November 2009: Message from the Director

Dear Educator,

This is my favorite time of year! In Washington, D.C. right now the leaves are changing and the air is crisp and clean. I find myself looking forward to several months of holidays filled with tradition. From Halloween and Thanksgiving, to your school’s own traditions like back-to-school night and homecoming, these traditions help us remember the past and provide us with keepsakes to pass down to future generations.

In this edition of the newsletter there is a section on “Celebrating Tradition in the Classroom.” I have provided you with a lesson plan which will help you facilitate a discussion on tradition with your students.

Please continue to e-mail me at anita@cylc.org with your questions, comments and suggestions. I enjoy receiving your feedback and I am always looking for ways to make this newsletter an even better resource for you.

Best Wishes,

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

Celebrating Tradition in Your Classroom

As autumn turns to winter, we begin planning for many annual traditions, both at home and in the classroom. We don’t just celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving in the fall; it is also common for high schools and universities to host homecoming activities during October and November. Homecoming traditions often include football games, dances, pep rallies, etc. – all activities designed to enhance a sense of community and school pride. Use this lesson plan in your classroom to help your students consider traditions involving their families, school, community or culture.

To access this lesson plan, go to www.cylc.org/leadershiplink and enter the password educate.

Scholars Address Former Members of Congress

This fall, some 10th, 11th and 12th graders attending the National Young Leaders Conference (NYLC) had the honor of participating in The Civics Connection, a series of webcasts broadcast to classrooms nationwide, 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 pose questions and interact with former members of congress, as they discuss political issues in today’s society.

The September webcast topic was "Choosing Congress: Pursuing Public Service on the National Stage." You may view the September webcast by clicking here.

The October webcast topic was "So You Got Elected. Now What?” View the October webcast with your students by clicking here.

The final fall webcast,“How a Bill Really Becomes a Law,” can be viewed live on Wednesday, November 11th at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. You will hear the representatives answer NYLC students' questions about the mechanics of policy making, how the congressional committee system works and what that means in the context of representation. If you would like to view the webcast live, click here to register.

Celebrate Great Schools During American Education Week

We celebrate another important tradition this month during American Education Week. The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Legion co-sponsored the first ever American Education Week from December 4-10, 1921. American Education Week highlights the importance of bringing together teachers, school staff, parents, students and communities in a unified effort to build great public schools. It is a way to give thanks for all the hard work that is done by educators in local school districts throughout the United States.

This year, American Education Week is observed the week before Thanksgiving, November 15-21, 2009. On its website, the NEA provides tools to help plan your classroom celebration. Click here to access these resources.

The Milken Family Foundation Recognizes Amazing Educators

Since 1987, the Milken Family Foundation has been recognizing exceptional elementary and secondary school teachers, principals and specialists who are furthering excellence in U.S. schools. In 2009, they will award more than $1.2 million to more than 50 educators across the nation with individual $25,000 National Educator Awards.

So far this year, 28 incredible educators across the country have been awarded this prestigious award. While all of their stories are great, we're sharing how Dilhani Uswatte, an 8th grade mathematics teacher from Birmingham, Alabama earned her award. Click here to read her story. Ms. Uswatte shares her drive to become a teacher in her moving acceptance speech, viewable here.

For more information on the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award and a complete list of award winners, visit www.mff.org/mea.

Bringing Leadership to Life

After initially thinking that he was going to pursue a career in government or public policy, NYLC alumnus Shaun Kupferberg realized that he could apply the leadership skills he developed at NYLC in any profession. According to Shaun, leadership “can take many forms” and people lead “quietly, vocally, with humility, and with exuberance.” As a result Shaun now has his dream job running the volleyball program at Jacksonville University in Florida.

Shaun attended NYLC in 1995 and said that the experience was so influential, he still recalls almost every moment of his time in Washington, D.C. He credits the strong learning environment with humanizing, for him, the power of government, and for strengthening his skills in debate, leadership, and public speaking.

However, for Shaun, his greatest memory of NYLC is of meeting his wife Erin. Erin was in his small meeting group, and when they returned home, they stayed close by writing letters, and eventually e-mails. The couple was married college graduation, five years after meeting at NYLC. Shaun and Erin have been married for nine years, and live in Jacksonville, Florida with their two children, Payton (2) and Kyle (5 months).

Increase Your Students' Attention, Enjoyment and Retention

Studies have shown that approximately 83% of human learning occurs visually. Brian Daniel,a professional magician, believes that you can use magic tricks to capture your students’ attention and to help them understand the principles you are teaching. Read about teachers using magic in their classrooms here.

By Kids For Kids Invention Dimension

Last month, we introduced you to the By Kids For Kids (BKFK) Invention Dimension national competition. As a reminder, 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. The deadline for the competition is January 29, 2010, so encourage your students to submit their ideas now! You can learn more about the competition here.

BKFK has also created custom educational materials for you in support of Invention Dimension to help you support the mission of inspiring inventive thinking in tomorrow’s leaders. The curriculum includes 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.