In light of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti last week, NPCA is working to connect the greater Peace Corps community to information and resources regarding  relief efforts. Click here to view a synopsis of these efforts and to find ways to contribute.

Additionally, we want to share some educational resources that will help to bring this topic into the classroom. Here are some links that provide materials for teaching about the people and culture of Haiti as well as natural disasters and their impact:

• Kids Around the World - Contains interviews with Haitian children and a resource page on Haiti
• TeachUNICEF - Provides background information about Haiti and lesson plans on humanitarian emergencies
• TeachGlobalEd.net - Links to and describes websites that provide a variety of information and lesson plans on Haitian culture, history, etc.
  
• PBS NewsHour - Provides news stories, photos, video clips, and educational resources on the earthquake in Haiti
• Freely Educate: Links to lesson plans on the earthquake in Haiti, political background information on Haiti, and earthquakes in general

The Council on Standards for International Educational Travel, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction have come together to co-sponsor the 3rd Annual National School Conference on International Youth Exchange. The conference will be held February 19-20, 2010 - Charlotte, North Carolina at the Charlotte Marriott City Center.  This gathering will provide a forum on a wide range of topics related to international youth exchange and will present a unique opportunity for school leaders, educators and administrators to meet and network with school colleagues and leaders of various youth exchange programs.

Who Should Attend This Conference?

International education and exchange advocates, school administrators and educators, including principals and assistant principals, guidance counselors, and foreign language and social studies teachers, are invited to learn, share, and discuss about topics related to international youth exchange.

To learn more about the conference, please visit our website by clicking here. To download the NSC flyer, please click here.

Please contact the CSIET office with any questions at 703-739-9050 or e-mail Beth Oliver at boliver@csiet.org.

International Educators Institute - July 11-16, 2010 - Application deadline February 28, 2010. 

The International Educators Institute is an innovative forest study tour for environmental educators and forest researchers. Combining content-rich, hands-on experiences in the field with a multicultural exchange of best practices in education and research, IEI seeks to advance effective teaching and learning about social, economic, and environmental challenges facing the world's forests. World-class scenery, special behind-the-scenes tours, and interviews with local people are combined with peer-to-peer leadership development.

The program includes:

• 7 days of forest study tours
• 6 nights lodgings and all meals
• Park access fees
• Training sessions and teaching materials
• Interaction with our international cadre of World Forest Institute Fellows

IEI is a great program for teachers to learn new classroom content for environmental and earth sciences, biology and natural resource fields.

The course is scheduled July 11-16, 2010 in Portland, Oregon, and the application deadline is Feb. 28, 2010.  For more information and to download application materials visit: www.worldforestry.org/wfi/dm_institute.php 

 
This summer the Global Exploration for Educators Organization is running travel programs to Tunisia, Peru, Southern Africa, China and India. These programs are filling up quickly so please sign up soon if you would like to travel with GEEO this summer. 

Our trips are 2-3 weeks in length and are limited to 10-18 teachers and their traveling companions. These trips are customized to include activities that will be particularly interesting to teachers, such as school visits. Graduate and professional development credits are available to participating teachers.There is no application process for our trips and they are offered on a first come, first serve basis. However, participating teachers are required to initiate the GEEO education plan upon their return. This simple, easy to implement system is designed to help teachers share their experience with their students.

Information about these programs can be found on our website, www.geeo.org Please take a look at our exciting adventures and call us toll free, 9AM-10PM EST at 1-877-600-0105 if you'd like to know more.