Take the “A” Drive The McGraw-Hill Teacher’s Calendar describes “Drop Me Off in Harlem” as online multimedia that help students interact with the creative forces at work in Harlem during the 1920s. The site is divided into three sections: Faces of the Renaissance, where students can discover the leading personalities and talents of the period; A Place Called Harlem, an interactive map of the neighborhood and its landmarks; and Themes and Variations, where lasting contributions to American culture are presented. These and more are available at the Kennedy Center-sponsored site, http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/exploring/harlem/artsedge.html. It’s a great national Black History Month resource.

C-SPAN clips C-SPAN recently introduced new video enhancements to its online site for middle and high school social studies teachers. The upgrades are designed to make it easier and faster for educators to incorporate C-SPAN’s public affairs and political programming into their classrooms. Check out www.c-spanclassroom.org for free video clips from C-SPAN’s collection of standards-based content. Teachers can also search archived and current video by keywords and create personalized user areas for favorite clips. The C-SPAN Classroom resources all are linked to state and national civics and social studies standards and are provided free of charge. Teachers who sign up at the site also can request a free DVD of C-SPAN clips to jump-start their video library.

Professional grants The Houston-based Fund for Teachers has opened the application process for 2007 fellow grants. Grants are available for preK-12 teachers with at least three years of experience in select districts. Eligible teachers can stop in at www.fundforteachers.org and apply to receive a $5,000 individual or $7,500 team grant for a self-designed professional development project. The deadline for submission varies by location; check the Web site for participating areas and deadlines.

Science, math honors Nominations are open for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The program was established in 1983 by the White House and is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This year, the program identifies outstanding mathematics and science teachers in grades 7-12. Anyone may nominate a teacher, and self-nominations are accepted. Each winner will receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation and gifts from donors. Each winner (and a guest) will be invited to attend recognition events in Washington, D.C., in March 2008. The deadline for nominations is April 2, 2007. For details, visit the awards section at www.nsf.gov.

Calling all gamers The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has launched a nationwide contest to promote the development of computer and video games that improve people’s health and help them get the care they need. The Games for Health Competition will award prizes totaling $30,000 to entrants who develop game concepts or prototypes aimed at improving aspects of health and healthcare. The contest will accept entries through April 1, 2007. Three prizes will be awarded—one for a working prototype and two for storyboard/design treatments. For details on contest categories, visit the Web site www.gamesforhealth.org/competition.

Generational Ties The Listen to a Life Essay Contest asks students ages 8-18 to interview a grandparent or grandfriend about the older person’s hopes and goals, how the person achieved those goals and overcame obstacles, or how his or her dreams may have changed along the way. The student then writes a 300-word essay based on the interview. The grand prize is a ThinkCentre computer and a $500 gift certificate from Books Are Fun. Twenty runner-up prizes include $200 gift certificates from Books Are Fun. The deadline is March 31, 2007. Entries should be submitted online at www.
legacyproject.org. Also available are a free school activity kit filled with life interview ideas, a planning guide for a school Grandparents Day event, and goal-setting activities with curriculum connections.

Energy matters EnergyTeachers.org is a free network for educators of all stripes interested in curriculum about energy production and use. The group is a nonprofit organization that is not supported by any specific industry. EnergyTeachers offers an annotated bibliography, a calendar of events for professional development, hundreds of links to information about every aspect of energy and energy education, and a forum to discuss teaching energy. All services can be found online, but the group also sends free printed newsletters to schools. For more information, check the group’s Web site at http://
energyteachers.org.

Technology award The Astronauts Memorial Foundation offers its Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award to reward excellence in the development and delivery of technology programs in the classroom with students, or in the professional development of teachers in the school or district. The top prize includes recognition at an awards ceremony at the 23rd National Space Symposium, held April 2007 in Colorado Springs, Colo. The winner also receives an engraved commemorative trophy and recognition in a permanent display at the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The deadline for the competition is Jan. 31, 2007, and it is open to K-12 educators and district-level personnel in the field of educational technology. For details, visit www.amfcse.org/Alan%20Shepard%20Award/alan_shepard_award.htm.