The commemorations of the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps picked up momentum on March 1 and will continue through September 2011.  For ideas and information on how you can build that momentum by sharing the Peace Corps experience in educational settings, see our Spring 2011 issue of NPCA's Global Education News. Among the features of this issue:

• K-8 Corner: Peaceful Paths to Change
• 9-12 Corner: Learning from the Human Development Report
• Voices from the Peace Corps
• Connect All Schools
• Resources and opportunities for students and teachers

Learn more about the 50th, register your activities and download resources at www.peacecorpsconnect.org/50

Have  you visited a classroom or hosted a speaker through Speakers Match?  Please let us know!  I'd love to hear your story.

I hope you enjoy this issue and will let us know how you're sharing these and other resources in classrooms and communities.  Please send  your letters or materials for the next issue (including your summer reading suggestions) by May 15 to Susan Neyer, editor, at susanneyer@astound.net.   

Peace,
Anne Baker
Vice President, NPCA

ps - The work of NPCA Global Education is dedicated to you, but also could not happen without you.  Please support this quarterly newsletter and other global education resources with your membership in NPCA. 

"Around the World Expo" - including a free Global Education workshop - in Madison, WI this weekend!

The National Peace Corps Association, Peace Corps and the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Wisconsin-Madison invite you to commemorate 50 years of promoting peace and friendship at our Peace Corps Around the World Expo.

Date: Sunday, March 27, 2011

Time: 2:00 - 5:00 pm

Venue: Monona Terrace Community and Conference Center, One John Nolen Drive, Madison, WI

Workshop (2:00 - 3:00 pm): Bringing the World Back Home through Global Education

Description:  The "third goal" of Peace Corps is to educate people in the United States about the countries and cultures that Volunteers have experienced.  During this workshop, you'll have the opportunity to hear of free resources that support the efforts of educators, returned Peace Corps volunteers and others to bring the world back home to classrooms and communities.  Learn about the different ways in which you can become engaged in a variety of global education activities. 

Presenters:  Angene Wilson, Chair (RPCV Liberia 1962-1964);

Wade DallaGrana (RPCV Lesotho 1977-1979), Social StudiesTeacher, Edgewood High School; Ana Zambie

(RPCV Bolivia 1999-2001), Madison Area Technical College.

Join us in supporting the agency's mission and legacy of service by honoring our past, demonstrating our effectiveness, and inspiring the next generation of Volunteers through education and engagement.  Returned Peace Corps Volunteers will be showcasing their work, while Peace Corps and the National Peace Corps Association will host information sessions for potential applicants and RPCVs.  The Expo is free and open to the public.

Read complete details on the speakers, program, Around the World exhibits and workshops on the 50th anniversary calendar.

Can't come to Madison?  Check the schedule of upcoming expos around the country!  Next up:  Portland, OR on Sunday, April 3.

Posted by request:

Are you an educator who values a global perspective in your school or classroom? If your answer is "yes," then you may be interested in learning about the Connect All Schools initiative. Over 65 major educational organizations have come together to create a new interactive website enabling schools across the U.S. to discuss various international education opportunities.

Connect All Schools is platform for educators to share ways in which they have brought the world into their schools and classrooms, including the implementation of global curricula, teacher and student exchanges, online connections and collaboration, and world language study. In addition to providing a forum for schools to share how they are connected to the world, interested administrators, teachers and parents can also use these stories to help design their own international experiences. Connect All Schools also provides the opportunity for schools to work with partner organizations to build new global links. Connect All Schools aims to connect every U.S. school with the world by 2016.

Learn more about the initiative at: www.connectallschools.org  By telling your stories, you will allow other educators throughout the U.S. to replicate what you have done.

Follow these easy steps to take full advantage of the website:

• Read stories of the international work your colleagues all over the U.S. are doing
• Post your own story of international cooperation, including photographs and video, by registering with www.connectallschools.org (registration is available in the upper right corner)

At Connect All Schools, you can also:

• Search for a school in your area with international connections
• Search for connections in a specific country you are interested in
• Share your valuable experience
• See what is going on in other major educational organizations in the U.S. and learn many other ways to make your school truly international

NPCA is a partner in the Connect All Schools initiative. When you enter your story, please list NPCA as your partner organization!

Posted by request:

 

Oxfam America is currently accepting applications for the CHANGE Initiative, Oxfam's national student leadership and organizing program.  CHANGE offers college students, at US based campuses, entering their sophomore or junior year, the skills and opportunity to become effective agents for social change.

CHANGE Leaders:

 *   Connect with Oxfam staff and have access to expert skills based training, resources, materials, and year-round support;
 *   Develop confidence and the skills to effect positive, lasting social change, and;
 *   Are part of an active and growing, global network of peers and alumni working on social justice issues.

Applications are due April 1, 2011.  Selected students participate in a week-long training in Boston, July 23-29, 2011. All expenses are covered by Oxfam.

>>  Watch the CHANGE video and apply