WORK YOUR PLAN  Authors Valerie Pierce and Cheryl Rilly have put together a task-oriented, easy-to-use primer on college preparation for high school students. Countdown to College: 21 ‘To Do’ lists for High School (Front Porch Press) breaks down the college admission process to help keep students from feeling overwhelmed by their junior year. Addressed are such issues as paying for college, admission tests, campus visits and more. The 168-page paperback costs $9.95 and is available at local bookstores.

STAMP OF APPROVAL  Stamps are a great way to learn about history and the world, and what better time to introduce students to the hobby than October, which is National Stamp Collecting Month? The event is sponsored by the U.S. Postal Service, which offers a variety of materials and resources related to stamp collecting through the “Collector’s Corner” section of its online store. Visit http://shop.usps.com for details.

JOB HUNT  The American Association for Employment in Education Inc. has recently released the 2004 Job Search Handbook for Educators. This useful reference features essays by leading academicians on the current outlook in the education profession along with advice to help applicants secure the position they want. Included are lists of job Web sites, a directory of state certification offices, tips for making the most of online job hunt resources and guidelines for pre-employment interview questions. The cost for AAEE members is $5, plus shipping and handling; nonmembers pay $8, plus shipping and handling. For details, visit www.aaee.org or call 614/485-1111.

THOUGHT TAUGHT  This fall, the Nation is expanding its reach into classrooms as part of a teaching curriculum to help promote writing skills and foster debate. Each week, a teaching guide based on the current issue of the magazine is provided online—an effort to help teachers structure lessons and organize conversations in the classroom. The guide is based on specific magazine articles and also features selected articles from the publication’s 138-year archive that can help illuminate current events. For details, visit www.thenation.com.

ATOMIC BOMB STORY  The Manhattan Project Heritage Preservation Association offers an extensive Web site of information about the history of the Manhattan Project, the secret World War II program to develop the atomic bomb. The site in­cludes a history of the project; student research and study topics; and a sizeable collection of original documents, photos, newspaper articles and letters for use by future generations. In addition, the association works to provide Manhattan Project-related books to high schools nationwide. Manhattan Project veterans, both civilian and military, and their descendants, are encouraged to contact the association through the Web site. For details, visit www.childrenofthemanhattanproject.org.

YELLOWSTONE ­COMPANION  Yellowstone National Park has developed an online series of electronic field trips and associated curricula. Visit the park’s “Windows into Wonderland” Web site, located at www.windowsintowonderland.org,  for up-to-date electronic field trips illustrating different aspects of the park. The curricula have been written to meet the National Science Education Standards and are offered free of charge. There are also archived electronic field trips for history, art and other science subjects on the site. New field trips in October in­clude such subject areas as trumpeter swans, geology and predator-prey relationships. The Park Service anticipates bringing new field trips online every five or six months.

AFTER-SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT  The Afterschool Alliance’s “Lights on Afterschool!” is a national effort to raise public awareness and support for the valuable role played by afterschool programs in the education of young people. Now in its fourth year, Lights on Afterschool! features thousands of community events tied to the Oct. 9 observance—from open houses to student performances. A complete list of Lights on Afterschool! events is available on the Afterschool Alliance Web site at www.afterschoolalliance.org.

100 YEARS ALOFT  The Wright brothers made their first sustained, powered flight on Dec. 17, 1903. The Library of Congress is gearing up for that important centennial observance with “The Dream of Flight,” a new exhibit in its American Treasures gallery. Selections from the diaries of Wilbur and Orville Wright, as well as rare prints, photographs, manuscripts and books, will be showcased in the exhibit. The library also will make many of these items available online at www.loc.gov/exhibits.  A companion online presentation, featured 10,000 items selected from the Wright papers, will be available at the Library’s American  Memory Web site at www.memory.loclgov/ammem/wright.html.

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