

All the details are available here.

Join MS' Doug Thomas every Tuesday for free webinars about how to use Office programs. You can watch the Office 15-Minute Webinars live, or view them later. They run 9:15 am-9:30 am Pacific time (adding three hours that's 12:15PM here) on Tuesdays with a live Q&A session following.

You can also download a calendar reminder for the series.Upcoming topics below.

August 14	SkyDrive & Web Apps	Upgrades to the Office Web Apps and SkyDrive	We'll explore these free, online services and the new features recently released.
August 7	The Next Office	A tour of the new Office	A new Office has arrived. We'll do a quick tour of the most popular programs in the Customer Preview.
July 31	The Next Office	A first look at the new Office preview	Let's kick the tires a bit and see how you sign-in to get Office on all your machines.

Youth Community Action Heroes

GenerationOn, the youth division of the Points of Light Institute, and Hasbro, Inc., invite young people to use their summer to take action and make their mark through the summer 2012 "The World Needs MoreCommunity Action Heroes" campaign. 

Bringing together the nation's leading youth service organizations and programs under one umbrella, generationOn is a global youth service movement that works to inspire, equip, and mobilize youth to take action that changes the world, and themselves, through service.

Ten mini-grants of $500 are available to select applicants who participate in community service projects over the summer and report on the projects at the generationOn Web site. Young people ages 13 and older are eligible for the grant.

Deadline: August 20, 2012




Nature Explore Classroom Grants

The Mary Kay Foundation has partnered with The Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation to fund Nature Explore Classroom grants. 

Nature Explore Classrooms are outdoor learning spaces designed to include nature in the daily lives and learning of children. Research shows that nature can help soften the impact of life stress on children, help them deal with adversity and reduce or eliminate anti-social behavior.

The maximum award amount is about $50,000. Deadline: August 15, 2012
.

2 for school musical instruments: Mockingbird, Classics for Kids

1.) Classics for Kids

Schools and non-profits that can show evidence of need and commitment to raising matching funds are candidates for the Classics for Kids (http://www.classicsforkids.org/grants.html) matching grant program.

Grant applications accepted quarterly; deadlines are: June 30, Sept. 30, Dec. 31 and Mar. 31.

2.) The Mockingbird Foundation

Competitive grants for schools and nonprofits that effect improvements in areas of importance focusing on music education for children. Multiple grants ranging from $100-$5,000 will be awarded to select applicants. See http://mbird.org/funding/guidelines/ for details.

Deadline: August 1, 2012


RESIST grants for social change

RESIST funds organizations that are actively part of a movement for social change and demonstrate an understanding of the connections among oppressions. Guidelines.

RESIST gives small ($4,000 maximum) but timely grants and loans to grassroots groups engaged in activist organizing and educational work within movements for social change. They support strategies that build community, encourage collaborations with other organizations, increase skills and/or access to resources, and produce leadership from the constituency being most directly affected. 

High priority is given to groups that fall outside of mainstream funding sources because they are considered to be too "radical." To this end, RESIST supports both ongoing or new projects that address social and/or economic injustice.  

A sample of RESIST 's interests include: community organizing and anti-racism projects; economic justice; environmental protection; the struggle for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights; health, AIDS and disability issues; labor; progressive media and culture resources; Native Americans/native peoples; peace/anti-militarism; prisoners; women; and youth.  

Proposal Deadlines: occur every eight weeks. Guidelines.

RESIST offers 4 types of grant: 1.) general support grants; 2.) technical assistance grants; 3.) emergency grants; and 4.) accessibility grants.

Learning Disabilities Foundation of America

The Learning Disabilities Foundation of America is accepting grant applications for projects which respond to an unmet need in the field of learning disabilities.

Funds are granted for charitable, scientific, literary or educational purposes or for the identification, ongoing evaluation and education of and services for children and adults with learning disabilities.

Examples of project areas that fall within this philosophy:
* Innovative research into the causes, the prevention and/or the alleviation of learning disabilities;
* Distinctive public awareness programs to advance public understanding of the needs of persons with learning disabilities;
* Innovative programs to advance the competence of persons with learning disabilities, and the support skills of their families, professional advisors, and employers.

Grant application guidelines.

Deadlines: March 1 and September 15.

Good Neighbor Student Achievement Grants

State Farm is sponsoring these YSA (Youth Service America) grants for up to $1,500 for programs enhancing student achievement through service-learning in K-12 public schools.

Each grant engages participating teachers and students in a service and learning program that promotes academic achievement, 21^st Century student outcomes, and stronger communities. The State Farm Good Neighbor Student Achievement Grant requires a 12-to-14 week Semester of Service™ starting on MLK Day of Service (January 21^, 2013) and ending on Global Youth Service Day, (April 26-28, 2013).

For more details read through the pdf Program Overview and/or start the online application.

Applications must be submitted by July 31, 2012.

YSA will offer a series of regional trainings in selected geographic locations to be determined by the locations of successful applicants.  Each regional training will introduce grantees to the elements and expectations of the program, presenting the suite of tools, resources, and support that YSA will provide. 

Attendance at one regional training is a required element of participation in the State Farm Good Neighbor Student Achievement Grant program. This grant, valued at $1,500, includes the costs of your attendance at the regional training as well as up to $1,000 in grant funding for your program.