From The Council

The 2011 National Ag Ed Summit, sponsored by The National Council for Agricultural Education and the National FFA Organization, will be held March 2-4, 2011 in Orlando, Florida. This event expands the National Ag Ed Inservice held in recent years to also include strategy and solutions sessions focused on SAE programs, academic integration, and transformational leadership within our profession.

Registration information, financial support for state representatives, and a draft program will be available October 1. Registration opens November 1. All interested in advancing school-based agricultural education are invited to attend. As you begin planning your travel, keep in mind that the Rosen Centre Hotel conference rate of $112 per night single/double is available for up to three days before and three days after the Summit, based on availability.

See you in Orlando!

From FFA

Are You Ready to FFA Learn?
Teachers: Are you looking for useful, relevant classroom materials to use in areas like animal production, agriculture literacy, food safety and leadership at no charge?  FFA is proud to announce FFA Learn! FFA Learn has classroom-ready educational tools aligned with national curriculum standards for science, math and social studies to help promote agricultural and statistical literacy. And, LifeKnowledge is now available at no charge. Register at http://ffa.learn.com. For additional information about FFA Learn and the resources available, contact Kim Henry, khenry@ffa.org.

2010 SAE Grants Available
The submission period for the 2010 supervised agricultural experience program (SAE) grants opened Sept. 1. A listing of available grants and the application will be available on the SAE website. These grants are awarded to members with financial need and the best plans for use of the funds in their production area. The applications deadline is November 15. For more information, e-mail dsellers@ffa.org.

Enlist Farmer Support to Apply for $2,500 Donation for Your Chapter
In partnership with the Monsanto Fund, a locally focused initiative called America's Farmers Grow Communities has been created, giving farmers the opportunity to receive $2,500 that is donated in their name to their favorite community non-profit organization. Results have been tremendous; FFA chapters received almost $98,000 in the first pilot. The national launch began Aug. 31 and the program is expanding to include 38 states and 1,201 counties across the country. Farmers, age 21 and older, who actively farm a minimum of 250 acres of corn, soybeans, cotton and/or vegetables in the qualifying counties are eligible. For every farmer who signs up, $1 will be donated to the United Way on behalf of the Monsanto Fund. The application process is simple: just visit  www.growcommunities.com and fill out a short form by Dec. 31 or call 877-267-3332.

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From NAAE

Teacher's World at FFA Convention
Coming to the National FFA Convention? Make sure to schedule some time to visit Teacher's World in the Career Show. You'll find resources for classroom, great professional development workshops, and even an internet cafe just for agricultural educators.

Teacher's World exhibits will be in the back right corner of the career show, workshops and lounge will be just across the hall in specially reserved rooms. Don't miss it!

Teach Ag Poster Build Contest
Participate in our Teach Ag poster build contest - get a great free poster for your classroom, get your students thinking about a career in agricultural education, and enter to win a $350 classroom supplies grant. Details>>

Running for NAAE office?
If you want to run for NAAE Regional Vice president or Regional Secretary, you must submit a completed Memorandum of Understanding to NAAE by September 15th. Download a MOU>>

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From ACTE

Community College and Career Training Grant Webinar
Community colleges will soon be able to apply for grants to fund educational or career training for workers who are eligible under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act. Learn about the grant and its eligibility and application process at a free ACTE Webinar today at 1:00 p.m. ET. Register today!

PSA Contest Upload Open
ACTE is now accepting submissions to its student video PSA contest! Videos should be 29 seconds in length, promote CTE and include the CTE Month 2011 logo. Get all the rules and details on the submission process, including how to upload PSAs to ACTE's Facebook page and where to mail a hard copy and required forms, at ACTE's PSA Contest headquarters.

From AgrowKnowledge:

Advanced Technological Education Television is an award winning on-line video series with up to the minute information connecting students with education and employment opportunities. Showcasing the best in Advanced Technological Education from community colleges and across the country, ATETV features a new episode every Monday and networking capabilities to connect ATE students and educators with prospective employers in technical fields.

AgrowKnowledge is a National Resource Center, one of the ATE Centers funded in part by the National Science Foundation, Department of Undergraduate Education. Several episodes relate in whole or in part directly to agriculture, food, and natural resources.

You will see students from recent high school graduates those returning to the classroom after 10-25 years all preparing for jobs in today’s rapidly changing jobs.

Students, parents, educators, and industry can benefit viewing ATETV features. A few of the episodes are can be viewed here. To access all ATETV episodes, go to: http://www.atetv.org/

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From the U.S. Dept. of Education

How the Blueprint for Reform Empowers Teachers
What is President Obama’s Blueprint for Reform? How will the proposed changes affect teachers and classrooms?

To discover answers to these questions, check out a new brochure, Built for Teachers: How the Blueprint for Reform Empowers Teachers. Written by teachers and for teachers, the brochure highlights issues in the Secretary’s plans to revise and reauthorize the ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act), focusing on those of particular concern for teachers. Specifically, it addresses educational challenges posed by the current NCLB (No Child Left Behind) law and how the Blueprint answers these challenges. For example, one section of the brochure addresses concerns that NCLB has narrowed the curriculum, neglecting subjects other than reading and math, and it describes the Blueprint’s strategy for tackling this issue. The brochure also raises common questions about the reauthorization of the ESEA, including state competitions for federal dollars, as well as specific issues facing charter schools, urban, and rural schools.

The text of the brochure is available here.

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CAST Friday Notes

Click here for the most current issue of CAST Friday Notes, provided by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology thanks to the generous support of Winfield Solutions, LLC

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