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"CALL (Campaign Alliance for Life long Learning) Category: Common Interest - Current Events: Why CALL? Why now? Rising charges and course cut backs have seen two million learners' places lost from further and adult education in England since 2005. Now groups representing students, staff and local communities have come together to campaign for the right of everyone to access to learning irrespective of class, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, asylum status or employment. We have founded CALL, the Campaigning Alliance for Lifelong Learning because we believe that affordable access to the life changing opportunities provided by education is the hallmark of a civilised society. CALL is a non-party political alliance. The only qualification for joining is commitment to our six founding principles below. CALL believes our education system should provide: equality of access to high quality education for all learners (regardless of: class, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, asylum status or employment status), including a statutory right to learning in the workplace universal access to basic skills, ESOL and ICT courses and a first level three qualification regardless of age learner, teacher and community involvement in all levels of decision-making about their learning wherever it takes place learning for personal wellbeing and development and the maintenance of local authority adult education a path out of poverty and disadvantage including widening participation in higher education and the provision of a second chance later in life a stable, motivated and rewarded workforce of professional practitioners."

"Discovery Communications To Launch New Multimedia, Multi-Year Science Initiative, "Be The Future," Supporting Obama Administration STEM Priorities -- DirecTV Boosts Support of Science Literacy with Move of Science Channel to Total Choice, Offering Millions of Additional Subscribers Access to Quality Science Programming -- November 23, 2009 (Silver Spring, Md.) Underscoring its commitment to leading in science-related programming and education, and answering President Obama's call to action to encourage science literacy, Discovery Communications today announced a new multimedia, multi-year nationwide initiative called "Be The Future." Over the next five years, Discovery will launch a programming block, education curriculum and tools to inspire student learning and careers in the sciences and support the White House's efforts behind science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. "Lifting American students from the middle to the top of the pack in STEM achievement over the next decade will not be attained by government alone," said President Obama. "I applaud the substantial commitments made today by the leaders of companies, universities, foundations, non-profits and organizations representing millions of scientists, engineers and teachers from across the country." "The exploration of science, technology and the natural world is central to the mission and DNA of Discovery Communications and we are incredibly proud to put the full muscle of our content and resources behind this critical White House initiative," said John S. Hendricks, founder and chairman, Discovery Communications. "Through 'Be the Future' we will spark the innate curiosity in school-aged viewers and people of all ages, help drive interest and leadership in science-related careers and inspire a lifelong interest in how science shapes our everyday lives." A sweeping, multi-platform initiative, "Be the Future" will be built on two primary Discovery businesse

"Focusing on the K-12 community In the late 1990s, the State of Michigan founded Michigan Virtual University to support the state's economic development efforts by providing convenient and cost-effective education and training to Michigan's current and future workforce. After redefining its mission and vision in 2004, MVU now serves the K-12 education community exclusively through the Michigan Virtual School and Michigan LearnPort. As one of the largest virtual schools in the U.S., Michigan Virtual School offers more than 150 online courses, including unique courses like Chinese and CareerForward®, an online career exploration course. Michigan LearnPort brings professional development to the K-12 educational community. Hosting a broad catalog of courses and collaborative tools, Michigan LearnPort provides online learning resources and solutions for educators. MVU provides powerful and engaging online career development tools for high school and middle school students, parents and K-12 educators, including a no-cost online course called CareerForward that helps all Michigan schools meet the state's online learning graduation requirement. MVU's web-based application called myDreamExplorer® gives students an opportunity to explore different career pathways, take personal interest surveys and build a personalized education development plan. The MVU organizational values represent a set of core beliefs that continue to build a high performance team environment. These value statements serve as the foundation for MVU's vision and mission statements. MVU is committed to the following values: High standards for quality, ongoing research and the use of data to improve operational decisions; Use of innovative technologies to address persistent educational challenges; Listening to customer and stakeholder feedback to guide product and service evelopment plans; Excellence in the design, development and delivery of online educational

"Women in the World The Daily Beast, a business of IAC/InterActiveCorp, has partnered with co-hosts DVF, Vital Voices and the UN Foundation to produce Women in the World: Stories and Solutions, calling attention to the amazing work that non-profits, NGOs and activists are doing to fight child marriage, rape in war zones, sex trafficking and other challenges facing women and girls. The Daily Beast, a business of IAC/InterActiveCorp, has partnered with co-hosts DVF, Vital Voices and the UN Foundation to produce Women in the World: Stories and Solutions, calling attention to the amazing work that non-profits, NGOs and activists are doing to fight child marriage, rape in war zones, sex trafficking and other challenges facing women and girls."

"Psychologists who study mood have found that your sense of control over external events plays a big role in determining your mood. I believe this explains why so few people choose to get involved in education. In a set of classic psychological studies, researchers observed that feeling unable to control events is associated with a depressed mood. How does this apply to education? When most of us look at the shortcomings of our educational system, we feel little power to influence events. We do not feel that we can make a difference. That's depressing, so we tend to turn away and devote our energies to something where we can feel what psychologists call internal locus of control. It doesn't have to be that way. There are many things that we can do to improve education, particularly if we focus on the areas where we can make a difference. For the GIS community, the place where we can make a difference is in the area that I call geo-literacy, the slice across the science and social studies curriculum that depends critically on geographic analysis. Together with ESRI and other organizations, National Geographic is creating opportunities for geographic professionals to make a difference in education and experience an internal locus of control."

"Who & Why We Are Releasing possibility, changing lives In 1999, we set out to answer a call. It was a call voiced by a growing number of parents whose children's needs were not being met by traditional education models. Their children were bored by the pace of the traditional classroom, left behind by the pace of the classroom, or just getting lost in the shuffle. While traditional brick and mortar schools work for many children, they restrict many others for a variety of reasons. At K¹², our mission has remained steadfast: To provide any child access to exceptional curriculum and tools that enable him or her to maximize his or her success in life, regardless of geographic, financial, or demographic circumstance. We have become a leader in providing individualized, one-to-one learning solutions to students from kindergarten through high school across the country. These solutions have literally changed lives and opened up possibility for many children. Our biggest fans continue to be parents who are seeking to tap into their children's unique potential and who have seen what can happen when children can work at the right pace and with the tools, approaches, and content that make learning come alive."

"Advancing Excellent Teaching in American Schools Annenberg Media uses media and telecommunications to advance excellent teaching in American schools. This mandate is carried out chiefly by the funding and broad distribution of educational video programs with coordinated Web and print materials for the professional development of K-12 teachers. It is part of The Annenberg Foundation and advances the Foundation's goal of encouraging the development of more effective ways to share ideas and knowledge. Annenberg Media's multimedia resources help teachers increase their expertise in their fields and assist them in improving their teaching methods. Many programs are also intended for students in the classroom and viewers at home. All Annenberg Media videos exemplify excellent teaching. Annenberg Media resources can be accessed for FREE at Learner.org , or can be purchased through the Web site or by calling 1-800-LEARNER."

"Founded in 1967 at Sweetwater Creek State Park by a group of concerned citizens, the Georgia Conservancy collaborates, advocates and educates to protect Georgia's natural environment. Through its focus on clean air and water, land conservation, coastal protection, growth management and education, the Georgia Conservancy works to develop solutions to protect Georgia's environment and promote the stewardship of the state's vital natural resources. Called "the state's most influential environmental organization" by Georgia Trend magazine, the Georgia Conservancy, a statewide, nonprofit organization, serves as an advocate for clean air and water through programs such as Mothers & Others for Clean Air and as a founding member of the Georgia Water Coalition (GWC). The Georgia Conservancy, through its work with GWC, was active in the development of a statewide water management plan to ensure Georgia's waters remain clean, abundant and available for all Georgians. Today, the water program continues as the Georgia Conservancy works to influence and track the state's water conservation implementation plan as part of the statewide water plan, which passed by the state legislature in 2008. Other recent Georgia Conservancy successes, to name only a few, include: launching the Coastal Georgia Land Conservation Initiative in partnership with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Association County Commissioners. The initiative will protect critical coastal lands and promote sustainable land use and development practices through comprehensive mapping, education and technical assistance assembling and facilitating a team of air quality, policy and health experts to revise guidelines on appropriate outdoor activity when air quality is poor securing $250,000 in state funds to assist schools with installing pollution control devices on metro-area school buses. and, in 2008, teaching more than 292 teachers in 18 environmental education workshop

"Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation Mission and Vision: Picture the happy, effective and contributing global citizens of tomorrow. Being lifelong learners and digitally fluent, they participate fully in every aspect of social and economic life. To make this picture a reality, today's students must learn differently. They must be granted an education that fosters their innate motivation to learn, that encourages academic rigor through relevant application, and that connects them with the world they will enter. This approach is often called 'anytime anywhere learning.' To take part in anytime, anywhere learning, students must be provided with: *A constructivist, international education where meaningful tasks subsume curriculum objectives. * A personal, portable computer with which to think about, construct and share ideas The Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation is a not for profit organization whose primary purpose is to ensure that all children have access to unlimited opportunities to learn anytime and anywhere and that they have the tools that make this possible. AALF members are committed to making anytime, anywhere learning a reality for all students. We believe that this release of human potential is in the best interest of our children and society. Through the AALF, members access research, resources and a professional network, and create strong, sustainable, learning-driven, 1-to-1 technology environments."

"The Reemployment Works! Community of Practice is a communications vehicle to offer technical assistance, share promising practices, and network with colleagues in the Workforce and Economic Development world. Workforce3One currently has over 50,000 registrants from every corner of our workforce world, not just the public workforce system: Business and Industry, Education and Training, Non-Governmental organizations and Community-based organizations, Faith-based organizations, organized labor. To date, our knowledge-sharing tool, Workforce3One has been a repository for tools and resources that complement the technical assistance offered by ETA and peer-to-peer learning. Using social media and Web 2.0 technology, we can take this to another level. You may consider the Reemployment Community of Practice an exclusive, professional club. Exclusive (we're inviting only 50,000 of our closest associates), professional (we're offering technical assistance to build the capacity of the public workforce system) club (we'd like to keep the engagement informal and socially comfortable). Through our Community of Practice (CoP) we can open more two-way exchanges among thought-leaders and workforce system learners. We can communicate in real time and continue "conversations" we started at a forum, a Webinar, a conference call, etc. We can upload documents to the Wiki section and ask our colleagues to edit them or offer comments. Wikis can also be used to document what's happening in your region on a particular topic. Our CoP can be used to jump start collaboration on a project and to engage in peer-to-peer learning activities. The CoP also complements our blended learning strategy . Now our colleagues can view a PodCast that introduces or defines a topic, then move to a wiki document to be share or edit content, then participate in a Webinar to learn more and to brainstorm further, and then join a discussion thread on the CoP to "continue

"What are Gizmos? ExploreLearning.com offers the world's largest library of interactive online simulations for math and science education in grades 3-12. We call these simulations Gizmos . Gizmos are: fun, easy to use, and help students develop a deep understanding of challenging concepts through inquiry and exploration. research-based, flexible tools used by teachers across all 50 states in a wide variety of ways. Gizmos are ideal for small group work, individual exploration, and whole class instruction using an LCD projector or interactive whiteboard. designed to supplement your existing curriculum. Gizmos are correlated to state curriculum standards and over 200 textbooks, making them easy to integrate into your instructional program. backed by first-rate training and professional development services that help maximize the value of your investment."

"Our Work With more than 300 national partner organizations and their local affiliates, the Alliance is uniquely positioned to mobilize Americans to act. We have made a top priority of ensuring that all young people graduate from high school ready for college, work and life through an on-going Dropout Prevention initiative. Our work involves raising awareness, encouraging action and engaging in advocacy to provide children the key supports we call the Five Promises: Caring adults such as parents, teachers, mentors, coaches and neighbors Safe places that offer constructive activities when young people are not in school A healthy start and healthy development An effective education that prepares young people for college and work Opportunities to help others through service"

"Financial Education: FDIC's Money Smart financial education program. The Money Smart program can help you take charge of your finances and create a better financial future. Available on-line or by mail free of charge; it may also be taught in a classroom setting or downloaded into a portable audio (MP3) format. For additional information call toll-free 1-877-ASK-FDIC (1-877-275-3342); hearing impaired 1-800-925-4618. Link: http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart/index.html Audience: Consumers, Adults, Young Adults, Educators, Low and Moderate Income Individuals Learn More Agency: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Agency:"

"We now have an opportunity to bring hands-on, tinkering-based learning to a new level in the United States. The growing body of work supported by foundations coupled with an Administration that is highly supportive of innovation in learning makes for a powerful force. In his April 27th speech to the National Academies of Science, the President made this call to action: "I want to encourage you to participate in programs to allow students to get a degree in science fields and a teaching certificate at the same time. I want us all to think about new and creative ways to engage young people in science and engineering, whether it's science festivals, robotics competitions, fairs that encourage young people to create and build and invent -- to be makers of things, not just consumers of things." To achieve this goal we should provide students the tools to experiment and build their own tools, machines and platforms. This Administration supports hands-on experiences that allow children to learn at their own pace through discovery and building. National Lab Day (NLD) is a platform to scale hands-on learning across the country. Each NLD will encompass a year-long series of training and activities which will culminate in a day of sharing and recognition. We plan on a series of NLD's to build to our goals."