Sen. Murkowski's Education Newsletter for the week of January 18
Education News You Can Use
Apply Now for Senator Murkowski’s High School Summer Internship
Program
Senator Murkowski is accepting applications for her 2011 High School Summer Internship Program now through March 11, 2011. Alaskan students who will graduate from high school this spring are eligible to apply. The High School Intern Program is an opportunity for young people to learn about the United States Senate and the political process and to gain experience working in a professional office. Successful applicants will be well-rounded individuals who are able to demonstrate excellent communication skills and who are willing to work hard and have fun.
Interns will:
- Assist the Senator and her staff in serving Alaskans;
- Assist with day-to-day clerical and administrative tasks;
- Perform research and assist in drafting legislation;
- Shadow the Senator through a full legislative day;
- Experience first-hand how the legislative process works in the United States Senate; and
- Have the opportunity enjoy the many educational and cultural activities that are available in the Washington D.C. area.
More information and the link to the online application are available at https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Internships. Paper applications are also being sent to Alaskan high schools. Please note that paper applications should be returned by fax to 202-224-5301 to avoid long delays due to Capitol mail screening procedures. Applications that are mailed and arrive after the deadline will not be accepted. If you have any questions, please contact Rochelle Hanscom, the Senator’s Intern Coordinator, at 202-224-6665.
Library of Congress Makes Maps Available Online
The Geography and Maps Division of the Library of Congress has made desk-sized maps of the world, world regions, and individual countries available online, free of charge. There are two links by which Alaskans can download these maps. They are:
- The American Memory Map Collections at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/mapsSince1960.html. Here, you can download individual desk-sized maps of many countries and regions of the world as well as various maps of the earth. This is the collection from which Senator Murkowski has been donating hard copies of maps.
- Places in the News Map Collections at http://www.loc.gov/today/placesinthenews/archive/2010.html. These are newly-released maps of countries, areas, and regions that have recently been in the news, such as Haiti, Afghanistan, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf, and the Korean Peninsula.
Library of Congress Announces 2011 Summer Teacher Institutes
The five-day institutes are designed to introduce educators to the millions of digitized primary sources available on the Library's Web site and to give teachers the tools to use these resources in their classrooms. Seven individual five-day sessions held at the Library of Congress in 2011. Sessions are free and fill up fast. Interested teachers are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, but not later than the February 4 application deadline. The 2011 sessions will be held on the following dates:
- Session 1: May 23-27
- Session 2: June 6-10
- Session 3: June 13-17
- Session 4: July 11-15 (Civil War Focus)
- Session 5: July 18-22
- Session 6: August 1-5
- Session 7: August 8-12
Participants have the option of obtaining 3 graduate credits (for a fee) from George Mason University for completing all Summer Teacher Institute requirements. For additional information and to apply for the Summer Teacher Institute, go to: www.loc.gov/teachers/professionaldevelopment/teacherinstitute/apply. If you can’t make it to DC, professional development opportunities are also available online at www.loc.gov/teachers/professionaldevelopment/.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Proposes Changes for School Meal Standards
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will take comments on proposed rule changes that are designed to align the School Breakfast and School Lunch programs’ dietary standards to those of the most recent (2005) Dietary Guidelines. The proposed rule would increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, who grains, and fat free/low fat milk into school meals as well as reduce sodium and saturated fat. Comments must be received by the Department on or before April 13, 2011. More information is available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-485.htm.
Loussac Library Requests Input on their Ready to Read Resource Center
The Library, which provides books and other resources to children from birth to age 3 and their caregivers (including health professionals, early childhood education centers, Head Start, and rural libraries), is asking for ideas about how they can improve their services. You can fill out their survey by January 23rd at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9N5RWL6.
HHS Issues Three Federal Register Notices
- Notice of Revised Child Outcomes Framework: Announces the revised and re-named Head Start Child Development and Learning Framework. http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-195.htm
- Tracking of Participants in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project: HHS will continue to track children and families who participated in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project in the event that a followup will take place in the future. http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-207.htm
- Issuance of Final Policy Directive: The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) is issuing final interpretive rules, general statements of policy and rules of agency organization, procedure, or practice relating to the following Funding Opportunity Announcements: Social and Economic Development Strategies, Social and Economic Development Strategies–Tribal Governance, Social and Economic Development Strategies—Assets for Independence, Native Language Preservation and Maintenance, Native Language Preservation and Maintenance–Esther Martinez Initiative, and Environmental Regulatory Enhancement. This notice also provides information about how ANA will administer these programs. http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-285.htm
