WANNA PAINT A DUCK?  Students can be immortalized--and win a $4,000 scholarship to boot--by entering the 2002-2003 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest. State-level contests for students of different ages also are offered in connection with the program, sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The top three winners receive scholarships, a trip to Washington, D.C., and the top winner's rendition is featured on a duck postage stamp. Entries for state-level competitions are due in mid-March. Details about the contest, including a downloadable Jr. Duck Stamp Curriculum Guide, are available at the Federal Duck Stamp home page, http://duckstamps.fws.gov/.

SPACE DAY MATERIALS  Online materials and details about the Space Day 2003, Design Challenges are now available. The five-year-old initiative aims to advance learning in science, math, engineering and technology by inspiring students to design innovative aircraft and spacecraft. The 2003 challenge, for grades 4-5 and 6-8, is targeted to the 100th anniversary of flight. The deadline for submitting entries is March 3, 2003. Eighteen solutions from teams across the country will be chosen and recognized at the Space Day Opening Ceremony on May 1, 2003, in Washington, D.C. For details about Space Day and the Space Day 2003 Design Challenges, including online registration, visit www.spaceday.com.

JAPAN STUDY  The 2003 Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program is an opportunity for U.S. primary and secondary school teachers and administrators to participate in a fully funded three-week study visit to Japan. Sponsored by the government of Japan since 1997, the program has enabled 3,100 educators to study the Japanese culture and educational system. This year, 600 more American educators will be selected to participate. In addition to overall professional qualifications, a primary factor in selecting award recipients is the teacher's ability to share experiences with students and colleagues upon returning to the U.S. This year's application deadline is Dec. 10. An online application is available at www.iie.org/pgms/fmf.

EARLY AWARENESS  October is Learning Disabilities month, and the Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities is marking the occasion by offering parents and educators online tools to help recognize the problem in students. CCLD has created a special back-to-school section in the newsroom of its Web site that identifies the signs of learning disabilities, notes the most frequently asked questions, provides resources, offers homework tips for parents and more. Also featured is advice for parents about working with their childrens' teacher and school. The site is located at www.aboutld.org/backtoschool.html.

DRUG PREVENTION  The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, through the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, has developed www.teachersguide.org--a site that features standards-based activities for teachers to use in incorporating drug prevention messages into the classroom. The free site includes interdisciplinary classroom exercises created by a panel of educators and drug prevention experts that span eight subject areas. Also offered is a "Teacher-to-Teacher" feedback feature for educators to tell how activities have worked in their classrooms, share experiences and offer additional tips, resources and comments.

FREE RESOURCE  The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is offering a free online version of its 133-page reference book Teaching about the Holocaust: A Resource Book for Educators. The book, available in PDF format, provides guidelines for teaching about the Holocaust, a historical summary and chronology, and an annotated bibliography and videography on Holocaust-related topics. It also provides information about programs offered by museum educators and additional resources for teachers. To view or print either the entire book or sections of the resource, visit www.ushmm.org/education/foreducators/.

American Federation of Teachers, AFL•CIO - 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW - Washington, DC 20001