Targeted Oral Language Development for Academic Success, is the title of this two-day program for teachers grades 4-12 will be presented by Kate Kinsella, Ed.D.  Dr. Kinsella will teach attendees effective ways to:

• Identify, write, and communicate effective language objectives
• Design verbal response frames that scaffold accurate oral fluency
• Explicitly teach high utility academic words in multiple contexts
• Set up student-to-student interactions with clear language targets
• Integrate academic writing tasks
• Check for comprehension and monitor learning   

The 2011 Contra Costa County Science & Engineering Fair welcomes all to attend and view numerous projects submitted this year by county middle- and high-school students.  Attendees can observe the presentations and experiments up close, as well as talk to the students who entered them.

Date and location: April 2; 10:00 a.m.-12 noon; Los Medanos College (Science Building), Pittsburg

For info: Visit their website

Fee: Free

Each year, the Youth Summit unites sixth- through twelfth-grade youth with local dignitaries, youth mentors, and community leaders for a day of career preparedness, self-awareness, and entertainment.  The annual event is a community effort to build healthy attributes such as self-esteem, honesty, and integrity. Their goal is to assist our students in constructing the foundation they need to succeed by equipping them with assets that will enhance their personal and social standards. The interactive workshops provided at the Summit will increase life skills, assist with career development, and provide a venue for healthy and appropriate activities that reduce the risk of undesirable behavior.

Date and Location: April 16, 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.; Los Medanos College

Foster youth, ages 15 to 19 years old, and their caregivers are invited to an information day about local community colleges and vocational programs.  Attendees will learn about the college's on-campus foster youth services and resources, the college experience, and entrance requirements.  There will also be a tour of the campus.  In addition, food will be served during registration and a Target gift card will be given to eligible foster youth attendees.  (Caregivers who attend will receive three hours of continuing education credit.)

The CCCOE and the Contra Costa Economic Partnership (along with numerous professional partners) will once again be producing two outstanding hands-on education camps, offered to incoming high school juniors and seniors this summer.  The week-long camps are looking for teachers to support student learning.  Instructors will earn professional development hours and a small stipend for each camp, while also being exposed to a full range of industry experts.  The camps are scheduled for these dates: Construction and Engineering, June 20-24, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill and Biotechnology, July 11-15, California State University East Bay, Concord Campus.

For info: Contact Louise Barbee at (925) 942-3385 or visit their website

California American Water is accepting applications for its 2011 Environmental Grant Program. The company will award several grants for a combined total of $10,000 to innovative community-based environmental projects that improve, restore, or protect watersheds and drinking-water supplies within the state. A wide variety of conservation projects are eligible for funding, such as watershed cleanups, reforestation efforts, biodiversity projects, streamside-buffer-restoration projects, wellhead-protection initiatives and hazardous-waste collection efforts.

For info: Contact Kevin Tilden at (619) 435-7402 or visit their website

Deadline: Applications must be postmarked by April 26 

The ING Unsung Heroes honors excellence in education by selecting 100 K-12 educators to receive $2,000 to help fund their innovative classroom projects. Of  these 100 finalists, 3 will be chosen to receive an additional $5,000, $10,000, and $25,000.

For info: Visit ING's website

Deadline: April 30

FREE is a website from the U.S. Department of Education that offers teaching and learning resources, such as lesson plans, primary documents, science visualizations, math challenges, literary works, paintings, music manuscripts, and many other teaching aids, all organized around a list of 500 educational topics.  Sources include the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, National Science Foundation, NASA, National Archives, and many other federal agencies.

Fee: FREE is Free

ed1stop is continuing to offer a free trial of Defined STEM to our middle and high school subscribers.   Defined STEM is a web-based multimedia service designed to promote and improve STEM education and 21st century learning skills for ALL students, not just those interested or already advanced in STEM.  Aimed at grades 4-12, the program's goal is to improve STEM proficiency among all students, while fostering skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration.

Defined STEM provides relevance and rigor with:

• Engagement and real-world connections using STEM career-based videos
• Project-based learning activities
• Challenges focused on preparing all students for a STEM oriented work place
• Interactive simulations to provide a virtual hands-on experience

 If your school has ed1stop, you have free access to Defined STEM

For info: Contact Rovina Salinas at (925) 942-5332

Deadline:  This offer will run out on May 31

Fee: Free