October 2009: Message from the Director

Dear Educator,

It is hard to believe that autumn is upon us and that the school year has already begun to hit its stride. As one of our respected educators, we certainly value the time and effort you put in each day to give your students the best learning experience possible. Your constant efforts are truly a service to your community. The theme of Leadership Link this month focuses on the importance of service in the community. Be sure to share today’s lesson plan with your students, which demonstrates how service can be a catalyst for change. Help your students to understand that service is not merely helping an individual or single cause; even small steps in the right direction can lead to big results.

Also be on the lookout for the article on our partnership with By Kids For Kids, which includes a great opportunity for your students to compete in the Invention Dimension national competition. Some of your more inventive minds may jump at the opportunity to showcase their skills for the chance to win some great prizes. Certainly don’t forget to take a look at the “Bring Public Service to the Classroom!” article that describes the unique opportunity some of our students had to participate in a nationwide webcast with the United States Association of Former Members of Congress.

As you can see, exciting times are upon us here at CYLC. As always, please e-mail me at anita@cylc.org with any questions, comments or suggestions you may have. Be on the lookout for next month's issue to arrive on November 3rd. Until then, I wish you continued success in the classroom from one educator to another!

Best Wishes,

Anita Barrett, M. Ed.
Managing Director of Academic Affairs
Congressional Youth Leadership Council

For Our Classroom to Yours: Lesson on Service and Community

Service is often seen as being something that is merely helpful rather than a catalyst for change, a method for healing or an opportunity to fortify bonds and strengthen a community. The lesson this month is designed to help your students realize they have a voice and can take small steps to make a big impact on issues that are of importance to them.

Click Here to view this month's lesson - Lesson on Service and Community. You will be asked to login using the password you received via e-mail at the time you subscribed to CYLC Mentor Newsletter.

Did you use this lesson plan with your students? Please share some of your classroom experiences with using this lesson plan or share suggestions with your teachers on ways you adapted this lesson plan to work for you.

Bring Public Service to Your Classroom!

This fall, some of our National Young Leaders Conference scholars will participate in The Civics Connection, which is a series of webcasts designed to help students understand the inner workings of the United States Congress. The Civics Connection is a partnership between the United States Association of Former Members of Congress and the Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government. During each webcast, the scholars will get to pose questions and interact with former members of congress, as they discuss political issues in today’s society to be viewed live in classrooms nationwide.

There will be three Civics Connection webcasts this fall. The first webcast took place on September 23rd, 2009, on the topic of "Choosing Congress: Pursuing Public Service on the National Stage." Two former Representatives spoke about what it takes to get elected and fielded some great questions from our scholars. To view the entire September webcast, click here.

You can watch the upcoming webcast(s) live, or view them at a later date. You may register at any time by clicking here.

October Webcast: So, You Got Elected. Now What?
Wednesday, October 7th at 2 p.m. ET.
Former members of the U.S. Congress discuss how they dealt with the challenges of their new positions, how they learned how things really work, and how they navigated the labyrinth that we call public policy making.

November Webcast: How a Bill Really Becomes a Law
Wednesday, November 11th at 2 p.m. ET.
What are the mechanics of policy making? How does the congressional committee system work, and what does that mean in the context of representation? Why do political parties matter so much in Congress?

We hope you will enjoy using this resource with your students.

National Rural Educator of the Year

The National Rural Education Association (NREA), America’s oldest and most prestigious national organization for rural schools, awards one rural teacher the National Rural Teacher of the Year award and an honorarium of $2,000. This year, Ms. Amy McBroom of the Grand Canyon Unified School District, is their honoree.

To read Ms. McBroom’s inspirational story, click here.

Alumni Spotlight - Criss Salinas

Criss Salinas attended the National Young Leaders Conference (NYLC) in the spring of 2004. This high-achieving scholar from Schuyler, Nebraska is a senior at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, NE (UNK) and is currently applying for graduate school to obtain a masters degree in Spanish Literature. Criss credits NYLC with giving him the opportunity to dream big and to aspire to be the best of the best.

This past summer, Criss was one of only 24 undergraduate students in the nation selected to participate in the Congressional Hispanic Congress Institute (CHCI) Internship Program in Washington, D.C. During his eight weeks in Washington, Criss gained work experience, participated in a community service project and received educational and professional instruction provided by CHCI. Criss has been active in community service while at college, mentoring students at Bryant Elementary School through his membership with Sigma Lambda Beta. He was awarded the UNK Multicultural Community Service Scholarship two years in a row for his leadership in multicultural school and community activities. Criss also served as the chair of the seventh annual Nebraska Cultural Unity Conference (NCUC) and as Director of Student Organizations with Student Government.

We appreciate Criss's service. Congratulations and best wishes for a successful future!

Engage Your Students in their Education!

In response to President Barack Obama’s challenge to our nation’s youth to take greater responsibility for their education, the U.S. Department of Education is asking students to participate in a national video contest titled “I Am What I Learn.” The contest is open to active middle, secondary and college students, ages 13 and older. Your students can submit their videos at www.ed.gov/iamwhatilearn through November 2, 2009. Click here to view the available contest rules.

Encourage your students to share their stories about where their education and career training can take them – and have the opportunity to win $1,000!

Do you know an Outstanding Social Studies Teacher?

The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) is making its call for nominations/applications for the 2010 Outstanding Social Studies Teacher of the Year Awards at the elementary, middle, and secondary school levels to celebrate and promote excellent social studies instruction. Award winners receive a commemorative gift, a $2,500 cash prize, up to $500 in travel reimbursements, recognition at the NCSS annual conference, a chance to present their work during a conference session and publicity.

Please nominate an outstanding teacher from your district. Self-nominations are also allowed! A complete listing and description of NCSS recognition programs can be accessed online here.

By Kids For Kids: Invention Dimension

We are pleased to continue our relationship with By Kids For Kids (BKFK), and to introduce you to their Invention Dimension national competition. BKFK has partnered with Toys "R" Us, Inc. and JAKKS Pacific in this competition to search for the hottest new toys, games and sporting goods created by kids! Learn more about the competition here. In addition to cash prizes and trips to Southern California and New York City, the Grand Prize winner will be given the opportunity to name the teacher or mentor who was most inspirational in their invention process. That teacher/mentor will receive a $500 JAKKS Pacific School/Classroom Supply pack.

To support the mission of inspiring inventive thinking in tomorrow’s leaders, BKFK has created custom educational materials for you in support of Invention Dimension. The curriculum will include lesson plans and activities to get your students excited about inventing. The materials are available to you for free and can be downloaded at www.bkfk.com/teachers.